IMUG Past Events Archive: 2021
2021 Events:
- Mar: Reimagining Software Localization
- Feb: Project Underwear: Analyzing Global Consumer Expectations of Localized Content
- Jan: Translation, Transcreation, Transadaptation and the Science Behind Them
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2021 Events Archive
March 18, 2021, 6:45-8:30 PM — online
(Audience chat/networking 6:45-7:00 PM)
Reimagining Software Localization
Hosted by Adobe Globalization, via BlueJeans
Video: coming soon!
Software localization is stuck in an archaic paradigm built in the '90s, based on resource files that live with the code. Ask any modern developer if they'd build something similar today and they'd say you're out of your mind. The model simply breaks down even with minimal levels of today's automation.
In this discussion titled "Reimagining Software Localization", we will go through the research Dimitris did with the team at Transifex on what modern software developers dream their content and localization management technology looked like, and then take a sneak peek into how the team is re-writing the stack and playbook of software localization.
Dimitris Glezos is the founder and CEO of Transifex, a next-generation Global Content Repository software company. Transifex builds modern, automation-centric, innovative products that target today’s fastest-growing teams, with customers such as Quora, Eventbrite, HubSpot, Asana, Atlassian, and Viber.
Dimitris developed the first version of Transifex as an open-source product for the Linux community. In his spare time, you’ll find him rock climbing, windsurfing, or rather baking and playing board games in today’s pandemic times.
February 18, 2021, 6:45-8:30 PM — online
(Audience chat/networking 6:45-7:00 PM)
Project Underwear: Analyzing Global Consumer Expectations of Localized Content
Hosted by Adobe Globalization, via BlueJeans
Video: https://youtu.be/nXYmqNGtY2U 
There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for engaging global customers - at least not a good one. Around the world, people purchasing goods and services online have very different expectations around localization. In Denmark, 92% of consumers have no problem making online purchases from an English-only website, while in Taiwan, unlocalized content will only lead to 9% of your engagements ending in a sale. In the Phillippines and Saudi Arabia, over 80% of people report that their buying decisions were strongly driven by social media influencer campaigns, whereas in Scandanavian countries, that number drops considerably. A strong localized product or marketing campaign that is successful in some markets may fall flat (or worse, lose money) in other markets.
International marketers and globalization team leaders can combine this localized consumer behavior research combined with other data on market size and complexity to make better-informed decisions on where to prioritize their localization investment. This session will review the latest data collected from an ongoing research initiative by Nimdzi Insights, codenamed Project Underwear (for reasons that will be explained). The study included thousands of study participants in over 80 countries to analyze and draw conclusions online consumer behavior. Tucker Johnson, founder of Nimdzi Insights and a long-time industry veteran, will present the key findings from this ongoing study conducted by the team of researchers led by Gabriel Karandysovsky. Attendees will walk away with not only insights into global consumer behavior, but some practical recommendations on improving the return on their international investments.
About the speaker:
Tucker Johnson has served in many different capacities throughout his career, from engineering to senior management. Jack of all trades, and master of a few... His special experience lies in on-boarding and building out large scale localization programs, supply chain governance, global team management, and advising business leaders on international strategy. Tucker is the co-author of "The General Theory of the Translation Company", a book that combines decades of experience in localization with the humor and charisma that the authors are well known for.
Tucker's is a board director and co-owner of Multilingual Media, as well as board director, founder, and former managing director of Nimdzi Insights, a global research and consulting company. Tucker works with international businesses, language service providers, universities, private equity firms, government agencies, and others interested in learning more about the intricacies of competing in today's global marketplace.
January 21, 2021, 6:45-8:30 PM — online
(Audience chat/networking 6:45-7:00 PM)
Translation, Transcreation, Transadaptation and the Science Behind Them
Hosted by Adobe Globalization, via BlueJeans
Video: https://youtu.be/NhUzzgnKxZ4
Over the last couple of years, the localization industry has become more and more aware of the fact that translation is not always enough. We are (and rightly so!) shifting our mindsets from thinking about purely linguistic equivalence to considering functional equivalence within localization - with the focal point being not what our content says in other languages, but whether it can generate the same results.
That necessitates recognizing international audiences as individual groups, with their own culture, customs and ways to communicate. Linguists are expected not only to translate, but also to adapt and consult on what's the most appropriate style and tone of voice for their respective audiences. More and more often, we are bringing in specialized teams to do copywriting or consulting on specific cultural aspects of our content. And all that for it to feel more local - and not foreign.
This presentation will discuss the change of focal point that has been happening in the industry over the last few years, "...drawing heavily from cultural studies and social sciences, as well as case studies from the speaker's recent projects, and the reasons behind all these changes.
Ella Pętlicka is Senior Program Manager, Localization, at Pinterest. In her over 15 years in the localization industry she has worn many different hats, from translation through project management, until five years ago she began designing localization programs, first at Venga Global, then at BetterUp, and now Pinterest.
She helps companies "go global" and cater to the needs of their international audiences in a scalable way, while recognizing that those needs can differ significantly between different markets. The principles she follows when enabling localization for companies are challenging the status quo and providing a delightful user experience. She is driven by the passion to make content accessible to global audiences and have it speak their language.
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