10 communication challenges only humans can solve

As an international marketer, your head must be spinning. Technological advances are demanding so much of your time and energy. Rest assured, technology won't change everything about international communication. Anglicity suggests below what won't change* about your future communication needs:

1. The customer will remain human.

2. The customer will remain delightfully and almost wilfully unpredictable

            - despite all market research

            - despite all market predictions

            - despite endless analytics.

3. There will always be a need for well-written, original creative copy with emotive appeal in the customer's own language.

4. Even the best machine translation will always present a brand risk without human input, because languages will keep evolving.

5. There will be an increasing need to customise your message for the idiosyncrasies of different global and regional target audiences.

6. Strategic marketing planners will always need advice on how to adapt to

            - the uneven roll-out and uptake of new technologies and devices globally

            - frequent updates and new trends

            - differing media preferences globally

            - differing attitudes and preferences between the generations.

7. There will always be a need for language experts with advice on cultural, linguistic, historical, legal and regional sensitivities. Fail to consult at your peril.

8. Making both the original and the translated word work effectively with pictures, in presentations and in videos will remain a challenge.

9. There will always be a need for conscientious communicators who check every last detail. Experienced marketers like you don't take short-cuts or risks with their brand.

10. There will always be innovative businesses needing expert guidance and consultancy services as they venture into export markets for the first time.

Yesterday's world is history. There are always new challenges to face.  Technological challenges are nothing new to the translation world. Experience of facing yesterday's challenges counts.  It demonstrates the ability to adapt to the new challenges ahead. Today's human translators are evolving into the linguistic, cultural and marketing experts that international marketers like you need. When your head is spinning with all your communication challenges, isn't it reassuring to speak to a human expert instead of a machine? Do you agree?

If you would appreciate some human help with your international marketing communications, email karen@anglicity.com or call Karen on +44 (0)20 8581 9369.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is an

experienced international 

marketer with 15 years' 

experience. Anglicity offers

marketing consultancy,

content marketing, translation

and transcreation services with a 

particular focus on innovation.

The above blog was inspired by comments made by Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos.

Stephen Hawking: from black holes to film

A personal review of the Theory of Everything

Eddie Redmayne deservedly won the Best Actor Oscar. His performance as Stephen Hawking in the Theory of Everything is truly outstanding. I saw the film recently at Imperial College's Union Cinema. I found it very moving on a number of levels.

The screening at Imperial College was preceded by a physics lecture. The professor had acted as an advisor during the making of the film. The film itself only really touches on Hawking's scientific contributions. It keeps to the more personal side of his story and is based on his ex-wife's book.

Creative scientific mind

It was Stephen Hawking who dealt with science's "mental block" over black holes. It often takes someone with great creativity of insight to make an important step towards new thinking. Hawking's great insight was that black holes are hot. In the film, we see how that creative leap came about. His wife had to leave the disabled scientist halfway through dressing to attend to their baby upstairs. Hawking got his head stuck in his jumper. He grew hot peering through the jumper's threads at the fire in the grate. The heat provided the inspiration he needed.

For me, the film had some deep personal and family resonances:

1. Shock of Hawking's ALS diagnosis

In his twenties, Hawking was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The doctor's stark announcement gave him just two years to live. It brought back the debilitating shock of sitting in Frenchay Hospital in Bristol one Christmas. I sat with my devastated mother awaiting the outcome of my youngest sister's operation for a spinal blood clot. She was also in her twenties. Her odds were judged as even worse: a 5% chance of survival and paralysis from the neck down if she survived. She survived. Despite paralysis in her left side, she still walks today. A story of sheer willpower like Hawking. The scientist has lived for an additional 50 years.

2. Humour

The film had some very funny moments. Hawking's humour has obviously often kept him, family and friends going through difficult times. My sister was the only survivor from her friends on the ward. I shall never forget the often black humour. Laughter rang out as the patients sought to sustain each other.

3. Real life

The film does not gloss over the difficult choices and agonising decisions. It reflects the trials and tribulations of real life. I really felt for Jane Hawking at times. The Hawkings' marriage ultimately failed. I loved Stephen Hawking's wonder at the three children that he and his former wife had made together. I too now marvel at my own two "babies", as they tower over me.

In a lecture at the end of the film, Hawking is asked about his philosophy of life. He speaks of boundaries.

"There should be no boundary to human endeavour. No matter how bad life seems, there is always something you can do and succeed at. While there is life, there is hope.”

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is a
freelance content writer

and French to English
translator. In this blog, 

Karen draws upon her 

both her work and life 

experiences.

Please contact Karen via email karen@anglicity.com or call +44 (0)20 8581 9369 to discuss Anglicity's content services.

Red Cross London Bridge Walk

My younger son and I have signed up to do the British Red Cross Red Shoe Walk in London on Saturday 9th May 2015. The 8- or 4-mile walk takes you crisscrossing from bank to bank over London's bridges. We last did the walk in May 2013 and had a great time together. This year we have a special reason to help the Red Cross raise funds. Why not join us?

Until the latter half of 2014, I had always associated the Red Cross with disaster relief overseas. I returned from the International Federation of Translators' Conference in Berlin last August to a crisis in my own family. My mother (Carole Andrews) had been diagnosed with breast cancer. As a result, I am now aware of how the Red Cross helps with crises in the UK too.

Independence

Today, families are often separated geographically across long distances - sometimes even with family members abroad. My sisters and I we are scattered between Somerset, South Wales and London. My mother maintains a fierce independence in her own home in North Somerset. Ordinarily, she is the one running around after everyone else and their health. She suffers with rheumatoid arthritis. Still, she keeps going when lesser mortals would have long given up.

No fuss

When she first retired, my mother used to deliver meals on wheels to local residents who were sick and housebound. She regularly drives friends to the doctors' or hospital appointments. There was no shortage of volunteers to help her out. Typically, she would not tolerate the "fuss" for herself.

British Red Cross volunteers

When it came to the daily radiotherapy treatment, the British Red Cross came to the rescue. They operate a scheme for patients in Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton. Given my mother's experience, I would recommend that it is extended elsewhere. Every day, a different Red Cross volunteer drove her to the hospital and returned her home afterwards. Rather than having family fussing and making her nervous, she enjoyed speaking with someone new every day. As a thank you, my son and I are going to do the London Bridge sponsored walk in May 2015. 

Thank you to Musgrove Park Hospital

We would also like to say a big thank you to all the staff at Musgrove Park Hospital for their care and courtesy at all times. They really do follow Kate Granger's compassionate #Hellomynameis campaign. Once an elderly person approaches 75 or over, they worry that hospitals no longer treat them as considerately as younger patients. We could not fault Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital. They were brilliant. Their patient information was a godsend at a worrying time. There was no need to scare ourselves with information on the internet. The clear, well-structured little booklets spared my mother from having to explain her treatment over and over again to all her concerned family and friends.

London's Red Shoe Walk

The London walk starts at Tower Bridge. You can choose to stop after 4 miles around Embankment or continue for the full 8 miles to Albert Bridge in Battersea. You dress in red and wear red shoe covers. My own "red shoes" were pretty battered by the end of the walk last time (see below).

It was a great mother-son bonding experience. James certainly jumped at the chance to do the walk again. At the finishing line, we both received certificates. See the picture of us above at the 2013 finishing line.

If you would like to sponsor our 2015 walk, please follow the following link to our Virgin Money Giving fundraising page for the British Red Cross http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/Red_Bridges

Alternatively, why not join us on the walk with your friends and children too? Our current team of two is called the "Red Bridges". If there is enough interest, I may also sign up for the Severn Bridge walk the following week too. There are also Red Cross walks taking place in Oxford and Windsor. Take a look online for further information on dates, etc. 

Any support will be very much appreciated. Thank you!

Visible translators - a new business model

The translation business model has seen little change for decades. Technology is challenging the status quo. Large, inflexible agencies and big technology solutions are not the answer for all clients.

Existing business models
Existing models often place linguists in charge of translation businesses or non-linguist entrepreneurs in the driving seat. Either party is felt to be too language-focused for business or too cut-throat and profit-oriented for the art of translation. Either way, the most important person in the quality chain, the translator gets squeezed. Not enough fight or too much - the result is the same.

Translator investment

As the translator's earnings are eroded, so too is his or her ability to

·      buy or rent a decent home and office

·      maintain fluency and keep source/target languages up-to-date

·      attend translation conferences and relevant trade fairs at home and abroad

·      equip an office and buy the latest software

·      make an ongoing investment in CPD

·      join professional associations and attain certifications/qualifications

Even experienced, full-time translators complain that they cannot afford many of the above. Current agency rates often fall short. Clients expect all the above in a professional. As a freelancer, I want to offer my clients the sort of service that I expected as a client. I therefore place great importance on CPD and attending trade events to keep up-to-date.

Future options

If existing translation agencies are unable or unwilling to increase the rates to freelancers, then there are two options. Option one is to leave the translation community all together. Option two is to cut out the middlemen.

Unprecedented opportunity for rate increase?
Agencies need to capitalise on high industry growth and improving economic growth to increase rates to translators. As a former client, I can see that the increased professionalisation and industry standards offer an unprecedented opportunity to justify an increase to clients. If not, then increasing numbers of translators will be forced to cut out the middlemen and work with direct clients at agency prices. Their alternative is to leave the profession. Many well-qualified legal interpreters have already been forced outside their chosen profession by the Ministry of Justice Framework Agreement.

Coworking with SMEs
Groups of freelance translators are particularly suited to working with SMEs for example. Large agencies do not have the necessary flexibility to give them all the help they need. A client who is new to translation buying, cultural issues and exporting can find that greater flexibility in working with freelancers.

At a translation conference several years ago, I heard about a Dutch company that put the translator back at the heart of the translation process. His team of translators work directly with clients. I would like Anglicity's future growth to take a similar path. Other business models will undoubtedly co-exist. I believe that there is a future for specialised, freelance coworking teams with direct client contact.

Karen Andrews is an

entrepreneurial freelance
translator and content
writer. Her past experience
as a client gives her a
near 360º perspective
on the translation
community.

In praise of the translation project manager

 

Based on my past experiences as a client, I would like to see the translation community treat its project managers better. Many translation companies treat their project managers as little more than reactive mailboxes. Others train them well. There is a noticeable difference in client service as a result.

Linguists

The best translation project managers are linguists. (I can think of only one notable exception that I  worked with). Many translation project managers have trained as translators. They have either found that project management suits their characters better or that it is a good first career step. Some turn freelance translator after gaining work experience or when they start a family.

Communication

A translation project manager has the ability to make or break a project. Good communication is key. Asking questions is critical. Accurate briefing is paramount. Pursuing translator or client queries is important. Assumptions can spell disaster - even in changing punctuation. Cultural knowledge is extremely important, even if the project manager does not speak every language on a multilingual project.

Multi-tasking

The best project managers plan projects well. They schedule, chase copy and make sure all the elements are in place - copy, style guides, glossaries, etc. They make sure that everyone in the production line knows what is expected of him/her and when. They watch both budget and timeline closely. They escalate issues as early as possible. They keep the client informed and happy.

Prevention better than cure

The best project managers anticipate problems and prevent them. Preventing problems is far easier than trying to bring a project back on track. In our increasingly digital and multiple device world, careful, upfront planning is even more critical.

A good project manager is like a swan: gliding seemingly effortlessly along the water, but paddling furiously underneath.

Project management is not an easy job. When something goes wrong, project managers are in the firing line from all sides. A calm head is indispensable. 

Who'd be a project manager? I was for many years and enjoyed the busy role immensely. As a translator today, I can bring that experience, skill and knowledge to managing my own freelance projects for direct clients. And if I work with an agency project manager, I can respect and appreciate how difficult their role often is and their expectations of a translator.

If you would like to work directly with a freelance translator and experienced project manager, contact karen@anglicity.com.
 

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is a
French to English
translator. In this blog, 

Karen draws
upon her experiences of
working with agencies
and freelancers as a client

and project manager.

Chinese Whispers in Translation Project Management

Anglicity's previous blog was inspired by Rob and Nick Carter's art collection after Warhol. In many ways, the comparison of translation with the Chinese Whispers game was too obvious. Comparison with translation project management practices may actually be more relevant today.

Direct contact

The current translation business model closely resembles Chinese Whispers. Translation companies are very reluctant to allow freelance translators and clients to speak to each other directly. They fear that either the client will take the translator, or the translator the client. There are times in a project when the translator is the best person to speak directly with the local office.

Multiple links

Many clients are unaware of how many links there are in a translation agency production line. In some agencies, translation project managers act as little more than a mailbox. Often agencies employ other agencies. There may be a marketing agency in the mix too. The translator's project manager may be very distant from the end-client too. Even the translation agency's client may have several internal "stakeholders" behind him. So a message will pass from person to person as in Chinese Whispers and get distorted. If a translator asks a question, the message may pass through many hands and interpretations.

Anger on both sides

As a client, I often felt frustrated that my brief obviously hadn't been passed on to the translator. When I first turned freelance, I was very surprised at how angry some translators are with their unseen clients. I fear that much of this may be the result of the "Chinese Whispers" effect. 

Positive experience

Wherever agencies allowed their freelancers to contact my country managers directly, the experience was generally positive. It was a pity that this was only generally permitted in the event of a complaint. As long as the translator has the right personality and training, the experience leads to greater respect and understanding on both sides. Both parties need to ensure the project manager is kept informed at all times.

Fears and risks

What of the risks? Most marketing departments simply do not have the resources, headcount, expertise or interest to deal with numerous freelance translators. The project manager remains the most important liaison point.

Brand guidelines

There is a risk that brand guidelines are eroded in a "secret deal" between the translator and the local office. This can be monitored. And a few "infractions" can usually be tolerated if justified for cultural reasons and goodwill.

Content agency freelancers

And what of the translator? No risk at all for some. A large number of translators seem quite content to work only with agencies. They can rely on them for marketing, proofreading, a regular supply of work and income.

Client poaching?

Agency agreements can prevent any client poaching. Stealing a client could result in expensive and time-consuming litigation. In the translation community, everyone seems to know everyone else. A freelancer who gains a reputation for poaching clients will soon find their work dry up. It is simply not worth the risk.

Translator poaching?

As a client, it is simply not worth the hassle of upsetting a good multi-language vendor for the sake of a single freelance translator. Agency fears seem overstated. Often clients would like the translator to come into their offices, but remain on the agency's books.

Combined role or extra planning?

If they allow translators to work more directly with their clients, should today's project managers fear redundancy? Some translators are already very competent at combining project management and translation roles. There is nothing new here. Projects for use on multiple devices are becoming increasingly complex. Tomorrow's project manager will have an even greater planning burden. The best project managers spend time upfront to prevent problems down the line.

SME Clients

Clients who are new to translation buying need a lot of hand-holding and cultural advice. The larger companies are increasingly unable to deliver this type of service. They prioritise large multinationals. SMEs do better to work with groups of freelancers or small agencies.

Let's make professional translators more visible to clients. If more clients work directly with professionally trained project managers and translators, the status and reputation of the whole community can only improve. Fears and risks seem overstated. 

Let's reduce the Chinese Whispers.

If you would like to reduce the Chinese Whispers and work directly with a freelance translator and experienced project manager, contact karen@anglicity.com.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is a
French to English
translator, content writer
and marketing consultant.
In this blog, Karen draws
upon her experiences of
working with agencies
and freelancers as a client,
translation buyer and project
manager.

Chinese Whispers from art to translation

In the game Chinese Whispers, a message is passed from ear to ear. The message gets more and more distorted with each whisper. The more ears in the line, the greater the final distortion. London's Fine Art Society is currently displaying a fascinating art collection called Chinese Whispers. The traditional view of translation is glaringly obvious, but all is not that simple.

Art after Warhol

Rob and Nick Carter based their pictures on the works of pop artist, Andy Warhol. The Carters chose some 20 Warhol artworks. They commissioned small reproductions by professional Chinese artists. A second Chinese artist then copied the picture again in a different workshop. The process continued over and over again. Each new picture after Warhol is formed from 30 such pictures. In the case of Warhol's Last Supper, there are no fewer than 50 black and white replicas.

This "photocopying" leads to small changes from picture to picture. If you compare picture 1 in the top left corner to picture 30 in the bottom right, the original after Warhol is sometimes totally unrecognisable.

The Carters' Last Supper begs the question about distortions in the Bible. The Bible's stories were passed down by word of mouth after all. Certainly, Christ's features were already lost in picture 4. The table survived longer. I couldn't help wondering if culture played a part. Would a Western artist have done a more exact replica?

The Five Dollar Bill in the gallery window seemed good from a distance, but poor on closer inspection.  The Won Ton lettering on Campbell's Soup Can reproduced fairly well. The Studebaker Silver Hawk passed relatively unscathed. It just had a bit of a fender bender. The Still Life two jugs with glasses and fruits after Warhol had seen better days. Some overindulgence by the Chinese artists maybe?

Translator, traitor?

The Chinese Whispers exhibition cries out that famous Italian saying "Translator, Traitor" (Traduttore, tradittore). It suggests an inevitable loss of meaning and culture from the author's original work. Individual features may well be lost in the transfer of meaning from one language to another. The Carters' have created a fascinating new collection of artwork after Warhol. A professional translator creates a new work, respecting the original's meaning, style and tone.

Art of translation

If anything professional translators get a bad press. Many commercial translations are improvements on the original. Chinese Whispers in reverse? Now how could the Carters' depict that? 

Invisible contributors

One final thought: Warhol and the Carters are credited. The individual Chinese artists remain unnamed and invisible... just like translators.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is an
entrepreneurial French
to English translator,
content writer and
marketing consultant.

For further information 
on Anglicity's content
marketing services 
contact karen@anglicity.com