The quality of localisation often depends on the quality of the brief.
There is one thing that consistently makes the difference between a smooth localisation project and a difficult one – and it has nothing to do with the language itself. It is the quality of the brief. Before starting any localisation project, I always ask clients to provide as much context as possible. This includes a description of the target audience, brand tone of voice guidelines, any relevant market differences, technical constraints, and the expected final file format. The more information we have at the start, the better the outcome we can deliver.
The reason is simple: we never want linguists guessing. When a transcreator or localisation specialist is working on your content, they need to understand not just what the text says, but who it is for, how it should feel, and what it needs to achieve in that specific market. Without that context, even highly skilled professionals have to make assumptions, and assumptions introduce risk.
A clear, detailed brief reduces costs by minimising revisions. It speeds up delivery because fewer clarification rounds are needed. And it improves consistency across languages, because everyone working on the project is aligned from the start.
If you are not sure what to include in a localisation brief, I am always happy to walk clients through it before a project begins. It is one of the most valuable conversations we can have.