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Consumers everywhere welcome content—as long as it’s relevant and connects with them on a personal level. That’s why a global content strategy needs to be a context strategy too.
In a time when digital technologies enable brands large and small to “go global,” marketers must keep in mind that there is no such thing as a global consumer. Today’s interactive content marketing efforts need to be local, personal and focused on the consumer’s context, taking into account everything from local speech patterns to humor to weather conditions.
Don’t get lost in translation
You may have heard that Italians equate translation with treason in the pithy aphorism “Traduttore, traditore.” When rolling out online marketing campaigns in multiple markets, global brands need to pay attention to how they adapt content—or audiences won’t pay any attention. It’s not just the words in a campaign that require translation; nuances and “flavor” require adjustment too.
Case in point: Paco Rabanne launched a men’s fragrance, 1 Million, with a buzz marketing campaign in France, Spain and the U.K. Because the campaign included tongue-in-cheek references to celebrity lifestyles, the content demanded sensitivity to local customs and slang. Straight translation would have spelled disaster.
Another example: a tourist board that communicates worldwide wanted to create a Spanish-language e-marketing campaign. Writers for our organization in Madrid came up with teaser copy in letter-perfect Castilian. But during tests, the target consumers—Mexicans—said the words for “night clubber” and “shopping” didn’t correspond to local usage. We adjusted the campaign’s call to action to connect with the target audience.
Finding the right words
Finding the right terms and language is also essential to a successful search strategy. Think about it: The keywords and expressions people type into search engines reflect the language of their community, not what a bilingual dictionary (or, heaven forbid, online language translation tool Babel Fish) suggests.
Montrealers and Parisians both speak French, n’est-ce pas? But when a French girl searches for shoes on the Web, she’ll type in “chaussures,” while her cousin in Quebec is certain to Google “souliers.” Clearly, if you want your customers to find you, you’ve got to speak like a local.
Content strategy is context strategy
Brand content that speaks the right language is just the first step toward relevance. Working in markets all over the world, we’ve learned that an effective digital content strategy is a context strategy too: It must factor in not only language and cultural references, but also bandwidth, technology, media consumption patterns and even climate.
When tire manufacturer BFGoodrich looked for a way to connect its brand with young-adult Canadian males, the first question we asked was, “How do these people spend time online?” Gaming and socializing, of course. Given the audience and the context, it made sense to create an interactive racing game and to place the application on Facebook, where players could invite their friends to compete. To make the game feel authentic, we designed it to reflect the harsh winter driving conditions that Canadians know so well. Successful content marketing entails approaching consumers in their contexts with content that both satisfies them and engages them with the brand.
Marketers need to meet the challenge of developing digital content for a broadening range of contexts. Connected consumers now expect to interact with brands on demand: on their terms, in their time frame, on their preferred device. Ever-smarter devices and clever, specialized apps further stimulate rising expectations for entertainment and utility.
Technology, tastes and regional behaviors also determine a user’s context. When mapping out a mobile content strategy, for example, you wouldn’t take the same approach in Paris, where passengers in the Métro can talk on their cell phones, as in Tokyo or New York City, where people spend their commute watching TV and reading books on their mobile devices.
Once you have a handle on how, when and where your audience chooses to experience digital media, you can start creating content that your customers desire and that is in line with what your brand can credibly provide.
Why serve ads? Serve content instead
We know from experience that consumers all over the world will seek out brand content that’s valuable, targeted and provided when they need it and where.
Whether it’s Australian winery Jacob’s Creek offering restaurant and nightlife recommendations to tourists in Beijing via mobile and the Web, Nespresso guiding consumers in six European countries to fine dining establishments and hotels that serve their coffee, or Canadian luxury retailer HoltRenfrew connecting shoppers with premium content via an iPhone app, smart marketers realize that when they market with digital content, everybody wins. Consumers benefit from the expertise and brand-relevant services that companies can provide about their products. And brands spend far less developing interactive content than creating costly TV spots.
The message to marketers is this: When you sit down to brainstorm, focus on generating fresh ideas for content aligned with your brand. The process is as creative and exciting as coming up with an ad concept—but the result is far more satisfying to your audience.
Sheila Mooney is director of content development for Nurun. As Nurun’s North American content lead, she helps clients find and define their “voices” online. A specialist in interactive communication, Mooney works with brands and corporate clients to devise content strategies specifically adapted to the digital space. |
