Localization. Globalization. Internationalization.
That’s a lot of -izations for your global organization (see what we did there?). Building an international expansion strategy requires all three. Today, we’ll unpack the differences between localization and globalization, two key elements of a strategy that works for your business — and see how they fit with internationalization.
To be successful when expanding your business to different countries, you need both localization and globalization.
Localization is the process of adapting a piece of content's full meaning for a target market, including translation, associated imagery, and cultural elements that influence how your content will be perceived.
On a technical level, that means you might see a website like Nike use the exact same components in a given webpage:
As you can see, this page has a headline, three images, the names of each product, and the price for the U.S. market. But the same website, accessed in French, serves up completely different products, along with euros, for a French audience:
This is localization in action. The website includes the same main components — a headline, three images, and prices — but changes the content (different copy strings and different images) based on the language. Tailor the same section of the homepage to make the most sense to the local audience, using styles and currencies that match audience preferences.
Localization is what makes a product, website, or service feel like it was made for a local audience, by a local audience — a step beyond translation. A truly successful localization strategy requires companies to adapt their business to the culture of each of their target markets.
Localization considers:
This means that many companies with solid localization strategies create specifically adapted versions of their content or offerings for that country. McDonald’s, for example, creates separate menus for every country, like the McSpicy Paneer in India or McMollettes in Mexico. Their menu also looks different in different languages, like a classic burger menu in the U.S.:
There is no beef at all on the India menu, since cattle are considered a sacred animal for practicing Hindu:
The Mexican menu has many similarities to the U.S. menu, with some slight adaptations:
Localization is more than just translation. It’s adapting product offerings and both digital and in-person experiences to resonate with a local audience, which McDonald’s does here in their global menu items. This is one way they can ensure they cater to preferences for their target audience in that country without compromising their global brand.
Globalization is the more extensive process of operating in international markets; it contains both localization and internationalization. Essentially, globalization is the framework businesses use to go from a single-country product or service to a multinational one.
Globalization gives you the big picture when it comes to your business strategy. Think of it as who you are as a company — creating a global brand and operational model to use across multiple companies.
Globalization considers:
Global companies like McDonald’s employ a combination of localization and globalization. Going back to the different McDonald’s menus, it’s obvious that you’re still looking at the same company. The font, colors, and layouts are very similar, and the convention of adding an “Mc” to their various menu items still applies. Every version of the website includes the same logo and navigation.
This holds true in person, too. No matter where in the world you go to McDonald’s, it still feels like McDonald’s. There may be menu changes (as discussed above), but the global brand remains the same — and millions of people around the world are “lovin’ it.”
Internationalization occurs before localization or globalization can even begin, especially for software, applications, or websites. Fundamentally, your operations must be able to handle multilingual web pages, payment types, and other administrative needs and meet international regulations.
Internationalization creates placeholders for translations (often called “strings”) that automatically change to the correct foreign language based on login information. You may have seen examples on websites for retail companies if you accidentally land on their international website — for example:
An internationalized website should pick up user location automatically and serve up the appropriate language. But that’s only one piece of the internationalization puzzle. Internationalization considers:
Any organization that translates websites into multiple languages must consider internationalization, which Microsoft defines as “a combination of world-readiness and localization.” Ensuring your website and products work with various scripts and cultures is the prerequisite for both localization and globalization processes.
Localization focuses on the nuances between markets, such as language, regional dialects, specific cultural references, and imagery. Globalization provides an overarching umbrella that represents your brand and how you do business.
Put another way, your localization strategy focuses on differences across markets while your globalization strategy focuses on similarities.
You don’t choose between the two — they complement one another. Globalization offers a solid foundation for your company as you expand, especially as you offer the same products and services in multiple markets. It’s a global standard that establishes your value proposition regardless of international locale. Localization then adds or changes details or messaging so that it feels more native and accepted in that market.
Do both with Smartling. We provide one comprehensive solution for all of your translation and language services needs, with the flexibility to include human translation, machine translation, or both. Our white-glove project management and automation make localization easy.
Learn more at https://www.smartling.com/.