Although a small country of roughly 5.7 million people, Denmark is one of the leading economic markets in Europe. In fact, Forbes routinely taps the Scandinavian country to top its list of best countries to do business. So if you’re looking to expand your international marketing efforts, don’t overlook the Danes as a rich opportunity for new business ventures. Its temperate climate and central location just north of Germany, between the North and Baltic Seas, also makes it a popular destination for tourists and recreation enthusiasts.
As part of our recurring series of blogs highlighting cultures and countries around the world, we’ve collected some key facts and figures highlighting Denmark’s popular appeal.
Mahatma Gandhi wasn’t just talking about his own homeland of India when he said, “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.” He captured the essence of how countries and societies are ultimately perceived around the world.
As for Gandhi’s own country, Indian culture is among the world’s oldest, dating back more than 4,500 years. Second only to China as the most populous country on earth with more than 1.2 billion people, India boasts diverse customs, languages and religions.
In our latest look at world cultures, we summarize some of the widely diverse traditions and customs that make India such a captivating country and alluring destination for travelers.
As the world gets smaller and cultures continue to blend, sophisticated business leaders and marketers are refining the way they communicate their messages into foreign languages.
Think about how hard it is to get your message heard above the din of competing brand campaigns in your own language. Trying to do the same thing in another language is even trickier. How do you go about marketing and maintaining your brand image in another country? How do you ensure that the essence of your brand will resonate with customers in foreign markets? Companies spend plenty of time and money trying to figure that out.
That’s where transcreation can help.
Desmond Tutu, the renowned social activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, called South Africa the “Rainbow Nation” to describe its ethnic diversity. In fact, the republic located at the southern-most tip of Africa is considered one of the most multi-cultural countries in the world. Its history of colonialism and immigration has created a nation whose ethnic makeup includes indigenous black peoples, white Europeans, Indians, Indo-Malays and Chinese, among others. It is a popular destination for anyone pursuing business or leisure interests. If you fall into either of those groups, here’s a brief overview of the country’s customs and culture that will help in planning your visit.
Germany is a popular destination for tourists looking for fun and adventure as well as businesses looking to expand their customer base. As the center of Europe from a geographic and economic standpoint, Germany has much to offer. But before you don your lederhosen and head off to Oktoberfest or pack your briefcase for a corporate meeting with potential new business partners, it’s good to know some of the German customs and social protocols you’ll encounter.
In August, the 2016 Summer Olympics will attract thousands of people from around the world to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s glamorous tourist hub along South America’s Atlantic coast.
For those of you planning to attend the Games, or who may be interested in visiting or doing business there someday, we decided this is the perfect time to feature Brazil as part of our ongoing review of cultural customs and traditions in other countries.
Like the United States, Brazil has been described as a melting pot, reflecting the diverse mixture of cultures, races and nationalities that influenced its evolution over the past few centuries. The Portuguese were the predominant European group that constructed settlements in the country beginning in 1500. Over time, the European influence melded with the various local indigenous tribes to create the eclectic cultural makeup of modern-day Brazil.
For more than 30 years, we’ve helped many companies with their translation and interpreting projects. Some of that work targeted customers living in the U.S. who speak another language. Other times it focused on sharing marketing messages and product information with people in other parts of the world.
One thing we continue to emphasize to our clients is that translating or interpreting words is only part of a successful multilingual communication process. Another important piece—whether conducting business outside of the country or entertaining visitors at your company—is to adapt to the cultural, social and business customs of your foreign speaking customers. This means paying close attention not just to the words you use, but also to the images associated with your message, the method used to convey the message, and even the personal interactions you make with clients or customers on their home soil.
Decision, decisions: is it time to employ translation services to grow your business?
For sure, it’s a weighty question. Many leaders at the helm of private businesses and non-profit organizations alike have either not considered using translation services or don’t believe they could benefit from them. The reasons vary widely:
- My customers aren’t located outside the country anyway
- It’s too cumbersome to manage
- It’s too expensive and time-consuming
- I don’t have anything that needs translated
- Software translation tools will suffice
- I have more pressing company needs to focus on
We realize it can seem a little intimidating or overwhelming to think about communicating with people from all around the world. But the beauty of the Internet, social media and shifting demographics means your “international” customers are right in front of you, either physically as Limited English Proficient (LEP) customers here in the U.S. or electronically as someone located on the other side of the globe. You just have to talk to them.
Pretend you’re traveling in a foreign country. You receive an urgent call from the hospital saying your spouse’s heart has been imprisoned. Would you at least feel relieved to learn that he or she won’t fall over?
If you had to rely on machine translation of that country’s language, that’s just what you might hear, or something equally alarming, amusing or confusing.
Remember way back when in the 1990s, at the dawn of the mainstream Internet Age, when bigger companies began launching these things called websites? Many small and mid-size companies, as well as government and non-profit organizations, were slow to join in. The reasons varied. Some thought it was just a costly fad peculiar to a small segment of tech-savvy geeks. Others could not envision how a website would apply to their operations, that traditional customers would never consider buying goods or receiving services online. Still more found the whole matter too intimidating and complicated, with the new languages (HTML), terminology (what’s the difference between a Home Page, a website and a URL?), and concepts (sure, this “internet” thingy is really gonna revolutionize the way we live!).