Localization &
Translation Services

Localization & Translation

Glyph Language Services is, first and foremost, heavily integrated with modern technology and systems to optimize our localization and translation services. Our goal is not just to produce content in a target language. Instead, it is to solve our clients’ global business problems, and to enable them to listen and speak to people anywhere in the world. We are constantly working to ensure that our clients can focus on what they do best, sure in the knowledge that we will be their internationalization partner.

We specialize in producing localized output of exacting quality. For us, the quality of our localization and translation services has several facets. It means that our production model is designed so that our output feels like it was the product of a native speaker – that is, not adapted. We don’t just get the words right, but also the tone, taking into account the culture of both the creator and the target audience.

Quality also means that our output is consistent. Consistency from term to term, document to document, project to project is the most important component of translation for business, where terms will be re-used and need to refer to the same thing every time.

It also means that the client experience is painless across the entire lifecycle, from scoping and intake to delivery and support. We don’t want localization to be a hurdle in the path to a market – we want it to be a springboard! Our tools, our staff, as well as our processes are all designed to be transparent, simple, and jargon-free.

We take projects of any scale, in more than 100 languages, for any kind of client. Our experts provide a wide range of localization and translation services. They localize software, creative for global marketing campaigns, mobile games, and e-commerce. We can also implement lower-cost workflows for ultra-high-volume commoditized projects, or conduct in-context regression testing on software builds. However, we have particular expertise in web localization, E-learning, and global corporate communications. We understand particularly well the constraints, goals, media, and opportunities facing our clients in those fields. Get in touch to see how we can help, or get started on a quote right away.

Brand Creative

All of the services surrounding brand management become exponentially more complex with a multilingual audience. For many of these services, such as brand naming, UX, and graphics, localization means creating a single version that works well for everyone, rather than creating several locale-specific versions. It takes skill and experience to adapt a simple message for a new audience without also diluting or changing it. From brand name focus groups to slogan transcreation, we can strike the balance and make sure that you land on both feet in a new market.

UX, Graphics, & Art Review

Glyph often performs locale-specific vetting of content, such as graphics, photography, color schemes, typography and symbolism. We look for things that might unintentionally torpedo an initiative.

Creative Media Localization

We perform full-service media localization in all major languages for web, mobile and video, including voiceover, subtitling, and media engineering. We have partnerships with voiceover studios all over the world, experience, and skill in media suites such as Adobe Creative Cloud, and an eye on the strategic picture to make sure all of the moving parts come together smoothly.

Global Name Vetting

It is important to choose a brand name that evokes something meaningful to you, whether that is history, your value proposition, your principles, etc. But it's also good to know if your brand name means 'earwig wrestler' in Lithuanian. You might still go with it, but at least you'd know, right? We can also assemble multi-market focus groups and collect, interpret and summarize the intelligence. Thus, we'll give you a sense of how a panel of names might resonate in different target markets.

Transcreation & Local Copywriting

Brand messaging is not like technical writing. Sometimes, every single localized word can be the best possible choice, but the message is still not getting across. Transcreation is a process in which we take the leash off of our linguists and ask them to capture the spirit of the source material. To make such a creative process reliable and repeatable, we do our homework first, which includes a thorough discovery stage, market research, and a substantive editing stage.

Communications

Localizing communications projects is particularly delicate because there is no room for error. The content is usually crafted with care, and often with legal guidance. The localized product must simultaneously reflect the truth of the source material, and the context and realities of the locale for which it is produced. Over the years Glyph has become specialized in these kinds of projects. We also have a deep pool of talent who are experienced with the constraints and conventions of corporate communications. These kinds of project include:

Corporate
Communications

Multinational corporations need to be able to communicate with their talent across boundaries on an equal and transparent basis. In the global battle for talent, it is necessary to communicate clearly (and competitively) in a multitude of languages: and conversations about people's work and compensation brook no misunderstanding. Glyph understands the various lexical, cultural, and legal issues surrounding global HR and benefits, corporate initiatives and training. We are deft at capturing the spirit and letter of corporate statements in a way that is meaningful and crystal clear for all stakeholders.

E-learning

Localizing training and e-learning content is tricky because it involves so many interrelated components, uses industry-specific tools, and requires very high production value. As a result of our years of experience with e-learning materials, we have optimized every stage of e-learning localization. Our analysts know how to find every last bit of localizable content that is sneaking around in notes or graphics. Our linguists understand how to convey training concepts in any language. Meanwhile, our engineers bring that content to life by integrating text, visuals, and audio into a compelling, precise learning experience. In short, e-learning localization is a specialty of ours and we are excited to participate in the future of globalized pedagogy.

Research

Glyph understands that language does not exist in a vacuum, but is reflective of the people who speak it and the broad context surrounding those people. For that reason, we offer research and consulting on topics related to language, culture, and global events, to support clients as they navigate a complex and shifting world. Frequent topics of research include:

Geopolitical & Social Research

There is always a lot beneath the surface when it comes to choosing a language. For many ethnic groups, language is a core part of their identity and culture, and it can mean an enormous amount to them to be able to experience something new in their own language as opposed to a foreign language. Conversely, supporting only one language in a multilingual market and ignoring other languages in that market can send strong, unintentional messages. Our team can produce market-specific research unpacking the historical, political and social divisions, to help you identify and avoid pitfalls.

Consumer Panels & Focus Groups

When it comes to mass-market messaging, a little bit of testing can mean more than a lot of formal expertise. We can assemble panels of native speakers or conduct large-scale surveys in any market in the world. As a result, we can give you actionable, detailed intelligence straight from the people whom you're trying to reach. This can be particularly helpful for marketing campaigns that need global vetting not just for language, but for branding, typography, colorways, visual assets, and more.

Ethnographic Research

At times, our clients require a deep investigation of the cultural and social contexts in which a language lives in order to make complex and high stakes decisions as they enter a new market. We produce studies of social and cultural conditions for all the various parts of the world into which our clients aim to venture so that they are equipped with information and guidance they need to ensure that their initiatives succeed.

Regulatory

Many markets, including the EU and Canada, have specific and stringent regulations regarding language support. This covers more than just what languages to offer - it extends to detailed regulations surrounding what product details must be localized, even to minimum type size in packaging. We can help you understand the details of language laws and regulations in any market to ensure that your team can enter a new market confidently.

Multilingual Search & Discoverability

While it is true that the majority of visited content on the Internet is in English, only 26% of Internet users are primarily English speakers as of 2016. And that proportion is likely shrinking. This means that the future of English as the de facto language of the Internet is in doubt. We have worked for more than ten years in multilingual search, helping enterprise tech companies ensure that their web services are relevant for all markets.

Search Relevance Evaluation

Glyph staffs teams of human judges who provide relevance judgments for search results and ads for both public search engines and eCommerce platforms in order to optimize ad and search algorithms. We have been curating teams of multilingual search specialists for many years. Therefore, we understand the particular requirements for making these kinds of relevance judgments in multiple languages.

Multilingual SEO & Digital Ad Management

We also perform data-driven multilingual keyword research and SEO implementation, incorporating culture, colloquialisms, and changing local trends. We can staff in-market SEO/PPC campaign managers who can tune campaigns based on local language trends.

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Localization &
Translation Services