Globally Speaking

It's AI bingo at the moment! Everyone's talking about it - but did you know that the quality and quantity of training datasets are crucial to the accuracy and effectiveness of machine learning models? The more diverse and representative the data, the better the AI model can perform in terms of nuance. Did you ever wonder how to ensure that AI discerns what Americans would wear to a wedding? And wh...

In this second Globally Speaking Podcast, dedicated to the localization supply chain, follow Rosario de Zayas Rueda's fascinating journey as she explains how she started out as a translator and language specialist and ended up opening her own language services agency, completing a full cycle of professional development. As she explains, in her early days in the localization industry, the role of a...

How can a company set up a localization program from scratch? What are the important criteria to consider, and what are the challenges? Is there a translation policy in place? What needs to be translated, and into which languages? Who is responsible for reporting and the communication around it? Find out what Renée Lemley, former Global Copy Director at Under Armour, has to say about her experienc...

‘Hurt. Soap. Blows.’ In case you are wondering, we haven't gone crazy, these are just the three words what3words uses to describe our location today. But now we're wondering what those three words would be like in French. Well, if we switch languages, it becomes ‘Gîte. Lavande. Aviron.’ There are so many situations in life where you need to tell someone exactly where you are, but you don't have th...

It’s completely natural for humans to attribute human characteristics to generative AI systems that seem to behave like us. And since language is one of the most profoundly human characteristics on earth, it explains why we tend to compare LLMs like GPT or PaLM (Bard) to humans, and even attribute emotions to them. But in the same way that we don't expect an airplane to flap its wings like a bird,...

When it launched 25 years ago, coffee brand Tim Hortons did better than competitors in Quebec because it localized most of its content to make it more relevant to the market. On its coffee cups, the brand used to display the Toronto cityscape in anglophone Canada, which was replaced with Montreal for its Quebec launch. Similarly, a client in the US would like to see large streets in his advertisin...

You’d be forgiven for thinking that brands with a physical presence will always be trusted more than companies that only offer an online store. Things are now changing. According to our latest research, 58% of global consumers now trust global brands with a localized online presence equally to those with a physical presence. That’s an incredible opportunity when you think about it – over half of c...

A third of the world's websites are in English. And yet only 5% of Internet users speak English as their mother tongue. How can you, as a business, ensure that you are speaking to users in their own language and impacting their customer journey in a culturally relevant way? In this episode, Marine Esquenet talks to Zhongjun GE, head of the localization team at ByteDance, who explains how China-bas...

In France, the Big Mac, McDonald's favourite burger, has the same name as in English and doesn't have a translation. In Hong Kong, it has been given a name that no current machine translation could fathom: Gui Mo Ba, which could be translated as ‘the invincible juggernaut’. Why? Because one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to translating according to cultures. That’s when transcreation works its...

How does a well known household brand ensure that it consistently projects a strong brand image on the global stage? You might think you need to...

Youre not alone if you take pride in your culture. But do you feel that brands understand your culture, context and deeply personal preferences? A...

Its human nature to want to connect with family, friends and colleagues. This sentiment appears to extend to brands: 64% of consumers want brands to...

Your international explanation plans are ready. You’ve identified your target markets. Your team is ready to start engaging with customers. But how well do you know those markets? Japan, for instance, might seem like a prosperous country with plenty of opportunity. But will your remote-controlled garage doors take off? Most likely not – most of the population live in apartments. This crude example...

Today’s fast-moving, hyper-connected world means that customers demand relevant content, meaningful communication, accurate information, instant access, and consistent and personalised experiences. And they want of this own language, 24/7, and on any device. In short, they want to understand you – and they want you to understand them. But how can companies unlock this level of understanding? Let’s...

In this episode of Globally Speaking, Andrew Thomas connects with Vangelis Lympouridis, a specialist in Innovation by Design, Design Thinking,...

In this episode of Globally Speaking, Monica Merel connects with Erji Wang, a Senior Globalization Program Manager who is an expert in leveraging...

In this episode of Globally Speaking, Robert Jelenic connects with Francesca Di Marco, a veteran in the localization industry who currently leads the internationalization and global development program for product and marketing at Pinterest. Francesca tells us the story behind how twelve localization industry leaders came together to write the Globalization Strategy Playbook. The playbook attempts...

In this episode of Globally Speaking, Monica Merel connects with Stefan Huyghe, a localization VP and trailblazer in the industry. In this conversation, we explore the evolution of localization and if Language Operations is the right step forward for the industry. Tune in and let us know if you agree or disagree if Language Operations is the next frontier for localization.

In this episode of Globally Speaking, Esther Ashmore connects with Alfonso González Bartolessis, the founder of TranslaStars. Alfonso created an online school that offers many courses for linguists and translators, including a bootcamp course for SEO localization. Tune in and get a masterclass on what is SEO localization, how to be culturally relevant in your SEO strategy, debunking the myths of c...

In this episode of Globally Speaking, Andrew Thomas hosts a conversation between two peers from Dell, Scott Cahoon and Fernando Caro. Scott and Fernando take us behind the curtain and share their honest experience upgrading and implementing continuous localization. Tune in and learn all about the benefits and challenges Dell faces moving to a continuous localization model.

In this episode of Globally Speaking, we talk to Allison Ferch, Executive Director of the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA). She speaks about the origins of GALA and its important role in supporting its members by addressing the challenges of the localization industry. Tune in to hear all this and more.

In this episode of Globally Speaking, we talk to Aoife Mc Ilraith, Vice President of Marketing at Semrush, an online visibility management platform used by seven million digital marketers worldwide. She talks about the importance of going local with your SEO strategy and tactics and how tools factor into the world of SEO. Tune in to hear all this and more.

In this episode of Globally Speaking, we talk to Kirill Soloviev, Co-founder and CEO of ContentQuo, a linguistic quality technology provider. He talks about the importance of language quality, how to change the business perception of a quality programme from a cost to an investment and the effect machine translation (MT) is having on quality. Tune in to hear all this and more.

In this episode of Globally Speaking Radio, we talk to Stephanie Cardwell, Manager of Global Localization at Alteryx, a global leader in data analytics with 18 offices across five continents. She talks about her experience with building a localization program from scratch, working in Japan and her leadership role in the non-profit organization Women In Localization. Tune in to hear all this and mo...

In this episode of Globally Speaking Radio, we talk to Jim Compton, Technology Partnerships Manager at RWS, about how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize the customer experience on a global scale. He tells us about the concept of hyper-personalization and outlines its challenges, benefits and pitfalls. Tune in to hear all this and more.