The language of marketing

When I came back to the UK after eleven years in Italy, everyone agreed that my language skills were going to be really useful. And so it has proved ... but not always in the way I might have thought.

I've had some pleasing successes in running PR campaigns in Italian media where the process has worked in much the same way that it would in English - you pick up the phone, sell in the idea, do the research, provide the material and hey presto! you're on the web or in print. But the process of learning a new language in depth has taught me a lot about communication. And that new found knowledge can help us whichever language we are applying ourselves to.

Is your message snappy and to the point or is it full of useless marketing buzzwords? Is it too idiomatic or will it still be easily understood by an international audience? Will your favourite translation tool make short work or a meal of it? If the Google translator widget has confused you in the last sentence then I've just proved my point!

So in the end it's not about how many languages you speak - even if it's only one. It's about being smart and using tried and tested processes. It's about knowing where to bring in language professionals and where you can trust your own experience.