Marketing localization is about much more than accuracy. Sometimes several translations are equally correct, and choosing the right one becomes a question of style, audience and brand identity.
One of my clients once gave me a very interesting brief.
They told me: “We don’t need a translator. We need a writer.”
At first glance, this might sound like an unusual request. After all, isn’t a translator supposed to write?
The reality is that marketing localization is very different from translating a legal contract or a technical manual.
The client had already received a translation that was grammatically correct and accurately reflected the English source text. The problem wasn’t quality. The problem was style.
They felt the copy was too close to the English and didn’t create the same emotional impact on the reader.
This is actually much more common than people think.
When we work on marketing content, two experienced linguists can produce two excellent translations while making completely different linguistic choices. One might naturally write in a warmer, more conversational tone. Another may prefer a more formal or corporate style. Neither approach is wrong; they simply speak to different audiences.
To help the client make the right decision, we selected two experienced marketing linguists and asked both of them to translate a short sample.
The result was exactly what we expected: Both versions were excellent, both conveyed the original message accurately.
But each one had its own personality.
The client immediately recognised which version reflected their brand and chose that linguist for the project.
I often compare this process to asking five artists to paint the same landscape.
The landscape never changes, the artists do.
Each one sees different colours, different light, different details.
Translation, especially localization and transcreation, works in exactly the same way.
Once the client has chosen the style they prefer, everything becomes much easier.
That linguist is fully briefed on the client’s terminology, glossary, tone of voice and previous projects. We try to assign future work to the same person whenever possible, ensuring consistency across campaigns, brochures, websites and marketing material.
The initial selection process may require a little more time, but it creates a much smoother workflow in the long term.
Clients know exactly what to expect.
Linguists become increasingly familiar with the brand.
And every new project starts from a shared understanding instead of from scratch.
Ultimately, localization isn’t about finding the correct translation.
It’s about finding the version that sounds as though it had been written for your audience from the very beginning.