Fashion Weeks are exciting events that draw attention from all corners of the globe. So if your brand is only communicating with your audience in English or your native language, you’re missing out on many potential customers.
While English is a global language, most people are more comfortable viewing content in their native language. Consequently, building excitement and driving engagement for your collection’s release can prove challenging.
But instead of accepting this fact, you can implement localization to connect with your audience and create anticipation for the event.
In particular, localization can benefit your Fashion Week release in three different ways.
Localized content can drive excitement for the event
Since the various Fashion Weeks have an international audience, it’s vital that the content they view before the event is localized.
Researchers found that 56% of people favor sites in their own language over ones in English, with some completely ignoring English URLs. And the same can be said if a French person could only find content in German or Mandarin.
Instead, localized content can help drive excitement for the event by sharing understandable and locally relevant information.
While not considered high fashion, Under Armour provides a great example of a clothing brand using localized social media content.
Under Armour has multiple localized Instagram accounts for regions, including:
- India
- Latin America
- South-east Asia
- Japan
- Australia
- Canada
The content shared on these pages is also unique, so instead of simply sharing carbon-copy translations, Under Armour is creating a unique brand experience.
So next time you’re preparing for Fashion Week, why not drive excitement with locally relevant content? Or perhaps take it a step further with locally exclusive clothing releases?
As the Master in Management and Direction of Fashion Companies at LCI Barcelona teaches us, professionals in this field must understand creative processes, production and communication, in addition to having financial and business management know-how.
Improved audience engagement during Fashion Week
Well-known events attract people from all over the globe, which means you’ll be dealing with multiple languages and cultures.
While many of these people may understand your native language, it’s a good idea to showcase your brand in the language your audience is most comfortable with.
When your audience can easily understand the words you use, they can engage more deeply with your brand and your fashion showcase. They can begin to understand your motivations and the stories behind the clothing you’ve created.
As a result, more audience members can connect with your clothing which results in more buyers.
One way to drive attendee engagement is to provide localized brand and collection information.
You could provide brochures in individual languages for the in-person audience—if you know their information before the show. Alternatively, you can create digital brochures that audiences can download using dynamic QR code or from your website.
The key to this strategy is to localize your content correctly, rather than only translating it.
It’s also important to use native speakers to review and proofread your content to ensure correctness. Otherwise, situations like Nike’s attempt to cater to the Chinese market can occur.
While Nike was able to correctly print the Mandarin characters—including abiding by the convention that FU must be upside down—they failed to consider the overall picture.
Each character retained its intended meaning around good fortune and riches when taken alone. However, when used in conjunction (as shoes typically are), the characters mean something very different—Getting Fat.
Unfortunately, this meaning was very different from the intended one and may have been off-putting for many potential and existing customers.
Localization can help brands avoid offending their audience
While some incorrect translations can be funny, others can be downright offensive and distasteful.
Fashion retailer Mango was forced to apologize for mistranslation when they released a jewelry line under the label Esclave Style. When translating from Spanish to English, the word esclave means It’s Key and often refers to bracelets and chains.
However, when translated to French, Esclave means Slave, and this is how the issue for Mango began.
Their error caused an uproar on social media, with thousands calling for a boycott of the company. While the company apologized quickly, it’s safe to say that the collection didn’t do well after the debacle.
This mistranslation also happened back in 2013, long before Cancel Culture became mainstream like it is today.
That’s why it’s all the more important to ensure native professionals do your localizations.
Does your fashion brand cater to local audiences?
Whether you’re part of the haute couture of Fashion Week or a brand that caters to a broader audience, audiences must understand your content.
Without localization, it’s easy for your brand to get lost in the crowd as potential customers fail to connect with who you are and what you do. After all, fashion isn’t only about the design itself. It’s about the feelings and perceptions associated with your brand.
And the best way to communicate that is with localized content that speaks to the audience in a way that a local brand would.
If you want to build a stronger brand image and get the most out of your international marketing efforts, give us at Day Translations call on 1-800-969-6853. With localization professionals in over 100 languages, we’ll ensure that your audience connects with your brand.