Localization means translation and retouch of goods and service to be accepted smoothly by people who have different cultural background from yours. It is not simple translation but be more creative and value added work.
Foreign language subtitles of movies and free translations of novels are good examples of traditional localization. It makes people to understand a different culture smoothly.
Localization has become necessary not only for language but for design, function or usability because things and software have unified rapidly and then things have culture and language. Especially, software and human interface need to be adapted to the culture and language of the market. There are even efforts to make original text or design for the local market.
The first stage of localization was internationalization. It was translation in English. However, it was limited for non-English native people to understand English. You need to adapt your goods and service to the local culture and the language to develop different market from yours deeper and broader.
It is also one of important ways to strengthen your brand and to add high value to pass the serious price competition.
In order to do localization effectively, you have to employ excellent translators and designers who understand culture and language of yours and theirs. And you need to give the authority for localization to them. Even the result may look strange for you, you have to understand it is natural for them. This is an intercultural difference that you need to accept.
What you have to care is not to pass a whole task onto them without any management. It sometime makes serious misunderstanding or delay of delivery. You need a careful management by appropriate communication with them in the whole process.
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