When fast-food giant McDonald’s launched its global i’m lovin’ it campaign in 2003 the company wanted to make sure customers received the same branding message and were impacted in the same way worldwide. To that end, the slogan was adapted for more than 20 different languages – becoming ‘me encanta’ in Spanish-speaking countries, ‘c’est tout ce que j’aime’ in French, ‘amo muito tudo isso’ in Portuguese, and so on.
If McDonald’s had decided to keep the slogan – now regarded as the company’s most successful brand campaign of the last decades – in English even in foreign countries, it certainly would not have generated the same buzz. Communicating in the local language, with all the social and psychological elements tied to it, is a crucial tool to help multinational companies build trust and stronger relationships with their customers. And that’s exactly what modern companies are looking for – more than just communicating a message, they want to reach their customers’ hearts.
At SE10 we understand the power of multilingual content in driving international outreach – in fact, handling interviews, press releases, case studies and articles in several languages is part of our routine. Across our offices in London, Chicago and Singapore, our teams are formed of people fluent in seven languages. For our clients with business in Latin America, for example, such as Oracle and Manitowoc Cranes, we interview customers in Spanish and Portuguese and produce and distribute content in the local language. Pitching local journalists in Spanish and Portuguese is also part of our job.
Latin America is an appealing region for multinational companies, as winning a share of a market containing 640 million people can lead to great success. Clients interested in investing in the region will also find a receptive environment for marketing and PR: the population in Latin countries has access to diverse media offerings and is open to new messages in different platforms. Social media use is large and mobile penetration rates are high in the region.
We strongly recommend clients who work in a global marketplace to create multilingual content, and we offer the skills to produce it. Communicating with the target audience in its first language not only establishes a human connection, it also adds value to the business. It can be an important success factor, regardless if the company’s industry is fast-food, technology, or machinery.
