The Roaming Blog of the Content Economist
Virtually Everywhere |3.20|
Remote working and augmented reality tools are staples in the globalization industry, it's amazing to see how my kids, friends and neighbors have moved so quickly to embrace them.
I've never met some of my clients in person, after 5 years at PayPal I hadn't met all of my staff in person. An in-person meeting just isn't always possible when your goals and workforce are global in scale.
Good globalization means being locally relevant at global scale, and great leaders and organizations need to do the same to succeed globally. Even if you are riding out a pandemic from a camper in the woods.
Strategy and Data: GlobalSaké San Francisco |2.20|
GlobalSaké is a fairly new thing, though it’s not broadly known about yet, I’m sure that will change.
Attending events abroad can be very much like events locally, it’s great to find one that stands out in a different way. From the opening reception at DZINE to the closing session, this was a fun show with a not so run-of-the-mill agenda.
While there were many highlights, a few really stood out. Firstly - Taiko drumming. The sake tasting and Taiko drumming were held in a nearby furniture showroom, which made a great place for the mixer and performance. Living in San Jose we have regular access to Taiko performances, and if you haven’t been to one I strongly suggest you do. Amazing.
The main sessions began the following day at ZenDesk. Easy to get to, a nice space, and I like their software - so many thanks to ZenDesk for hosting this for us and building useful software. The day covered a lot of what the real core drivers of localization and Globalization are - market share and revenue. Providing non-marketers a lot of insight into how research is done, some of the tools and data sets that are available, and how to use them in concert with your other data and efforts to win globally.
How we can measure the brains level of engagement while testing user experiences with the science made practical, was sure to drive many UX designers to long for complex medical imaging equipment!
Trust and relevance were discussed and dissected in detail. Different cultures are more or less trusting of different things, and how to build trust also varies widely. From how to approach this strategically, but how to code for it, and measure it was much food for thought.
Looking at cultures and content psychographically is a growing trend, it was great to learn more about how this is being handled by different organizations. Plus hear about some new things available to help organizations think about and enact their global strategies.
I will be looking forward to the next one.
(looking for events in the Silicon Valley area? Check out the Bay Area Globalization Events Calendar.
Globalization in the Backyard |09.19|
Globalization has shaped our gardens and lawns for generations. More recently, to the detriment of our health and the environment. Widespread local change would have big global benefits. Why I am speeding globalization of my own back yard? To survive.
Its Heating Up, Cooling Down, and Hot! |08.19|
September is a hot month, high temperatures that will go higher in October, it's great to be finishing up home repair, and getting into fall conference season. With all the great events it can be hard to choose where to go. I will update the local calendar, and also have a webinar out soon as well.
Half a Century Later, in Mexico |07.19|
Although I was born in a cold climate, I love the tropics! To celebrate my younger son turning 18, and my turning 50 we went almost as far to the south as this continent goes. This is Ixtapa island, the view from the hotel.
For 13 years my son's friends have been my consistent interpreters. Growing up in the northern US, this wasn't part of life for me as a kid. I learned to become an interpreter much later in life. Growing up in San Jose, this is to be expected. Now after 18 years, our younger son is ours on this trip!
How Many Apricots? |06.19|
San Jose was once home to large orchards, just another part of America's bread-basket. Today, these are covered by an ever growing city, but in my neighborhood fruit trees are still abundant.
We have 9 fruit trees, and our neighbors apricot tree grows well over my driveway. We harvested over 700 (I lost count) over 3 weeks time. After eating our fill each day, I reduced the rest into 27 lbs of goopy delight, and froze them. For science.
It's Just a Small Project |05.19|
How often this turns out not to be the case! With summer here is also time for house repair. We re-roofed our house a few years ago, but needed to re-roof the cottage this year. On the surface it looked like a small project.
Digging in - it will be over ten times the work, literally down to the foundation. So, it's a lot like many of my engagements, really. :) Without getting a good look at what is really inside first, both he and I had to really change our plans. This the front wall being re-built, the replacement roof will come later.
What's all the Fuss About - Huevos verdes con jamón |04.19|
Many Americans learned something from Dr. Suess while growing up.
At the end of March, some of his books were released in Spanish for the first time. These provide easy to understand examples of how transculturalization, translation and transcreation are used, both the good, bad, and the feo.
Dr. Suess still has a lot to teach us.
Bay Area Localization and Globalization Events |03.19|
There are many opportunities to connect and learn by attending Localization and Globalization events in Silicon Valley.
You can go to 15+ sites and look at the events they share for their organization or all events around the world, but a resource for Silicon Valley was lacking.
Instead of simply making my own list of events, I have created a listing for everyone to use.
LocWorld39 Kuala Lumpur |02.19|
My session on Leveraging the Strength of the Globe to Succeed in Global Markets was held on Feb. 28, 2019 at a part of LocWorld39.
"This year I again had the pleasure of attending and speaking at LocWorld Asia. People flew in from all around the globe for the event..."
What is the Best Language Selection for Global Markets |01.19|
When asking “What languages should I localize into for the greatest benefits?” the short (albeit frustrating) answer is most often, “it depends”.
It’s true: Communication is key to gaining market traction for all products and services. However, without providing those products and services in a locally relevant way, businesses won’t gain demand for even the best of products.
Read the full article on MediaLocate.com.
Presentation at MIIS - Global Brands Need Global Capabilities |12.18|
What does it take for companies to grow in scale across the world? Who is involved and how is it done? Presentation and QnA at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies with Ben Cornelius.
Read external event coverage here.
Presentation at SDL Connect - What is a TMS Good for? Building a Global ROI Case |11.18|
This year I had the chance to attend at present at SDL Connect 2018. The session focused on providing attendees with practical knowledge of how higher returns can be gained long after initial deployment of content and translation technology.
My presentation can be viewed on SDL.com.
Global ROI Part 3 – Taking Impactful Action |10.18|
In Part 1 and Part 2 of this article series, we looked at the cost to decide, and the zen of inaction. In part 3 we dive into some effective models and deconstruct the windmill that ROI cases can be.
Read Part 3 on the Spartan Software Blog.
Coverage of SF Globalization – Product Geo-Fit: Optimizing Product Experience for the Multicultural Marketplace |09.18|
This week, Talia Baruch with Yewser Interaction gave us a great presentation on How to Make Your Product Make Sense in the Global Marketplace, held at the new Twitch headquarters in San Francisco. Talia is a great speaker, her presentation gave the audience simple, step-by-step insights for winning global growth.
You can read my coverage here.
Coverage of IMUG – The Language Services Industry Today |09.18|
After nearly 30 years language technology has entered the machine learning era, according to Renato Beninatto with Nimdzi Insights.
Security was prepared, but the line to get in to the session was long thanks to downtown San Jose traffic, bolstered by those coming to see the Overview of the Translation Technology Landscape from an Industry Perspective, presented by Renato Beninatto.
Read the complete article on the Spartan Software Blog.
Coverage of SlatorCon 2018 San Francisco |09.18|
A good day, and amazingly, a sell-out event. There has been a good deal of M&A, and a lot of new entries emerging in the language industry. With both business and technology topics on the agenda for SlatorCon San Francisco 2018, I was really looking forward to it.
Read my coverage on the Spartan Software Blog.
Global ROI Part 2 – The Zen of Opting to Do Nothing |09.18|
This month we dig in to the next great barrier, and the singular wholesomeness of opting to do nothing.
Read the entire article on the Spartan Software Blog.
Global ROI From the Donkey’s Eye (Part 1) |08.18|
For quite a number of years people have asked me about the return on investment of going global with a product or service. Recently joining Spartan, it didn’t take long for someone to ask about ROI, calculating value, and return on effort. Can we talk about this? Will you speak on the topic again? Can you write about this? Well, yes!
Read the article on the Spartan Software Blog.
The Allure of Flat Rate Pricing |07.18|
For decades now most translation buyers have become used to paying for services by the word, plus some negotiated "overhead". Though this continues to make good sense for some organizations, using it also means ongoing business friction, which can become crippling at scale.
Read the full article on the Spartan Software Blog.
Coverage of SF Globalization: International Growth with Copy Optimization at Pinterest |07.18|
Some insights into how Pinterest reaches their global audience, and how they refine their content through Copy Optimization.
Read the full article on the Spartan Software Blog.
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