In today's interconnected world, the sporting goods industry faces a unique challenge: how to effectively communicate with a diverse, international audience while maintaining brand consistency and efficiency.

Whether you're in winter sports, outdoor adventures, bike sports, fitness and wellness, or sports fashion, your message needs to resonate across borders and cultures. This is where professional translation services become not just an option, but a necessity for global success.

The Multilingual Challenge in Sporting Goods

As a global or international marketing and communications manager in the sporting goods sector, you're tasked with a monumental responsibility. Your content - from product descriptions and catalogues to websites and social media posts - needs to speak to audiences in multiple languages, all while preserving the essence of your brand and the technical accuracy of your products.

Consider the vast array of content you manage:

  • Marketing support materials
  • Comprehensive product catalogues
  • Sales and dealer platform information
  • Detailed product descriptions
  • Dynamic online content
  • Engaging social media posts
  • Responsive website content

Each piece must be meticulously translated to ensure it captures not just the words, but the spirit and technical nuances of your sporting goods.

The Multilingual Challenge in Sporting Goods

Our competitive edge

The Kobalt Advantage: Precision, Efficiency, and Cultural Insight

This is where KOBALT's professional translation services come into play, offering a game-changing solution for the sporting goods industry. Here's how we transform your global communication strategy:

  1. Industry Expertise: Our translators are not just linguists; they're sports enthusiasts with deep knowledge of the industry. They understand the difference between a "crampon" and a "carabiner," ensuring your technical specifications are accurately conveyed.
  2. Native Speakers, Local Insight: We employ in-country, native speakers who are immersed in the local sporting culture. This means your content doesn't just translate – it resonates with the local market.
  3. Versatile Format Handling: From Microsoft Word to Adobe InDesign, PowerPoint to HTML and XML, we handle all current digital content types. No need for time-consuming reformatting – we deliver translations in your original source format.
  4. Cutting-Edge Technology: Our translation process leverages advanced technology to ensure consistency across all your materials and to speed up turnaround times.
  5. Seamless Integration: We can connect directly to your IT infrastructure, automating the translation process and reducing manual intervention.
  6. Local Collaboration: We facilitate interaction with your local dealers, importers, or subsidiaries to fine-tune style and wording, ensuring your message hits the mark in every market.

A Tale of Two Processes

The Cost of Inefficiency

Let's compare the traditional translation process with the Kobalt approach using a real-world example:

Current Process:

  1. The sporting goods HQ office in Germany uses their French dealer to translate their product brochure (in Adobe InDesign) for France.
  2. HQ sends a digital PDF of the brochure to French dealer
  3. French dealer translates internally by secretary, salesperson, marketing person
  4. French dealer sends back MSWord file in French of the brochure
  5. HQ copy& paste French text into HQ version
  6. HQ sends pdf brochure back to French dealer for review & check
  7. French dealer sends back comments
  8. 9 + 10 + 11  ; several sending back & forth until final OK on text & content

IMPACT of this scenario:

  • This long process needs a lot of interventions from HQ – this example is only into French, image a full-European project with 20+ languages:
  • Time-consuming and hidden costs
  • Translations done by non-professional translators
  • No translation technology used – no re-use of previous translated versions 
  • Waste of time due to several content support files (pdf – indd …)
  • No control of HQ of the translated content: local market adaptations too far away from the original style and tone 
  • Timing: 6 weeks for an 8-page brochure

Maximum Performance

The Kobalt Process

  1. HQ sends original Adobe InDesign to Kobalt HQ
  2. Kobalt uses in-country translators, specialized in sporting industry sector
  3. Kobalt re-uses content of previous version of brochure and sends to translators
  4. Translator updates new brochure with previous content and new elements
  5. Kobalt automatically generates translated Adobe InDesign file
  6. Kobalt sends file to local dealer/importer/subsidiary
  7. Kobalt implements changes and interact with local person if needed (and translator if needed)
  8. Kobalt sends back translated brochure, reviewed and approved by local person, in original format Adobe InDesign

The BENEFITS of our process

2 weeks for an 8-page brochure, with 80% cost reduction and superior quality

The Kobalt Process

The Impact on Your Global Strategy

By choosing Kobalt, you're not just translating words; you're optimizing your entire global communication strategy:

  • Time Efficiency: Reduce project timelines by up to 66%
  • Cost Reduction: Cut total translation costs by up to 80%
  • Quality Assurance: Ensure consistent brand voice and technical accuracy across all markets
  • Scalability: Easily manage projects across 20+ languages without exponential complexity
  • Technology Leverage: Benefit from translation memory and automation, increasing consistency and reducing costs over time
  • Brand Control: Maintain oversight of your global message while allowing for necessary local adaptations

Experts in translation for the Sports Industry

Beyond Translation: Your Partner in Global Growth

Kobalt is more than a translation service; we're your partner in global expansion. Our deep understanding of the sporting goods industry, combined with our linguistic expertise and technological prowess, positions us uniquely to support your international growth.

As you push the boundaries of sporting innovation, let us handle the complexities of multilingual communication. With Kobalt, you can focus on what you do best – creating outstanding sporting goods – while we ensure your message sprints, cycles, and soars across linguistic barriers.

Ready to take your global marketing to the next level? Contact Kobalt today and discover how our professional translation services can propel your sporting goods brand to international success. Let's create a world where your passion for sports speaks every language.

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