New IDG Study Commissioned by Smartling Shows Localization Is a Top Priority

94 percent of marketing leaders surveyed expect to increase spending on content localization in 2018.

NEW YORK – November 8, 2017 – Smartling, a translation technology and service innovator, today released findings of a new study that reveals content localization is a top priority for global brands, with 94 percent of marketers surveyed in the U.S. and Europe citing plans to increase spending on content localization in the coming year. The survey, commissioned by Smartling and conducted by IDG Research, examines how marketers are localizing content for a global audience to catalyze growth and increase revenue opportunities.

Multinational aspirations along with customer experiences, behavior and expectations are driving marketing leaders to make significant investments in localizing websites, mobile apps, social media channels and other company content in multiple languages. Among key findings, 80 percent of those surveyed said that content localization is essential to entering new markets, while 74 percent of respondents indicated that content localization is a revenue driver.

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“Companies active in multiple geographic markets understand the many benefits localized content can deliver, but not all know how to best leverage this powerful competitive differentiator,” explained Juliana Pereira, Vice President of Marketing at Smartling. “In today’s global business environment it’s all about enhancing, tailoring and personalizing customer experiences. Providing translation in the local language goes the extra mile to show your customers that your brand speaks their language, quite literally.”

Smartling’s translation management solution combines automated translation processes with professional translators, enabling multinational companies to quickly, easily and cost-effectively localize websites, mobile apps, business documents and more. The company recently launched a fully-automated, data-driven approach to measuring translation quality across localized content, the first of its kind in the language translation industry. Smartling’s Quality Confidence Score™ (QCS) uses a proprietary machine-learning algorithm that aggregates data gathered from billions of translated words processed by Smartling’s platform to accurately predict and improve translation quality.

To participate in the IDG study, respondents had to hold director-level or higher positions related to marketing functions, and their companies had to have at least 1,000 employees and a multinational footprint. Among the survey findings were the types of content being translated, the investments companies are making in support of these efforts, and the ways in which organizations measure the success of their localization initiatives.

Other key findings include:

● On average, the responding marketers expect their companies to enter seven new markets in the next 12 months.
● 88 percent said they would need translation services to support their planned expansions.
● Nearly 40 percent of those surveyed disclosed that their organizations are spending $500,000 or more annually on content localization.

Editor’s Notes:

● The Smartling-commissioned IDG study is based on a survey of more than 300 participating marketing professionals.
● The survey report is available for free download at smartling.com/localization trend report.

About Smartling

Smartling helps ambitious brands access more markets, deliver better user experiences, and build stronger relationships by transforming the way content is created and consumed around the world. Our translation software and services prioritize process automation and intelligent collaboration so that companies can quickly and cost-effectively localize their websites, apps, and documents with minimal IT involvement. The company recently launched a machine-learning approach to measuring translation quality across localized content, the first of its kind in the language translation industry.

Customer deployments include InterContinental Hotels Group, Hootsuite, Pinterest, SurveyMonkey, and hundreds more. With Smartling, global brands have access to multiple pricing plans customized to suit their specific needs, enabling more control over translation costs. For more information, please visit www.smartling.com or contact us at hi@smartling.com or 1-866-707-6278.