Structuring Your Localization Pipeline
Centralizing Content, UX, and Localization
To enjoy a sustainable business model, global brands must provide localized service that meets the highly varied needs of their customers. A well-designed localization pipeline is a critical component in achieving this goal.
Of course, structuring your localization pipeline requires foresight and planning and is full of challenges. The structure employed may vary; however, many organizations have found significant advantages to standardizing and centralizing the localization workflow. Let us discuss three areas where you may need to focus your centralization efforts on content, UX, and localization (according to market).
Content Centralization: Battling Content Chaos
Regarding content management, organizational silos are the chief enemy of centralization. Examples of those include:
A sprawling enterprise-level company may have a CMO who does not have 100% visibility into which departments or team members are developing content.
A vice president who does not have visibility into content cost and ROI
Content managers and developers who do not have visibility into the strategies that peers are using
Tools and techniques may vary widely from one content development team to another. As described above, such a content "strategy" is sometimes called the "rebel model." In other words, content teams work independently with limited coordination across departments. To establish a robust centralized model, it becomes necessary to craft a core narrative around which all content development stakeholders can rally. Lean into the "why" of the centralization process. Business leaders may also need to distinguish between content development activities that should be corralled into the centralized hub versus those that can be left to the different teams (e.g., department-specific training manuals, departmental newsletters, and so forth).
Standardizing content creation tools is also vital. Using the same platforms across departments will aid in cross-training, make collaboration between teams smoother, and facilitate common goals and KPIs. In turn, shared KPIs may lead to increased productivity throughout the organization as teams compete to produce the best/most content.
UX Centralization: Streamlining the UX Workflow
There are three primary UX models that global brands can follow:
Centralized
Decentralized
Hybrid (a combination of centralized and decentralized)
In the decentralized model, UX team members are embedded within different product teams throughout the organization. They report to their specific product lead and function as "specialists" within the context of each project. While this approach has some advantages, there are also serious drawbacks: lack of UX consistency across the organization, little time for design and research, and no solidarity among UX team members in the face of pressure to meet deadlines.
A centralized model can counteract virtually all of the drawbacks associated with the decentralized approach. In this structure, all UX team members report to the UX manager and are assigned to work with the different teams across the company according to need. In short, they act as "consultants" to the rest of the organization. The UX manager can ensure that products are designed according to consistent UX standards and that findings from design and research are shared across the entire UX team.
Of course, many organizations take the middle road by assigning their UX manager oversight of UX team members on various teams scattered across the business. Such a hybrid approach can be practical if implemented correctly. In any event, centralization is key in making the UX process run smoothly and delivering a high-quality product to the end user. In fact, by taking this approach, organizations are better equipped to adapt many UX features to various cultures, features which include:
Responsive containers, which allow for text strings of various lengths depending on the target language
Familiar icons, which include universally recognized symbols for functions like Delete, Save, or Help
Standard language, which reduces the use of language-specific idioms for more accessible translation across cultures
Localization Centralization: Adapting to the Needs of Each Market
Adapting a brand to a local market involves several moving parts. For instance:
Ensuring that the company's core message is conveyed in any translated ad copy or marketing materials
Offering local customers the same level of service enjoyed by consumers around the world
Training local employees on how best to deliver such a high-quality experience
Successful localization is crucial in establishing a brand reputation and promoting customer loyalty. Here again, it is essential to develop and maintain a centralized process that is flexible enough to accommodate various circumstances and cultures.
Take the translation/transcreation process as an example. While some business documents (such as contracts, legal documents, etc.) require strict translation from the source language to the targeted one, in many cases, a global brand has to rely on transcreation to achieve the desired effect in the market. This calls for adapting core concepts to the thought patterns and sensibilities of native consumers.
A measure of flexibility is required to make room for the transcreation process. For instance, the brand must leverage local experts who are fluent in both the source and target languages. At the same time, there has to be a baseline level of brand consistency across all markets and cultures.
This is where the centralization structure demonstrates its value. A central learning and development center creates the training materials to coach local sales reps on the product's unique selling points. A significant marketing hub develops the core messaging that a campaign should use while reviewing and giving final approval to any proposed changes from the local transcreation team. Ownership and control of training and marketing materials remain in the hands of a central body, which can permit or request adjustments as needed.
Granted, some companies outsource the localization process entirely to a third-party vendor as a cost-saving measure. The disadvantage to such a strategy is a lack of brand consistency — and, ultimately lack of control. In most cases, there are compelling reasons to retain at least some centralized oversight over local branding campaigns. Of course, this doesn't even touch on the technical issues associated with decentralization, such as ensuring that each vendor follows applicable data privacy rules and regulations within their country.
Key Takeaways
In summary: structuring your localization pipeline is critical to enjoying sustainability as a global brand. Three keys to developing and optimizing your channel include:
Abolishing content creation silos within your organization and ensuring that standardized tools and KPIs are shared across departments
Promoting UX consistency by implementing a centralized or hybrid approach, in which a UX manager oversees and coordinates the efforts of UX team members throughout the company
Ensuring that there are well-defined workflows in place to accommodate differences in language, culture, and background while adhering to consistent quality standards as defined by a central marketing office
Your diligence in establishing and fortifying your localization pipeline will undoubtedly result in optimal marketing ROI. It will also enhance your company's reputation, as evidenced by more and more repeat customers and advocates for your brand.
VTQ Magazine consistently offers updates on global business topics and thought leadership articles. We aim to provide valuable information to professionals worldwide, including business leaders endeavoring to structure (or restructure) their localization pipeline. Subscribe to VTQ to learn more about the impacts of highly effective localization techniques.