Slack is one of the most popular workplace communication platforms in the world. Marketing translation services were instrumental in helping Slack expand its reach by increasing its number of supported languages from one to five. Here’s how they were able to accomplish this feat:
Slack’s Decision to Invest in Marketing Translation Services
In 2012, Slack was established as an application designed to streamline and add enjoyment to communication within work teams. Today, Slack boasts a significant user base with 8 million daily active users across 500,000 companies, with 3 million of them paying for additional features and benefits. In 2017, Slack decided to come up with a localization strategy to encourage further growth, which was successful as it expanded its supported languages from one to five. The supported languages include English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish, covering several key products such as the Help Center as well as the Slack app, which through software localization and proper website localization helped expand the reach of Slack’s website as well.
Marketing Translation Services and Slack’s Witty Slogans
One of the main objectives of localization and translation services is to build trust with customers by using a language that they understand and cultural references that are familiar to them. This requires the Slack voice to be adapted to different cultures. Localization goes beyond translation as it involves considering the customs and worldviews of users, such as the use of witty remarks, anecdotes, and idioms to build trust with global users. Slack’s core values of courtesy, craftsmanship, empathy, and playfulness guide the localization team’s decisions on developing the Slack voice, formality levels, and translation. Being courteous and empathetic means respecting the cultural expectations and preferences of users worldwide, which is where a proper translation and localization company comes in to help navigate this issue.
Examples of Translation In Action
Marketing requires understanding the nuances of a culture and tapping into playful tactics which could elicit positive feedback from the audience. This sort of deep understanding of a culture and wit are the toughest element to localize. However through professional translation services, the localization team can navigate these nuances. For example, with the help of Japanese translation services, Slack was able to find a slogan (“Good job! Looking at the scenery is good for your fatigued eyes”) which showed respect to the Japanese users, but was not overly polite to allow for more comfort.
Another example is in the case of French. With the help of French translation services, French users see the words “We are here to help you” instead of, “You look nice today” as they would have with the English version. That’s because the English version would have conveyed a very different message in French. Similarly, with the help of Spanish translation services, the message that pops up after reading everything in the Unreads section is “You have read everything. Here’s a free candy” as the original English message, “you’re all caught up. Here’s a pony”, would have made no sense to the Spanish speaking audience.
About Language Connections:
Language Connections is one of the top language service companies in the US. Over the last 30 years, we’ve focused on providing the best business translation services, interpreting services, as well as interpreter training and customized language training programs. In addition to top-tier corporate language training, we offer certified corporate interpreters and professional business translation services in 200+ languages. Our network includes linguists with backgrounds in all major industries. They’re ready to meet your needs, whether they’re for technical translation services, legal translation, government translation services, international development translation services, education translation services, life sciences translation, or something else. Reach out to us today for a free quote on our cost-efficient and timely translation services, interpreters, or other linguistic services.
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