One of the potential pitfalls for North Americans taking their marketing into the international market is that their best-selling offer may be confusing (or offensive) to their new target audience. Some words, phrases, and images can have completely different meanings in other languages and countries! Would the image to the right make any sense in French or German? Add in poor translation and you’ve just wasted all your money.
But, can an English-speaking, North American company write effective copy for a non-North American, English or non-English, audience? “YES WE CAN!”
The JR Direct team has written many successful international pieces. We understand the nuances needed to write effective copy for audiences outside of North America. Of course, we understand the North American audiences too!
From our experience, a few keys to creating effective international copy are:
- Know the laws in your target countries! Some countries have laws and regulations that may conflict with how you want your offer to work.
- Understand the cultural differences of the audience! Even if the audience is English-speaking, you must ensure that what you’re saying means the same thing to them. A football is a very different object in the UK than it is in the USA!
- Use the appropriate language! While many people in non-English countries also speak English, you will get a much better response if your offer speaks to the audience in their native tongue.
- Have access to good translators! Offer translation is more than just changing the words to the foreign equivalent. A good translator will understand what you are selling, and will use appropriate native words and phrases to entice the customer to buy. We don’t use Google Translate!
Let JR Direct’s Consulting team help get your international campaigns off the ground. We have the expertise and relationships you’ll need to expand into the international market. We can also provide the necessary List Services, Campaign Management, and Data Processing services.
