Bad English Is Bad for Business. Here’s How to Fix It.

While it’s true that a great idea transcends languages, a great idea marketed poorly is likely to get the cold shoulder from customers. If your business is based in the U.S. and English is your native language, you have an advantage . . . unless you’re grammar and spelling skills leave a lot to be desired (more on that in a few moments). But if your business is based outside the U.S. and sells products and services to Americans, simply translating your marketing materials into English won’t cut it. You need cultural adaptation to make the marketing magic happen.

Consider few of these examples of actual marketing copy culled from around the Web, in order of hmmm… to WTF:

3 different Indian apparel companies:

• “Reflect an aura of grace and elegance! With our range of ethnic saris in rich colour and texture.”
• “Hep and contemporary modern sarees with ombre, colorblock and shimmer vibes.”
• “Explore thematic fashion stories, discover myriad unique elements of ethnic artistry. A world of all that’s beautiful awaits you.”

Italian shoe company:

“We seek harmony in every moment of our life: in our work, in our entertainment, in our relations. We love life, respect for the rules, mistakes that help us do better. And we love doing better.”

Spanish apparel company (the same one—and a big name in fashion, to boot):

• “A new routine”
• “Join life”
• “Shop party collection”

Japanese apparel company (another famous label!):

“Who you are, what you believe in: that’s what you wear every day. And that is what we make clothing for. Welcome to a new way of apparel.”

German décor company:

“Discover fragnant candle gift sets”

French travel company:

“Metz offers an exceptional wealth of architecture and monuments. By the wealth of its décor, it symbolized the mighty power of the German empire.”

Chinese smart watch company:

“Vogue pie, Gospel. ULTRATHIN ART.

Born to be noble, trend—setting

To snap up, [click arrow]

A new world begin from your wrist.”

(For a look at marketing copy gone unintentionally yet hilariously wrong, read on. Bite the wax tadpole, anyone?)

With the exception of the last example (and, oh, where to begin there?), the problem with these translations isn’t that they’re grammatically incorrect; it’s that to native English speakers, they’re culturally awkward at best, and tone-deaf at worst. Just like it takes years to learn all the nuances of a language and culture in order to really fit in when you move to a different country, your marketing messaging needs to take into account the background of your audience (the cultural in cultural adaptation) if it’s going to resonate with people—and generate sales.

Any marketing piece, and especially digital marketing, gets precious few seconds to grab the customer’s attention. For example, experts estimate that Internet users decide in 8 seconds or less whether to continue reading a website or e-mail. This means it’s not enough to use proper syntax and spelling—though there’s some pretty compelling evidence that crummy English can actually cost you by making your website or marketing materials look untrustworthy, and even spammy. The bottom line: if you’re trying to entice customers to pony up the bucks for a product or service they’re not familiar with, it’s doubly important to ensure that your messaging is on point from the get-go.

This is where a writer skilled in cultural adaptation comes in. Cultural adaptation, sometimes called international copy adaptation or cross-market copywriting, takes a message translated from one language and adjusts it to suit the tastes, references points, and marketing savvy of a new audience. It addresses the nuances of a language and makes use of common linguistic devices like repetition, rhyme, puns/wordplay, idioms, metaphors, or alliteration, which often lead to more memorable messaging. And unlike a straight translation, it keeps the focus on emotional appeal, encouraging the same desires or addressing the same needs as the original copy.

Although it can be part of a translation package—where it’s often referred to as transcreation—cultural adaptation is better suited to businesses that have English-speaking staff who can create the initial translation; this saves you both time and money. It also goes beyond traditional English editing services, which are focused more on grammar, spelling, clarity, and consistency than on appealing to an audience on an emotional level. The adapted messaging, when translated back into its original language, might seem pretty different from its predecessor, but it will speak to the new audience in a way that honors your original intention and that appeals to a different culture’s unique sensibility.

Need help marketing your product or service to American audiences? Get in touch with me about cultural adaptation.