"Bienvenidos" to my Blog, I’m really excited to offer you the most effective, innovative and powerful way to communicate in Spanish. My product revolves around people; specifically the Spanish language dominant segment that is being talked at rather than talked to. It targets companies, institutions, corporations, organizations, etc. that have the desire to capture a Spanish speaking audience correctly and to those who are currently trying to do so, but may not be connecting well enough. Either way, the objective is to help you bond with Spanish speaking audiences in the U.S. and worldwide by establishing a “partnership” profitable to you and sensitive to Latino cultural nuances.
THE PRODUCT
THE SPANISH LANGUAGE CONNECTION prides itself on the equity of its team members: Seasoned bicultural communications professionals with +20 years of experience each in the U.S. Hispanic market and Latin America. The team has successfully managed a diversity of key initiatives in advertising, branding, promotions, marketing and corporate image from the ground up for corporate giants like Procter & Gamble, Phillip Morris, Heinz, Whirlpool, CPC International, Gillette, HBO, Schering-Plough, Universal Pictures, Delta Airlines, Colgate-Palmolive, Disney, Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Mitsubishi, Lever, General Motors, among others.
It is not a mystery that said companies are highly regarded for their interest, investment and vision for corporate growth in the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic market. The team is proud to have been part of these companies, but even more so of absorbing the sole characteristic behind their market share success: A heart-felt consumer connection.
It is not a mystery that said companies are highly regarded for their interest, investment and vision for corporate growth in the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic market. The team is proud to have been part of these companies, but even more so of absorbing the sole characteristic behind their market share success: A heart-felt consumer connection.
THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCE
In my Advertising and Branding career, immersing in the consumer experience was mandatory to be successful in selling products and services. Admittedly, direct consumer contact with people from all walks of life and social economic levels was the most gratifying part of my job. Interestingly enough, dreams, desires, wants and needs hold more similarities than differences, despite social economic levels. Another thing that holds true across the line is that people like to be talked to versus talked at.
Therefore, you can deduce that the experience I acquired through my relationship with Spanish speaking consumers both in Latin America and the U.S., plus my family background, cultural learning from living in and traveling throughout Latin America resulted in my quest to "making the connection" by offering THE SPANISH LANGUAGE CONNECTION (TSLC).
Therefore, you can deduce that the experience I acquired through my relationship with Spanish speaking consumers both in Latin America and the U.S., plus my family background, cultural learning from living in and traveling throughout Latin America resulted in my quest to "making the connection" by offering THE SPANISH LANGUAGE CONNECTION (TSLC).
MAKING THE CONNECTION
What do I mean by “making the connection”? Very simply, just ensuring that Spanish language communications holds true to peoples' emotional “hot buttons” in order to create a “win-win” situation for the communicator and Spanish language dominant consumers in the U.S. and the rest of the Spanish- speaking world. I’ll never forget a verbatim that repeated itself time and time again during my in-home visits with consumers: “The only things companies care about is making money, they don’t really care about us.”
That said, English language websites, for example, which include Spanish language translations reveal a world of missed opportunities to “making the connection.” Being fully bicultural, my expectation is that if you write it effectively in English, the same thorough effort should be made when translating into Spanish. In many instances, those efforts are being overshadowed by less than effective articulation of the Spanish message. An interesting finding is that most foreign language translation companies I researched erroneously assume that work based solely on translating and localizing is sufficient. Within that "philosophy", the "connection" misses the mark. To put it in context, outlined below is a hypothetical exercise showing my point:
Company A says...“To sell in foreign markets you need to speak their language”:
TSLC Responds...“Speaking their language is not enough, feeling their language is the winning ticket."
Company B says...“Our translators ensure all the content is localized.”
TSLC Responds...“Just because the word peanut in Mexico is “cacahuate” and in Venezuela “maní”, doesn’t mean it guarantees an emotional connection.”
Company C says...“We know the local customers and will ensure that your translated website really speaks to your target country.”
TSLC Responds...“More than localized, the language should be adjusted to wants, desires and needs of the people of a country, not just to the country.”
Conclusion: Please be aware that just because certified translators speak and write perfect Spanish does not guarantee the cultural sensitivity to "selling" a good connection.
That said, English language websites, for example, which include Spanish language translations reveal a world of missed opportunities to “making the connection.” Being fully bicultural, my expectation is that if you write it effectively in English, the same thorough effort should be made when translating into Spanish. In many instances, those efforts are being overshadowed by less than effective articulation of the Spanish message. An interesting finding is that most foreign language translation companies I researched erroneously assume that work based solely on translating and localizing is sufficient. Within that "philosophy", the "connection" misses the mark. To put it in context, outlined below is a hypothetical exercise showing my point:
Company A says...“To sell in foreign markets you need to speak their language”:
TSLC Responds...“Speaking their language is not enough, feeling their language is the winning ticket."
Company B says...“Our translators ensure all the content is localized.”
TSLC Responds...“Just because the word peanut in Mexico is “cacahuate” and in Venezuela “maní”, doesn’t mean it guarantees an emotional connection.”
Company C says...“We know the local customers and will ensure that your translated website really speaks to your target country.”
TSLC Responds...“More than localized, the language should be adjusted to wants, desires and needs of the people of a country, not just to the country.”
Conclusion: Please be aware that just because certified translators speak and write perfect Spanish does not guarantee the cultural sensitivity to "selling" a good connection.
MAKING THE CONNECTION: Examples
FAST FOOD RESTAURANT
Current English Language ad: “Our hamburgers are made with fresh meat, never frozen, that’s why they are so juicy.”
Current Spanish Language ad: “Nuestras hamburguesas están hechas con carne fresca, nunca congelada, por eso son tan jugosas.”
TSLC Recommended ad: “Deléitese con nuestras hamburguesas, que son tan jugosas porque están preparadas con carne fresca, NUNCA carne congelada.
English Translation of TSLC Recommendation: “Endulge yourself to our juicy hamburgers, made with fresh meat, NEVER frozen meat.”
Another observation is on the Menu selection of the website. The main menu page opens up with a literal, distant translation. However, what really caught my attention is that when you click on the “Menu”, the description for all of the items is only in English. Why not provide U.S. Hispanics and Spanish speaking countries where “these” franchises are found, with an equally appealing description of a all the tasty menu items?
Rationale: A good consumer insight regarding Hispanics' eating habits is that food should be fresh, to the point of not considering leftovers a household name and absolutely rejecting frozen foods. Although the original selling lines' "reason why" alludes to non-frozen hamburger meat, it doesn't capitalize on it strong enough to provide reassurance. The original ad says "...with fresh meat, never frozen", my recommendation is to say "...with fresh meat, meat that has never been frozen. The difference may be subtle, but it eliminates any room for doubts. Building upon that thought and my recommendation to add an emotional call to action, "Deléitese..." ("Indulge yourself...") makes the message "tastier", closer, warmer and trustworthy. Regarding the Menu section, my expectation was to click on a menu item and get a full Spanish language description of each meal offering, however, such was not the case as the description was only in English. This concerned me because as a Latino I did not feel fully identified with the brand.
CANCER TREATMENT CENTER
Current English Language Ad: "Welcome to the Patient Education Resource Center, where we believe that knowledge is power.”
Current Spanish Language Ad: "Bienvenido al Centro de Recursos Educativos para el paciente donde creemos que saber es poder."
TSLC Recommended Ad: "Le damos una cálida bienvenida al Centro de Recursos Educativos para el Paciente donde sentimos que en la sabiduría esta la fuerza."
English Translation of TSLC Recommendation: "We give you a warm welcome to the Patient Education Resource where we believe that knowledge is power."
Rationale: A medical center provides services to people that are ill and ill people usually feel vulnerable and sad about their condition, especially cancer patients. Therefore, as a basic premise, I believe that communication that is born from this type of institution should be more embracing to people in general. With regards to the Latin culture, it is important to understand family comes first and everything that entails: Caring, nurturing, sharing, giving, affection, etc. Therefore, why not transmit a little bit of "family" into messages directed to Spanish speaking audiences by giving them a "warm welcome" ("cálida bienvenida")?
ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
Current English Language Ad: “This fall, leave your world behind and enter The Kingdom…”
Current Spanish Language Ad: “Este otoño, deje atrás su mundo y entre a The Kingdom…”
TSLC Recommended Ad: “Este otoño olvídese del mundo y entre a “The Kingdom…”
English Translation of TSLC Recommendation: "This fall, forget about the world and enter The Kingdom..."
Rationale: Every culture has expressions and as we know, expressions lose impact when literally translated. For perspective, it is as challenging to adapt an expression to convey its core meaning in another language, as it is to translate a joke. The English expression reflected on the ad “…leave your world behind…”, literally translated to Spanish is, “…deja atrás tu mundo…”, but, doesn’t make sense because it is an English language expression literally translated to Spanish. The correct expression in Spanish is “...olvídese del mundo...” (“...forget about the world...”). Unfortunately, this type of missed connection mistake keeps repeating itself in the entertainment industry.
Current English Language ad: “Our hamburgers are made with fresh meat, never frozen, that’s why they are so juicy.”
Current Spanish Language ad: “Nuestras hamburguesas están hechas con carne fresca, nunca congelada, por eso son tan jugosas.”
TSLC Recommended ad: “Deléitese con nuestras hamburguesas, que son tan jugosas porque están preparadas con carne fresca, NUNCA carne congelada.
English Translation of TSLC Recommendation: “Endulge yourself to our juicy hamburgers, made with fresh meat, NEVER frozen meat.”
Another observation is on the Menu selection of the website. The main menu page opens up with a literal, distant translation. However, what really caught my attention is that when you click on the “Menu”, the description for all of the items is only in English. Why not provide U.S. Hispanics and Spanish speaking countries where “these” franchises are found, with an equally appealing description of a all the tasty menu items?
Rationale: A good consumer insight regarding Hispanics' eating habits is that food should be fresh, to the point of not considering leftovers a household name and absolutely rejecting frozen foods. Although the original selling lines' "reason why" alludes to non-frozen hamburger meat, it doesn't capitalize on it strong enough to provide reassurance. The original ad says "...with fresh meat, never frozen", my recommendation is to say "...with fresh meat, meat that has never been frozen. The difference may be subtle, but it eliminates any room for doubts. Building upon that thought and my recommendation to add an emotional call to action, "Deléitese..." ("Indulge yourself...") makes the message "tastier", closer, warmer and trustworthy. Regarding the Menu section, my expectation was to click on a menu item and get a full Spanish language description of each meal offering, however, such was not the case as the description was only in English. This concerned me because as a Latino I did not feel fully identified with the brand.
CANCER TREATMENT CENTER
Current English Language Ad: "Welcome to the Patient Education Resource Center, where we believe that knowledge is power.”
Current Spanish Language Ad: "Bienvenido al Centro de Recursos Educativos para el paciente donde creemos que saber es poder."
TSLC Recommended Ad: "Le damos una cálida bienvenida al Centro de Recursos Educativos para el Paciente donde sentimos que en la sabiduría esta la fuerza."
English Translation of TSLC Recommendation: "We give you a warm welcome to the Patient Education Resource where we believe that knowledge is power."
Rationale: A medical center provides services to people that are ill and ill people usually feel vulnerable and sad about their condition, especially cancer patients. Therefore, as a basic premise, I believe that communication that is born from this type of institution should be more embracing to people in general. With regards to the Latin culture, it is important to understand family comes first and everything that entails: Caring, nurturing, sharing, giving, affection, etc. Therefore, why not transmit a little bit of "family" into messages directed to Spanish speaking audiences by giving them a "warm welcome" ("cálida bienvenida")?
ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
Current English Language Ad: “This fall, leave your world behind and enter The Kingdom…”
Current Spanish Language Ad: “Este otoño, deje atrás su mundo y entre a The Kingdom…”
TSLC Recommended Ad: “Este otoño olvídese del mundo y entre a “The Kingdom…”
English Translation of TSLC Recommendation: "This fall, forget about the world and enter The Kingdom..."
Rationale: Every culture has expressions and as we know, expressions lose impact when literally translated. For perspective, it is as challenging to adapt an expression to convey its core meaning in another language, as it is to translate a joke. The English expression reflected on the ad “…leave your world behind…”, literally translated to Spanish is, “…deja atrás tu mundo…”, but, doesn’t make sense because it is an English language expression literally translated to Spanish. The correct expression in Spanish is “...olvídese del mundo...” (“...forget about the world...”). Unfortunately, this type of missed connection mistake keeps repeating itself in the entertainment industry.
OUR RATES
As we are eager to show you the uniqueness of our work, in addition to welcoming the launch of THE SPANISH LANGUAGE CONNECTION into your world, we make you an offer difficult to refuse.
Given the current unpredictable economic scenario, it is imminent that hundreds of thousands of companies will be obligated to reduce or eliminate budgets directed to overall consumer communication. Unfortunately, funds projected for Hispanic marketing fall prey to the above, minimizing the impact of your company’s in-market offerings and of course, revenue. If your circumstance sounds similar, let us help you keep your forecasted Spanish language communication efforts on track and in touch with Spanish speaking consumers.
TSLC offers an introductory discount of 50% for a limited time only. Yes, PAY ONLY HALF THE COST OF OUR NORMAL RATES! Our rate for translation services is 0.28¢ per word; pay only 0.14¢ per word. Our rate for adaptation is $80.00 per hour; pay only $40.00 per hour. The only watch-out, however, is that you will be so satisfied with our work that our “partnership” may just turn into a long-term relationship.
You have absolutely nothing to lose. TSLC is affordable, conscientious of your needs, aware of your budget constraints and guarantees a sound and culturally engaging connection with U.S. Hispanics and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world.
TSLC is all about connnecting with a sense of WOW !!!
Given the current unpredictable economic scenario, it is imminent that hundreds of thousands of companies will be obligated to reduce or eliminate budgets directed to overall consumer communication. Unfortunately, funds projected for Hispanic marketing fall prey to the above, minimizing the impact of your company’s in-market offerings and of course, revenue. If your circumstance sounds similar, let us help you keep your forecasted Spanish language communication efforts on track and in touch with Spanish speaking consumers.
TSLC offers an introductory discount of 50% for a limited time only. Yes, PAY ONLY HALF THE COST OF OUR NORMAL RATES! Our rate for translation services is 0.28¢ per word; pay only 0.14¢ per word. Our rate for adaptation is $80.00 per hour; pay only $40.00 per hour. The only watch-out, however, is that you will be so satisfied with our work that our “partnership” may just turn into a long-term relationship.
You have absolutely nothing to lose. TSLC is affordable, conscientious of your needs, aware of your budget constraints and guarantees a sound and culturally engaging connection with U.S. Hispanics and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world.
TSLC is all about connnecting with a sense of WOW !!!
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