Advertising is creative and clever by design. It persuades the reader to take action (buy [...]]]> You’ve undoubtedly heard the story of the Chevrolet Nova. Although that story is actually not true, it does get an important point across. Special care should be exercised when translating advertising or marketing messages.

Advertising is creative and clever by design. It persuades the reader to take action (buy something) by connecting intellectually and emotionally. Creating the same connection in another language can be quite challenging because of unique cultures.

Next week we’ll be at the AEM Marketing Council Seminar in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lots of the attendees will be managing global communications. Here are six tips to help avoid a global faux pas:

1. Slogans often include plays on words which will not have the same meaning in another language. Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux translated its slogan into English as “Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.” Before publishing a translated slogan, ask for feedback from in-country contacts.

2. Product names  — proceed with caution. Clairol and Estee Lauder both exported products into German with “Mist” as part of the name. “Mist” means “manure” in German.

3. Popular expressions are often culture-oriented. For instance, “Garage sale prices” is meaningless in many other countries. Avoid culture-bound clichés.

4. Word play — rhyming, alliteration, etc. — won’t carry over to other languages. “The Art of Breadmaking–Crust, Crumbs and Craft” becomes “El arte de la panadería–corteza, migajas y arte” in Spanish.

5. Acroynms are undecipherable in other countries. TEAM for Total Emergency Action Management becomes GTAU in French (and that doesn’t spell anything).

6. Humor is tricky to translate, even dangerous in some cases. What’s funny in one culture can be downright insulting in another. Word to the wise: leave it out.

There’s a lot to think about when authoring global documents. You might want to read the ATA Publication, “Translation: Getting It Right.” It advises, “Think International from the start.”

Hazard pictorials are available online and they’re free. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has an online database of over 130 safety pictorials that visually demonstrate general equipment [...]]]> Pictorials (highly illustrative images) clearly identify hazards on machinery. But where can you or your designer find such images to use in your safety messages?

Hazard pictorials are available online and they’re free. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has an online database of over 130 safety pictorials that visually demonstrate general equipment hazards and dangerous situations.

Designers and technical illustrators can download hazard pictorials in EPS and DXF formats. The database is searchable by category and keyword.

AEM provides the database in order to promote industry safety through the use of “industry-recognized” pictorials.

So make a designer’s day and share with them AEM’s image resource online. It’s free and the plethora of hazard pictorials is designed to effectively communicate safety messages essential to promoting safe use by operators.

Safety information helps reduce injuries and save lives

Last week we heard presentations from industry experts describing best practices in conveying [...]]]> SH3 was in Chicago last week for an Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) conference on safety. As such, it seemed appropriate to blog about how and why translation, well, translates into machine operator safety.

Safety information helps reduce injuries and save lives

Last week we heard presentations from industry experts describing best practices in conveying safe usage information. Manufacturers put a great deal of effort into the safety information in product labeling, decals, package inserts and operating instructions. The importance of communicating hazards cannot be overstated because safe usage can reduce injuries or even save lives.

Some of the presentations focused on the best way to communicate with foreign operators. Pictorials or symbols can tell the story in some cases where a message is easily understood. But if the warnings or instructions are complex enough to require descriptions, it’s imperative to communicate with clear and unambiguous wording. That’s equally important in other languages.

Translation plays a vital role in communicating with the end user

If you’re thinking that translation might not be necessary, consider the end user. Here in the U.S., many operators are Spanish-speaking, or natives of other countries, and may not be able to read English warning labels. Outside the U.S. this is especially true.

In some countries translation is mandatory. For instance, in the European Union the machine safety directive stipulates that safety information be provided in the language of the country where the machine is being shipped

A word to the wise

Good-quality, professional translation will get your message across clearly and unambiguously. With so much at stake, this is not the time to save money on translations. Do you really want to take a chance on “free” translation to convey a critical safety issue?

Tell your customers how to use your product safely, and make sure they understand what you’re saying. In this way, translation plays a vital role in operator safety.