why you should hire a professional team for your translation and localization needs

"If I’m selling to you, I speak your language. If I’m buying, dann müssen Sie Deutsch sprechen!" Willy Brandt

The above quote was once said by Willy Brandt, a former German Chancellor, and the quote stands true to this day, especially for companies with global presence. If your company is a part of a global business network, make sure your website and marketing materials are understandable to your global clients and partners.
To prove our point of how important it is to hire a professional company for your translation and localization needs, we put together a list of mistranslated marketing campaigns around the world:

• Hotel in Acapulco: “The Manager has Personally Passed All the Water Served Here”
• Tokyo hotel’s rules and regulations: “Guests are requested NOT to smoke or do other disgusting behaviors in bed.”
• Hotel lobby, Bucharest: “The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.”
• On the menu of a Swiss restaurant: “Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.”
• Outside Paris dress shop: “Dresses for street walking.”
• A sign on a car in Manila, Philippines: “Car and owner for sale.”
• Doctor’s office, Rome: “Specialists in women and other diseases.”
• A sign posted in Germany’s Black Forest: “It is strictly forbidden on our black forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose.”
• Instructions on a Korean flight: “Upon arrival at Kimpo and Kimahie Airport, please wear your clothes.”
• Athens hotel: “Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily.”

On a less funny but a more professional note, below are the examples of translation and localization done right:

• Nescafé: The company took the time to fully understand each of its global markets and caters web designs, greetings, and logos to each target audience. Nescafé’s Japanese layout is very modular, French page has a “Dolce Gusto” added to the main logo, while their US page shows a short paragraph tailored towards Western ideals.
• Nike: Nike has done its research when it comes to successful website localization. Nike’s Argentinian website focuses mainly on Nike’s soccer collection since the company is clearly aware of how important soccer is for Argentinian culture. It’s also interesting how Nike’s French website is one of the only versions of the website not to feature the Portugal team image. Why? As the runners up of the tournament it’s likely that Nike’s French audience will not be happy to see any images celebrating their defeat.