What is hyperlocalization? Hyperlocalization aims to identify, understand, and target unique micro-segments and to then localize product/service, communications, and business models in order to deliver customized solutions to meet hyper-local needs. In essence, hyperlocalization is a super focused localization process that aims to make sure that they are meeting the needs of a specific demographic by making hyperlocal content. Hyperlocal content is targeted to country-specific or locale-specific and even global-specific micro-segments within specific demographic, geographic, psychographic, behavioral, cultural or other segmentation groups. Below are some examples of hyperlocalization.

For hyperlocalization based on geographies, you might see companies changing how they localize content for a specific region or country so that it is specific to what users for that area might expect. On the other hand, hyperlocalization based on demographics focus much more on finding micro segments based on unique demographic combinations or emergent micro-trends related to age, gender, income, or education. So focusing on specific groups like millenial foodies or centennials craving brand authenticity and trying to appeal to them through targeted language and advertisements is how you might get their business.

So why is hyperlocalization so important to understand and know how to implement? Well, when localizing something, even though it is different than translation in the sense that you are tailoring the words you use to reflect the audience you are translating for, still it will be more of a shotgun approach than a targeted approach. It might sound perfectly and linguistically alright in the area you are localizing for, but that will not matter if you are not making sure you reach the group of people that would make up your core audience or consumers. Hyperlocalization achieves this by making sure that you are specifically focusing your efforts on the people who will have most interaction with the product you are localizing.

With hyperlocalization, you are getting the maximum amount of connectivity with the audience that you are trying to target with. Also, just like with localization, what you are localizing sounds natural to the target audience. The only difference is that you are making as much of the content that sound pertinent to them as possible. Hyperlocalization may not be something that you will be expected to do in the localization industry, but it is something that you should know about, so you know what is expected of you when you are asked to do it.

So what do you need to know about localization? Here are some of the highlights of what you need to be aware of when you begin localization. This will mainly focus on both the language aspect of the localization process as well as the marketing strategy of localization.

The first thing is that you know who you are marketing to. Not every product perfectly appeals to everyone in the same way. Some people will be much more interested in your product and some will not. You have to thus really know who you want to focus on. The language that you use to market your product to your potential customers is also very important, and you should thus make sure that any translation that is produced is reviewed by someone who is either a native of the country, or native currently living in the country. This will ensure that they are caught up with all current trends and know what can and cannot be included to avoid any unnaturalness or offensive language.

On the topic of using a native who is currently living in the target country, it is also important to note that they will be able to help to discern any cultural taboos such as design choices (i.e. colors, placement of letters, layout of advertisements, etc).  When they are reviewing the translation, they not only provide a fresh set of eyes with which to see the translation work, but they are basically acting as if they were a consumer seeing your product for the first time in the region you are trying to expand into. This will help to provide invaluable insight into what can be improved or fixed upon and help to develop strategies for the future.

Another thing that is important to take note of is making sure that the native speaker you ultimately choose is well vetted. Some companies might outsource this to other companies that have reviewers as to avoid some of the cost of vetting and hiring, but it is important to ultimately make sure that the reviewer who is chosen is not only proficient in the language that they speak, but also that they are able to understand the goal of your company as well as its culture so that it can properly be conveyed to the new market.

These are just a few of the things to know when starting localization of a product for a new region. Even for regions with similar cultures to your own, it is important to make sure that you have a native review whatever you have before releasing it. Doing so will save you a headache and possibly a fortune in potential legal fees or redesign fees.

There are many different kinds of apps, apps marketplaces and app stores: mobile games apps, apps that serve as extensions of websites for mobile devices, apps that link to and control devices. Apps can provide an entire service by themselves, present a new, portable form of a business’s existing services, or be part of a physical product.

Mobile messaging apps users now number in the hundreds of millions around the globe due to ease of use and a multitude of free service offerings. Whatsapp (based in Mountain View, CA) has 450 million monthly users, with Line (Japan, 350 million registered users) and WeChat (Shenzhen, China, 272 million monthly users) not far behind. Many mobile messaging apps are also major players in the mobile game apps arena. You can use these mobile messaging apps to send and receive text messages, record and send audio files, video chat, send photos, and even purchase sticker, music, and game add-ons.

Other popular mobile apps include free hotel-booking and last minute hotel-booking apps for making reservations. Hotel booking mobile apps are available on Android and iOS, a few on Windows Phone or Blackberry.

No matter what their purpose, mobile apps are especially convenient in that they can be easily distributed to customers worldwide, as long as their interface is completely and correctly translated.

We at Monterey Language Services have the technical capabilities to do so, using our global localization platform. Unlike other translation companies, we can handle localizing the entire app, its API, system and interface. We ensure that the mobile app and all its functions are recreated in the target language of your choice. All you have to do is sit back and have fun with your mobile app! Monterey Language Services takes care of the rest.

Monterey Language Services strives to provide the highest quality of translation and interpretation services. Please feel free to contact us for a quote.

by Mei-Ling Chen

A new client commented: “I trust you will get the meaning as well as the words in all translations. It is very important.”

When customers say this to us, as Director of Translation for many years, I understand what they mean.

It is vital to get the correct meaning in translation. Even more important is to know who your author and target audience are. With this information, the experienced translator is able to make a judgment call.    

Then the translation can be written from the point of view and background of the original author. Whether from a CEO to employees; a department of communications to the general public; or a teacher to a student—the tone, style, and presentation will have to vary. This is a powerful difference that an excellent human translator can make!

With due respect to machine translation, I must say that in order to achieve the above requirements, excellent human translators are needed.  These are translators who have good sense, can analyze the text and the background, and successfully conduct research.

Sure, machine translation may be able to get a rough idea of what a passage is about and what languages are involved. But think twice whether it can boost your company’s image, or provide the quality that your company is looking for.      

If you are lucky, things might turn out right; but if a human has to edit or find bugs in the work done by machine translation, what could possibly happen?

– a waste time, resources, energy
– the need to scrap the work, and redo the entire project
– troublesome enough where you may want to smash the machine software!

This is why we believe in real, genuine devotion to quality and research when working on a translation project.