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Utah Business Blog Posts Tagged ‘MultiLing’ Utah businesses not immune to cultural faux pas Monday, August 16th, 2010 By Emmanuel Margetic, MultiLing Corporation Utah businesses certainly do not operate in a bubble. Buyusa.gov reported that in 2008, 2,461 companies exported goods from Utah locations. In an international economy, it’s good for the state to be doing business internationally like that, but there is a risk. When the Tower of Babel messed up the languages, some languages developed words remarkably similar to each other. It reminds me how so many different varieties of meat actually taste like chicken. So, either these languages have some unsuspected similarities, or humans just have a ridiculous knack for inventing names and slogans that come remarkably close to awkward or silly words and phrases in foreign markets. In a state that hosts one of the most linguistic universities in America, and where many people spend at least some time abroad, businesses may think they have easy access to the resources required to avoid making cultural or linguistic blunders. But one could think the same thing about the federal government. Remember when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a symbolic “reset” button during a major presentation to the Russian government? Her point was to show that they were resetting relations between the two nations. Well, instead of “reset” the word on the button was “overcharged.” This was pointed out by the Russian government official in front of all the invited press. Another example of just how easy it is to make linguistic or cultural blunders is CNN’s report of a pharmaceuticals company releasing a new weight-loss pill they dubbed Tegro. Tegro is a nice enough, creative, generic name in America. Too bad it’s so close to T’es gros, which means “you are fat” in French. One danger facing companies in Utah is the perception that spending a couple years in a foreign country or studying it in high school qualifies a person to translate business materials into a target language. That level of expertise will simply not guarantee that the business won’t pull a Hillary Clinton. Natives and experts who have a broad vocabulary and who understand slang, culture and expression are needed to ensure that a business doesn’t get embarrassed or sued. Translation is needed in business for a variety of different reasons. Some products require user manuals and some companies need marketing materials. Some companies have products with vital information such as warning labels and instructions that, if neglected or misunderstood, “may result in serious injury or death.” Businesses in Utah need translation just as much as anyone else that conducts business internationally, and they need it done correctly. Regardless of whether a business is an enterprise, or whether it’s one of Utah’s 203,468 small businesses, translation vendors, like MultiLing Corp., are the safest route to avoiding the embarrassment and possible failure that’s possible through faulty communication. Great opportunities exist in foreign markets. Businesses just need to take the necessary precautions to ensure they are communicating to those markets in a way that is appropriate and relatable to them. About the Author: Emmanuel Margetic is the director of marketing and sales for MultiLing Corporation and has been working in the translation industry for more than 12 years. Margetic has in-depth experience helping clients achieve international status and brand recognition through effective, localized communication and documentation. His role at MultiLing allows him to interface directly with companies, giving him a firsthand look at the challenges and successes of international business. Margetic graduated with an MBA from Brigham Young University. The content of this blog reflects the views and opinions of the author, and not necessarily those of Utah Business. Tags: Globalization, international business, Localization, MultiLing, Translation |
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