Localisation

I came across this fantastic Greek-style yogurt from President’s Choice.

It’s a ‘Must try!’ product according to a flash on its packaging. If you use machine translation to find a French equivalent – say Google translate – you will get ‘Faut essayer’. It’s literal but it just doesn’t sound right. Sadly, we see this sort of meaningless literal translation on packaging quite often. For example, a handwash branded Level has a bilingual label describing the product in French as ‘la main se lave’ meaning ‘the hand washes itself’.

It’s clear from the French version of this yogurt that PC insists on more than translation for its labeling as ‘must try!’ becomes ‘coup de cœur!’ in French. (Notice the proper ligature of o and e.]

A 'coup de cœur' is when you fall instantly in love with something.  You are shopping and impulsively buy a new skirt that you just have to have - you could say that it is a 'coup de cœur'. The idiom is well understood by French consumers and, more importantly, will send a clear signal that the brand is making attempts to connect locally. It becomes even more important as many brands now seek to engage in meaningful conversations with consumers particularly via social networks.

We call this adaptation.

The language industry calls this localisation.

Language localisation is not merely a translation activity, because it involves a comprehensive study of the target culture in order to correctly adapt the product to local needs. (Wikipedia)

This definition of localisation suggests that it requires a comprehensive study of the target culture. It’s true. However, it seems that even machine translation is catching up - but isn't quite there. Ask Google translate for an English equivalent to ‘coup de cœur’ and you’ll get ‘favorite’ (or is it ‘favourite’?)

I guess machines don’t yet ensure true localisation (or is it ‘localization’?). And what should it be: yogurt, yoghurt or yogourt? Ok, you get the point (vous obtenez le point).

Comments

[D. Wallen]

I'm struck by two things. First, how superior the meaning of "coup de coeur" is to "must try". We must try harder with our English package flashes. And second, some relief that Google translate fails equally well French to English, as it does from English to French. A cautionary tale for those on both sides of this divide.