Localization = translation?!
Definitely not.
Localization (Localization) is an important task necessary for global business. Therefore, companies entering overseas markets also have in-house localization managers or receive help from reliable external experts or specialized companies. Someone said, “Isn't it only necessary to be good at localization and translation? No!”
If so, don't you wonder what kind of people are the localization managers who are responsible for this important entire localization process, and what they do? We invited the localization manager from the Gicon Studio team to discuss the questions that people interested in localization have. I would like to introduce everything in detail, from the role of a localization manager to know-how and tips to know when localizing.
Q.
Please introduce yourself.
I'm Lee Yo-sep, a localization manager for the Gicon Studio team. Specifically, as an English-speaking Localization Manager (Localization Manager in US English), I manage the entire translation and localization process for companies looking to expand overseas. Also, as a sales and marketing manager, I always listen to the voices of customers in the place closest to Gicon Studio users.
Q.
What is localization?
You can think of it as the first step for a company to expand overseas. Generally speaking, adapting to the characteristics of the region or country where a company enters is called localization.
Often, “Isn't it only necessary to be a good translator?” It's easy to think, but in reality, it's also a difficult task equal to the effort of the entire process of creating and selling a product or service. Of course, translation accounts for a large part of localization, but in reality, localization of a product or service has many other factors to pay attention to in addition to translation.
Among them, the most important one is the part relating to language or culture. The brand image (Brand Image) and Brand Voice (Brand Voice) must be made to be conveyed according to the local social, cultural, and emotional characteristics. In some cases, the success or failure of a business may be divided due to localization, so “will it work locally?” You have to constantly think about it. For example, if you imagine how to localize the recently popular “can” into English, I think you'll get a sense of it.
Q.
What does a Localization Manager (Localization Manager) do?
Localization managers are called LM for short, and LM is also a PM responsible for a language. When localizing a specific company or product, they are responsible for managing the entire project from planning to release (Release), and the management of members and schedules participating in the project is also included in LM's work.
The beginning of an LM job starts with understanding the company and product in question. Since then, LM's two main roles are “first, to help all team members formed for localization understand the company and product well,” and “second, to check the consistency and expertise of the localization output.” In fact, the quality of localization results can vary greatly depending on how well team members understood and worked.
Additionally, LM must be familiar with local society, culture, and sentiment. Localization reflecting local laws is often necessary, so knowledge and understanding (if not in depth) of local laws and politics is also necessary.
Q.
Please tell me about translation work in Localization.
Even for a single product, the amount of documentation related to localization is enormous. Therefore, in order to meet a fixed schedule, we first start with a segmentation (segmentation) process that groups mountains of related documents into similar types of documents. When classified, there are documents that only require professional translation, but there are also translation tasks that require collaboration with a development team or C-level approval.
Also, translations have different spectrums (Spectrums). While “technical translation” is mainly intuitive translation due to the importance of factual techniques, “creative translation” is the translation of sentences containing opinions or opinions, and the proportion of creativity is high. In a simplified way, “An apple is a fruit.” The sentence is close to a “technical translation,” and “apples are delicious.” The sentence is close to the field of creative translation.
Q.
What's the hardest part about localization?
The hardest part is understanding companies, products, and services. No matter how much experience I have with localization projects, I always work with the mindset of relearning from the basics when I encounter a new project. This is because every company faces a different situation when it comes to localization.
The interview was lengthened as the localization manager talked about everything from how they work to questions about localization.
We'll be sharing specific and honest stories from the localization manager until next week, so stay tuned.
*This content has been transferred from Gicon Studio to Letterworks.
