DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO GLOBAL CAMPAIGNS

Transcription

1 E-BOOK DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO GLOBAL CAMPAIGNS Localize and Optimize Your Campaign for Global Audiences Lionbridge

2 Introduction Any marketing campaign requires thorough consideration of both its content and audience. From its design to its message, subject line, frequency of touches, length and timing of delivery, each and every variable can be customized for different geographies or demographic segments in the preparation of a nuanced campaign. Taking distribution one step further and expanding your campaign internationally adds a new level of complexity altogether. As tempting as simply copying, pasting and translating your original might seem, an approach like this fails to realize the full potential of localization. In order to maximize your campaign s effectiveness, finding the balance between customization and maintaining your brand identity is absolutely essential. Currently, 68% of marketers say that is their core business marketing strategy. And 58% have plans to increase this budget in the upcoming year. 1 Such a booming interest in campaigns signifies the exciting opportunities this marketing strategy has - not only now but also will have in the future. 1 Exacttarget, 2014 State of Marketing, 2

3 Optimizing Global Content It is surprisingly easy to forget subtle differences in your global audiences when creating content for an international campaign. Content should be built accordingly when it is to be distributed for an international audience. Some of the easiest adjustments to make are often the first overlooked when thinking in terms of a broader global strategy. Formatting Your template should be globally neutral in terms of colors, designs and fonts. The reason for this is that some cultures take offense to specific colors or designs. Also, since some language characters take up more space on a page than others, you want to make sure your template can adjust to correctly fit all the languages you need. Language and Wording In the translation process, sometimes the meaning behind words gets lost which makes finding the appropriate language and word choices difficult when crafting an . Here are some things to avoid when writing your messaging: Avoid informal language so as to not offend any language or culture where it may be considered rude. Avoid slang or euphemisms because they do not always directly translate to have the same meaning. Be wary of gender-specific language when translating. Use the neutral where best fit. Greetings greetings are especially important as they set the tone for the entire , and it is typically the first thing a person reads when they open an . Proper consideration should be made in terms of the s level of formality and the recipient s gender/personal titles in order to make the best impression. See Appendix A for best practices and tips regarding the French, German, Spanish, and Polish language greetings. 3

4 Responsive Design marketing does not stop after you set up and schedule your campaign. You must think of the user experience when opening the . 41% of people open an campaign for the first time on their mobile device. 2 Yet only 43% of marketers use responsive design in their strategy. 3 As a result, unique design elements, pictures or other features of an can be distorted or completely lost before the message appears on a device screen. By optimizing your campaigns for different devices you can ensure a seamless user-experience across all platforms. Translation, Localization and Transcreation Translating Content Streamlining your translation process can make all the difference when conducting an campaign. There are many minor factors or translations to consider in this process. A few often overlooked items when translating and localizing campaigns include: The translation of Click Here buttons or Please Wait statements after pressing submit. Ensuring that all links go to the corresponding translating page (including social pages). Formatting all aspects of text correctly, including using the metric system when appropriate, converting to local currency, considering time zones and writing out correct date formats. Translating unsubscribe pages or subscription centers. Translating images or videos with text. If possible, avoid images with text on them to make your translation easier. 1 Nanji, Ayaz, Marketing Profs, How Mobile Readers Interact With Marketing s, May 2014, 2 Lionbridge Technologies, Lionbridge 2014 Global Survey Results, 2014, 4

5 Consideration: Global s using stock images of only American employees can have a more isolating effect that one might expect. Even in Western Europe, people often readily recognize the distinctions between pictures of European and American workers or work environments. Going the extra mile and featuring people similar and familiar to your s recipients can have a positively stimulating effect. 43% percent of respondents to a survey acknowledged that they do not localize or translate copy, brand messaging, images, calls to action or web links. 4 If you localize or translate your content to hit target markets, not only does it allow you to connect to your audience better but it also gives you a competitive advantage. Brand Consistency The ideal global campaign increases the worldwide reach of a brand, all while maintaining consistency. You spend so much time crafting your brand messaging and communication you want to make sure your brand identity does not get lost in the translation process. Many marketers rely on the expertise of language service professionals to assure cultural sensitivity, apply best practices, create the ideal body configuration, all while maintaining brand consistency.the best way to make sure your brand voice translates globally is by making sure your incountry review process has quality & brand expectations set from the beginning. Transcreation Sometimes a straight translation or localization process does not capture the emotional or creative intent that was initially meant to be portrayed by specific brand content. Where this process falls short, the transcreation process becomes the best solution. Transcreation adapts precise brand content from one language to another and recreates the content so the message is being conveyed correctly. 4 Lionbridge Technologies, Lionbridge 2014 Global Survey Results, 2014, 5

6 Examples of content you may want transcreated include tag lines, advertisements, brand messaging and specific language elements like puns, idioms and humor. A good rule of thumb to follow is that transcreation should be used when the success of a piece of content relies on an essential voice and style that must be maintained in another language or culture. Optimizing for Global SEO & Targeting SEO & Targeting best practices may not be the same for every country, so directly translating your campaigns may not gain all the traction you could be getting with different marketing. To take your campaign one step further, spend some time researching country-specific SEO for your target industry, people, and companies. In most countries, hosting your domain on local servers is one of the most basic steps in improving your ranking on a given search engine. Content-wise localization is key in terms of both design and translation. Quick copy and paste translation from English without adapting to local terminology or phrases often has a negative impact in most international search results. An example of the kind of preemptive research necessary for building your global campaign might be the censorship laws and paid advertising requirements for China s number one search engine - Baidu. While there are a number of similarities between Google SEO and Baidu, the distinctions between the two are what can really make the biggest differences in SEO. Pro Tip: Create a Translation Checklist This checklist will help standardize your translation process and ensure you will not forget anything when translating your campaigns. 6

7 Use Your Marketing Automation System to Your Advantage Your marketing automation system is your best friend when it comes to campaigns. Each system offers a variety of tools and methods that you can use to customize campaigns and execute on a global strategy. Personalization best practices say that you should use personalized greetings because they have a 6x higher transaction rate and 41% higher click rates than non-personalized s. 5 However, it is important to keep in mind that in many languages the gender of the addressee has a distinct effect on the structure of the greeting. The easiest way to manage this especially when you may not know the gender of the recipient is by using the neutral voice in your campaigns. While this is a good temporary solution you can even go one step further and create a gender-assignment campaign rule in your marketing database. Let s take French as an example. Start by creating segmentation criteria to create your target list and title it something along the lines of First Name Female French. Then use a filter that says first name is and import a list of possible French female names. You can find names quickly by doing an online search. After this is done, you repeat the target list creation process for other genders and languages (i.e. First Name French Male, First Name Spanish Female, etc). Then create a Gender Attribution campaign using the target lists you created. To assign female rules, you would change the value of the lead to be If Member of Target List is First Name Female French, attribute Gender Attribution value as Female. It is also a good idea, if you have the data currently in your database to assign the genders based on suffixes and salutations. (i.e. If salutation is Ms; Mrs; Miss, attribute Gender Attribution as female.) Pro Tip: Job Titles When pulling together your list of people to send s to, don t forget that titles may be localized in your database. 5 Experian Marketing Services, Market Study, February 2014, 7

8 Using Your Data Chances are your marketing database is expansive. There are many ways you can use your database to maximize the potential of a lead. Whether this means filling in holes in your data, like gender assigning based on first name, or finding out new information about a lead, like behavior, you can use your data to find other data. For example, if a lead is in one campaign of yours, but then downloads an asset from your website that is part of a different campaign, you should probably include that lead in the campaign where there was interest. Or, if you re looking for the geography location of a lead, take a look at company location to determine if you can pinpoint the country location or, at least, language they primarily communicate in while working. Creating segmentations in your database will allow you to define your leads by different lead factors through creating a target list for each segment. For global campaigns, you should create segments based on geography. You can use segments in target lists you create, create or lead reports by segment, and easily swap out content in your based upon segment, using personalization codes. Personalization codes can be used as dynamic pieces where you can swap out content, images, or links in your campaign or on landing pages. You edit these codes in the same way you would edit a part of your template. Across segments, personalization codes maintain and manage your formatting while ensuring the correct content reaches its corresponding segment. Pro Tip: Make sure all links in your templates go to the localized version of your website or social pages. 8

9 Maximizing the Reach of Deliverability After repeated reviews and finalizing the formatting, the content and the contacts, you might be tempted to rush through the final stretch of your preparation to send out the campaign. Right before you schedule or send out your campaign, there are a few additional steps to take to make sure your global campaign will run successfully. Regulations If you send s in the US, you are probably used to complying with US laws. However, US laws and regulations are notably different from those of other countries and therefore require some additional attention. 40% of global marketers rely on marketing operations or marketing systems to ensure global privacy and legal compliance standards are hit, but it s important to consider all precautions when dealing with regulations. 6 Common must-haves features from global policies include: A clear opt-out or unsubscribe option The full name of company in legal form A contact address Examples of policies that differ: Canada released CASL in July 2014, which includes emphasis on regulating social media direct messaging, text messages and other computer program message regulations. Some European countries require a VAT number in the . The EU allows member countries to set different regulations for B2B companies than B2C companies. Japan requires full disclosure in the subject line if the is an advertisement. 6 Lionbridge Technologies, Lionbridge 2014 Global Survey Results, 2014, 9

10 regulation laws are constantly changing and being updated. Appendix B features a list of the current international regulations to help guide your campaign. For countries in the European Union, the EU website regularly updates any and all alterations to the current laws that are in place. An easy way to do this would be to create a greeting personalization code in your marketing automation design studio so you could swap out different greetings based on gender. Scheduling Considerations Time zones are an easy factor to overlook that can be quickly adjusted. If you re looking to have your campaign hit inboxes at 9:30 in the morning for each country you you need to take into consideration respective local times. Free online time converters can show you the exact time that 9:30 AM EST corresponds with in different time zones throughout the world. Popular country-wide vacation times or local holidays can also have a significant impact on your campaign s degree of outreach. While most French citizens take multi-week long vacations in either July or August, the Chinese have national holidays like Spring Festival or National Day (actually a week long) that keep most employees away from the workplace and their . Putting in the extra effort to avoid overlapping your campaign s schedule with these yearly celebrations will be worth the extra effort. 10

11 Conclusion Unfortunately, you can never be 100% certain how a group of people or a culture might react to certain features of a campaign before actually receiving it. Sometimes what works in one country will not necessarily translate to another. The lengthy, friendly introduction to your company prefacing your s in Mexico might seem out of place to French professionals looking to get right down to business. Or the you sent to different executives around the world could receive positive responses from some and go completely ignored by others simply based on whether your relative position in your company matches their own. A global campaign is a learning experience through and through and a valuable one at that. Every you send provides an opportunity to learn and improve your relationships with and understanding of the countries you target. By using and applying some of these global best practices, you can minimize most of the early guesswork as you strive towards optimizing your global campaigns. 11

12 Appendix A Best Practices Poland Greetings -- first name basis correspondence should only be pursued after the other party initiates. Male Recipient Szanowny Panie translates to Dear Sir. Female Recipient Regardless of marital status, s should begin with Szanowna Pani. Unknown/Neutral Recipient Content In the instance where the name of the recipient and his or her gender is completely unknown Szanowni Panstwo would be the most appropriate, neutral greeting. Ja is the preferred formal pronoun for either gender. Emphasizing professional or academic titles early on in the correspondence can help foster a greater respect and confidence in the progression of the business relationship. Poles highly value openness and honesty in an individual and displaying such traits help in building and sustaining a strong business relationship. s should be direct and straightforward. Closing The most widely used closing, regardless of gender, is Z Powazaniem, a sentiment expressing a notion akin to Kindest Regards or Sincerely. 12

13 Germany Greetings -- in Germany, first names are seldom used in formal business settings and should never be used unless initiated by the correspondent. Male Recipient The should begin with Sehr geehrter, followed by Herr (Mr.), any relevant occupational title, and concluding with the last name. Female Recipient The introduction should begin with Sehr geehrte, then Frau (regardless of marital status), followed by the respective professional title, and closing with the surname. Unknown/Neutral Recipient Content Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren. There is a formal pronoun in German, Sie, which should always be capitalized. Major German social values emphasize detailed planning, punctuality and a direct, almost blunt, degree of honesty. Humor of any form should generally be avoided in correspondence. Germans prefer to maintain a clear distinction between their work-life and personal-life. Closing Mit freundlichen Grüßen, regardless of the recipients gender. 13

14 Italy Greetings Male Recipient Egregio followed by Sig. (Mr.) and then the recipient s surname. Female Recipient Gentilissima, and then Sig.ra (Mrs. or Ms.) for women who are either married or have an unknown marital status OR Sig.na (Miss), for unmarried women, and then the recipient s surname. Unknown/Neutral Recipient Content Gentili Signore e Signori. While there is a formal pronoun in Italian Lei, many Italians may ask to switch to the less formal form Tu upon an initial introduction. As a highly relationship-oriented culture of people, Italians value getting to know who they work with on a personal level. A brief personal introduction before the business-portion of the may help initiate this process. Referencing a mutual contact or an introduction through a third party can also help to strengthen the nature of the business relationship and build a greater sense of trust in the correspondence. Regionally, the south values a much more prolonged personal introductions preceding business discussions than the northern regions of the country. Closing Cordiali saluti. 14

15 France Greetings -- French greetings are very straightforward, requiring no word in a formal business context to replace Dear or To. Male Recipient s open directly with Monsieur and then the surname. Female Recipient Madame and then the surname In the business setting, the use of the world Mademoiselle is highly discouraged, even when addressing an unmarried female, due to a decision by the French government in 2012 official phasing out the word. Unknown/Neutral Recipient Content An equivalent to To Whom it May Concern would be Aux principaux concernés. In the business context, the formal vous should always be used regardless of the position and level of the employee. The French value a formal separation between their personal and professional life. Any correspondence should make a distinct effort not to bridge these two realms of conversation. Clarity, punctuality and professionalism are essential to building and sustaining trust within these business relationships. Closing Cordialement vôtre. Spain Greetings Male Recipient Estimado Sr. followed by the surname. 15

16 Female Recipient Estimada Sra. followed by the respective surname. Regardless of the marital status of the woman Señora (Sra.) is the appropriate title unless the woman has expressed explicit desire to be recognized by the title Señorita. Unknown/Neutral Recipient Content A quien pueda interesar. Spaniards highly value trust and building personal relationships with business acquaintances before moving forward with the correspondence. Therefore, flexibility and a willingness to open up are incredibly important in communication. As a hierarchical society, final conclusions on decisions or projects are made only by the members of a company in the highest positions. Access to these managers is generally only available to those of roughly equivalent ranking in the domestic company. In this respect, building a close relationship with the correspondent is especially important in determining representation before upper management. Closing Atentamente, best closes formal, business s. 16

17 Appendix B Regulations U.S. Regulations Chances are, if you are a marketer in the US, you re likely familiar with the CAN- SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) Act. The law affects any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service. Compared to the marketing regulations in other parts of the world, the legal expectations in the US are fairly relaxed. With that being said, however, following these regulations are incredibly important in keeping your s out of Spam-boxes and readily available to your recipients. Writing Your s 1. Header Information a. The sender of any commercial must be accurately identified in the From form and the must be directly linked with the company submitting the message. b. Subject lines should be accurate and non-deceptive in prefacing the content of the The Body a. According to regulations, your must disclose clearly and conspicuously that your message is an advertisement. The manner through which this is done, however, is not explicitly laid out in the law meaning businesses have a fairly wide amount of room to get creative on this front. b. A valid postal address must also be present in order to further verify that the company sending the is legitimate. 3. Unsubscribe Options a. Every in a given campaign must include an opt-out or unsubscribe option. i. Unsubscribe requests must be completed within 10 business days of the submitted request ii. The mechanism for opting out should be able to process requests for a minimum for 30 days following the s distribution. 17

18 Failure to Comply 3. The government can fine you up to $16,000 PER found failing to comply with these regulations. European Regulations While they have their similarities, European regulations are a bit more complicated than the United States expectations. Despite the fact that the EU has, in the past, issued general anti-spam legislation, the specifics of those laws can vary from country to country. In addition to this, certain aspects of these regulations are also contingent upon specific details of a given . Throughout Europe, most direct marketing s can ONLY be sent to willing subscribers. However, for B2B communications the specifics vary from country to country. Consult the table below to identify the specific requirements for different countries in the European Union. STATUS Opt-in required Opt-in not required Opt-in not required if relevant to recipient s job title Opt-in not required if business address publicly available Opt-in required if sent to 50 + or if for direct marketing COUNTRIES Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Switzerland U.K., Ireland Sweden, France, Finland Netherlands Austria Writing Your s 1. Header Information a. The sender of any commercial must be accurately identified in the From form and the must be directly linked with the company submitting the message. 18

19 2. The Body a. Unlike the U.S. s for sales, promotions, sweepstakes and prizes must be clearly labeled i. Special Exceptions 1. Spain: All commercial must be labeled publicidad (advertisement) 2. Germany: Forwarded s are discouraged b. A valid postal address must also be present in order to further verify that the company sending the is legitimate. i. The full legal name of the company, its place of registration, registration number, the address of the registered office & the VAT number are also necessary to disclose with this information. 3. Unsubscribe Options a. Every in a given campaign must include an opt-out or unsubscribe option. Canadian Regulations CASL (Canada s new anti-spam law) resembles the European regulations in its emphasis on opt-in requirements. This legislation even goes one step further than just and includes social media direct messaging, text messages and computer programs as well. While the law recently went into effect on July 1st, 2014 there is a three year transition period in which both Canadian and international companies alike are expected to gain consent from Canadian customers and prospects before the law fully goes into effect. Consent during the transition period both implied and express consent are valid. After July 1st, 2017 express consent or implied consent ONLY given within 24 months of a purchase or 6 months after an inquiry are acceptable. 1. Implied Consent a. The recipient has purchased a product/service or made a business contract, deal, or membership with the organization in the past two years. b. If you are a registered charity or political organization, the recipient has made a donation or has volunteered. 19

20 c. An address was indirectly given or openly published AND the recipient has not made it openly clear they weren t interested in unsolicited messages. 2. Express Consent a. Written consent or an oral confirmation that have been explicitly given by the potential recipient. i. Does not expire until the recipient unsubscribes. ii. In order to subscribe recipients must actively check a box to sign up. Boxes cannot be pre-checked. b. When someone gives consent they must have access to: a clear description of purpose behind obtaining consent, a description of future messages and a statement that the recipient may unsubscribe at any time. i. The requester must also willingly give their name and contact information. Writing Your s 1. Header Information a. The sender of any commercial must be accurately identified in the From form and the must be directly linked with the company submitting the message 2. The Body a. All messages must include the name of the sender, the person on whose behalf the is being sent, a postal address, telephone number and website URL 3. Unsubscribe Options a. Every in a given campaign must include an opt-out or unsubscribe option. i. Unsubscribe requests must be completed within 10 business days of the submitted request 20

21 About Lionbridge Lionbridge enables more than 800 world-leading brands to increase international market share, speed adoption of products and effectively engage their customers in local markets worldwide. Using our innovative cloud technology platforms and our global crowd of more than 100,000 professional cloud workers, we provide translation, online marketing, global content management and application testing solutions that ensure global brand consistency, local relevancy and technical usability across all touch points of the customer lifecycle. Based in Waltham, Mass., Lionbridge maintains solution centers in 26 countries. Get Started To learn more about Global , visit: 21