Multilingual Marketing: Taking Your Brand on a World Tour

Ah, marketing. The thing that can make or break a business. But nowadays, with so many different languages and cultures out there, it can be tough to create a campaign that connects with everyone on the same level. That's where multilingual marketing comes in! It's like taking your brand on a world tour, but instead of playing music like a true rock band, you're sending out messages in different languages to reach new audiences.

So, what exactly is multilingual marketing? It's a strategy that involves creating tailored marketing messages in more than one language, in order to reach a worldwide audience. By tailoring your message to specific regions and cultures, you can make it more relevant and effective in all those markets. Plus, you'll be building an international brand that people all over the world can recognize, trust and love!

But wait, there's more! Multilingual marketing is just one piece of the puzzle. Not the whole solution to your problems. You also need to be aware of multicultural marketing, which means understanding the values, beliefs, and customs of different cultures. Then, you can use that knowledge to create marketing messages that resonate with those local audiences.

Translation and localization services provided by LSPs are a crucial part of multilingual marketing, because they help global brands translate their messages into different languages. And we're not just talking about translating words, we're talking about cultural adaptation and localization. The message needs to be relevant and appropriate for the target culture, or else you might as well be speaking gibberish.

Now, let's take a look at some companies that have nailed multilingual marketing and created an international brand.

First up, perhaps that brand that masters international marketing like no other: Coca-Cola. We all know and love their classic red cans, but did you know they've successfully used multilingual marketing to connect with customers all over the world? In 2016, they launched their "Taste the Feeling" campaign, which featured a song that was translated into no less than 25 different languages. That's right, 25! The campaign was a huge success, with the song becoming a hit in many countries.

Another big player in the multicultural scene is Nike. Their iconic "Just Do It" campaign has been translated into many languages, including Chinese, Arabic, and Spanish. But they very well know they can't stop at translation and that's why they also create marketing campaigns that are specific to certain countries. For example, they launched their "Better for It" campaign in India, which featured Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone.

Another brand that has the right approach to multilingual localization is Airbnb. They've successfully used multicultural marketing to connect with customers in different countries. Their "Welcome to Airbnb" campaign was launched in 2017 and featured a series of videos that showed different cultures around the world, from France to Bali. The campaign was a hit and Airbnb's bookings increasing an staggering 18% in the following quarter.

Multilingual marketing allows you to create a strong international brand that resonates with customers all over the world. Now, go and conquer it!

Photo by Farzad Mohsenvand on Unsplash