Maintaining the consistency of your brand can be difficult. Even within your own organization, it can be easy to miscommunicate or misinterpret branding ideas and goals. This is as true of large, multi-departmental businesses as it is small startups. When it comes to finding foreign localization solutions, things can get even more complicated.
Translating content and branding can totally change the meaning and presentation, and without dedicated localization staff in place, you could lose your established identity. In this blog, the Akorbi team looks at some of the factors at play in localizing content while maintaining a distinctive brand.
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Keeping Changes to a Minimum — Especially Your Logo
Your company’s logo is more vital than you might think. It isn’t just an attractive design, it should function as a stamp. A good logo is simple and unmistakable, used as shorthand for your company’s name and the services or products you offer. Take a look at some of the most easily-recognized logos worldwide: Coca-Cola, Starbucks, KFC, Ford. What do they have in common? Two things: simplicity and consistency.
While all of those logos have undergone changes, those changes have been slow and minor. They also remain consistent globally. Obviously, the logo alone isn’t what has helped those companies to last, but it’s a vital factor in localization.
Your logo doesn’t need to drastically change between different global audiences unless absolutely necessary. The longer you can maintain a simple, recognizable logo at home and abroad, the more enduring it will be.
Colors and Styles
Along with a logo, many companies have specific colors associated with them that are maintained across international borders. To go back to our examples above, each one of those brands has a color palette that fits them. Coca-Cola is red, Starbucks is green, Ford is blue.
This is another factor that matters in localization, as color branding should remain consistent, along with logo design. Even when a color has a different connotation in a different culture, established, recognized branding tends to get around it via association with products or services the company provides. This is critical for good branding.
Look Back on Successful Branding Campaigns
If you’re struggling with a new branding strategy, especially if you’re looking to expand into foreign markets, take some time to look back on your company’s branding history. Look at what has worked for you in terms of branding in the past. If you’re working with a localization professional, bring these past materials to them. It can help to give them a foundation to build upon when re-working your brand for a different, global audience.
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Keep Your Message Consistent with Professional Localization
If you’re looking for localization services or dedicated staffing solutions, talk to the team at Akorbi today. We have helped many large and small-scale businesses and organizations maintain their message while localizing content to fit with global markets. If you’re looking for globally-focused, multilingual solutions, you’ll find them at Akorbi.