7 Tips About Vietnamese Marketing Translation Services That Unilever & Coca-Cola Applied In The Last 10 Years
Vietnamese marketing translation services need to deliver the proper marketing message while keeping in mind the cultural preferences of Vietnamese audiences.
Because one of the prerequisites of marketing translation is knowing how to promote things, the marketing translator should also be a copywriter. Furthermore, the marketing translator should be familiar with various writing styles. The procedure takes into account how the style and language should be adjusted to meet Vietnamese culture.
It’s critical that you understand what marketing translation is and how it works. In this article, we will show 7 things you need to know about Vietnamese marketing translation services.
1. About Marketing translation
Vietnamese marketing translation services
Any businesses with products sold in multiple countries need marketing localization to reach out to customers who speak another language.
The procedure necessitates the localization of all marketing information in Vietnam, from social media postings to video scripts, product descriptions, and advertising copy for print and broadcast materials. Because there are more aspects to consider while undertaking marketing translation, it requires a sophisticated translation.
2. Direct translation differs from Marketing translation
The marketing content is tailored to the brand, taking into account how it appeals to its potential customers. When the material is used in other nations, however, the marketing content may or may not resonate with the potential customers in the same manner that it did with the original audience.
As a result, you must consider how other consumers in different nations will perceive the brand. Because marketing methods ensure that the brand is seen by as many people as possible in all feasible settings, it is critical that it does not offend someone from a different culture.
Marketing translation is not only translation but also transcreation. The translators must have knowledge and skills regarding the cultures of both languages.
3. Adapt to the cultural background of Vietnam
For great Vietnamese marketing translation services, the marketing localization should have local appeals to fully understand the local culture. Cultural differences are a notable issue. Some of the words, idiomatic expressions, and images are features that must be considered. It is because there are words that don’t have direct translations in other languages. Besides, some expressions and photos may not be acceptable to Vietnamese culture. The Vietnamese marketing translation services should have Vietnamese appeal; so you must consider the cultural implications of the marketing content.
For example, Date-month-year is the date format in Vietnam. And the address in Vietnamese is written in the following format: house number, street, ward, district, and city. The given name is followed by the family name in the full name format.
Unilever entered Vietnam in 1995 and started building a nationwide marketing and distribution system with Vietnamese localization.
Since the 2000s, Unilever Vietnam has run Vietnamese marketing localization on television, in newspapers, etc., to achieve specific goals, such as notifying consumers of new products, providing product manuals, etc. Therefore, Unilever Vietnam has made rapid progress in the market thanks to a smart, relevant, and effective advertising effort.
To achieve its goal of becoming an essential part of people’s daily lives, the Company conducts ongoing research to ensure that its products represent the way Vietnamese people think, shop, cook, and clean, while also meeting their healthy lifestyle, variety, quality, flavor, and enjoyment.
“We adopt international standards and formulas to make products, but this will not guarantee success if we fail to grasp local beliefs, customs, and desires,” states Michel Pierre Dallemagne, the former chairman of Unilever Vietnam.
Sunsilk shampoo, a popular shampoo that contains components from the bodhi tree, is a good example of how the corporation recognizes the demands of Vietnamese consumers to “Vietnamize” its products. This brand has also been a major hit in the Vietnamese market, accounting for 80% of Sunsilk shampoo sales.
In conclusion, With the aim to serve its consumers better, Unilever Vietnam has put in a great effort in localization.
4. Idioms are influenced by Vietnamese culture
In advertising and marketing text, metaphors and idioms are frequently used. Audiences in a specific area, usually the original country where the contents are used, understand and accept these. However, they are rarely translated well and can even be problematic in other nations.
When translating marketing information into the Vietnamese language, you must take cultural preferences into account, diverging from word-for-word translation and instead considering modifying the reference depending on the target audience. Rather than verbatim translation, you should aim for compelling and engaging materials that deliver the same message as the original.
5. Slogans are difficult to master in Vietnam
A copywriter spends a lot of time thinking about slogans. They’re designed to encapsulate the essence of the product in such a way that the audience will remember them. Brand slogans have the drawback of being tough to apply in all markets.
The current Coca-Cola’s marketing campaign has sparked outrage online after being labelled “vulgar” by a government agency.
Vietnamese marketing translation services
In 2019, the Hanoi-based Department of Local Culture issued an official dispatch to culture departments in localities across Vietnam at the end of June, asking local officials to collaborate with Coca-Cola Vietnam to change its promotional materials.
The tagline “Mở lon Việt Nam” (crack open a Vietnamese can) appears in several of the beverage company’s television advertisements and advertising banners, which are “vulgar” and “goes against Vietnam’s traditions.” The department has also ordered that all advertising materials be removed.
Coca-Cola has agreed to change all promotional materials that use the allegedly offensive phrase. The campaign’s relevant advertising banners have been changed to read “Cơ hội trúng vàng mỗi ngày” (There are chances of winning gold every day) rather than “Mở lon Việt Nam.”
6. The brand’s voice & value should be preserved.
Regardless of the language used to translate the marketing material, the brands’ voices should be preserved. Even if the literal meaning differs from the original, the voice should be identical in whatever market the item will be used. Because the copy must conform to Vietnamese culture, some alterations are unavoidable. Apart from the brand’s voice, the brand’s value should echo in Vietnamese. The translator must select appropriate terms in each of the specified languages that communicate the same meaning.
7. Colors & visuals are taken into account
Colours and pictures are frequently used in marketing materials, such as packaging and ad layouts, to enhance the brand’s attractiveness. They aid in the recognition of the brand. However, in other nations where colour associations are a part of the culture, these factors may not always perform as planned.
Similarly, many cultures identify various colours with various emotions, attitudes, or good and bad things. A precise balance between language and culture, as well as the brand’s identity and message, is required during the process.
We can help you avoid mistakes on Vietnamese Marketing translation services!
To ensure that the project is a success, Vietnamese marketing translation services require thorough preparation and attention to detail. Working with a professional Vietnamese marketing translation services firm that uses native speakers who live in the country is critical.
Marketing translation necessitates experience, and you can trust GTE Localize to provide flawless and accurate Vietnamese marketing translation services. GTE Localize is an ISO-certified translation & localization company with offices in Singapore, Vietnam & Indonesia. We support all major languages with a focus on Asian languages by a network of 1200+ linguists. For high-quality Vietnamese Marketing translation services, please contact GTE Localize at Contact Us.
