culture – Global by Design

Posted on January 12, 2018 January 12, 2018

Marriott’s China websites get shut down — and your website could as well if you’re not careful

If you visit Marriott’s China website today you’re likely to see this:

I dumped the text into Google Translate and here is what it loosely says:

So what exactly happened here?

According to Skift, Marriott sent a survey in Mandarin to its Chinese loyalty members that referred to Tibet, Macau and Taiwan as “countries.” As readers of this blog will know quite well by now, in the eyes of Chinese authorities, this is no trivial oversight. It appears that this shutdown could last a week.

I can only imagine the lively conversations being held at the highest levels within Marriott right now.

This should be a wake up call to all organizations

I’m working on the 2018 edition of the Web Globalization Report Card and have compiled a list of a number of websites that are currently vulnerable to the wrath of China.

For the record, I don’t agree with China. And I know many execs at Western-based multinationals don’t as well. But it doesn’t matter what we think. If you want to do business in China you have to play by its rules.

In Marriott’s defense, its website did not list Taiwan as a country — but it appears that someone in marketing was not well versed on this very delicate geopolitical issue. This would be a good time for any company that does business not just in China but anywhere outside of its native country, to consider planning regular Globalization Summits. I’ve participated in a number of these over the years and find they go a long way in raising awareness to a range of geopolitical issues — as well as the sharing of best practices. Contact me if you’d like more information — I also now include copies of Think Outside the Country.

PS: If you haven’t purchased the 2017 Report Card, we’re now offering a special 2017/2018 bundle that will be available for short time. You can purchase both reports here.

And for those of you who already have the 2017 Report Card, we’re going to offer a discounted advance purchase option as well. Please contact me if you’d like to do this sooner than later.

And speaking of travel, we have a unique report out devoted to destination websites — there are a few that also run the risk of offending Chinese authorities.

Posted on April 10, 2017 April 10, 2017

Think Outside the Country

I’m pleased to announce the publication of my newest book: Think Outside the Country: A Guide to Going Global and Succeeding in the Translation Economy.

This book is the result of the past decade spent working with marketing and web teams around the world. I’ve long wanted to have something I could pass along that would demystify the process of product or website globalization and provide insights into languages, cultures and countries. Such as Brazil:

Too often people get overwhelmed by the complexity of it all, not to mention bewildering lingo and acronyms such as FIGS (French, Italian, German Spanish) and L10n (localization). What I always tell people is that you don’t have to speak a half-dozen languages to succeed in this field, but you do have to know what questions to ask. Hopefully this book will help.

The book is now available through Amazon or by request from any local bookstore. You can learn more here.

PS: If you’d like to order multiple copies for your teams, quantity discounts are available. Simply contact me using this form.

Posted on October 17, 2016

Web localization is a black and white issue

The death of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej has led to stores running out of black and white clothing as the population mourns its leader in color-appropriate clothing.

What does this mean for website localization?

Consider the Thailand home pages for Apple:

Samsung:

Microsoft:

McDonald’s:

Starbucks:

And Coca-Cola has gone black on its social feeds:

Web localization isn’t about creating a localized website and forgetting about it.

It’s about creating a living and breathing website that responds quickly to local events. Web localization is about respect.

To learn more about the leaders in web localization, check out the 2016 Web Globalization Report Card.

Posted on October 28, 2012 December 3, 2012

Is white the world’s most popular car color?

It’s well known that colors carrying different meanings in different cultures. The paint producer PPG Industries has released results from a global survey on car color preferences around the globe. And it turns out that car consumers in North America, Europe, and Asia prefer white overall.

In Asia, white and silver tied for first place. Black came in second in all three regional markets. So perhaps car buyers around the world are more alike than different, at least when it comes to color preference. I say “perhaps” because I’m still trying to get more details on this particular survey. If anyone can point me to actual sales figures by car color, I’d love to see it.

PS: Andreas (via comment) offered up a link to the leading car colors in Germany. It seems grey and black are in a virtual tie for first place.

Posted on September 10, 2012 September 10, 2012