In 2009, a global banking giant faced a public relations nightmare when an erroneous translation of a financial services ad from English to Spanish conveyed not assurance, but rather insult, to its Spanish-speaking clientele. The fallout was immediate—customer trust eroded, shares tumbled and the cleanup involved not only reissuing the correct ad but also an expensive campaign to fix their damaged reputation. To anyone paying attention, this proves a critical but often overlooked aspect of business: the importance of translation quality.
While organizations are increasingly tempted by low-cost translation services promising low-low prices and instant turnarounds, this initial savings can be deceptive. Who’s producing or reviewing this work? Translation errors can lead to product recalls, legal disputes and serious brand damage—costs that far exceed the price of a quality translation.
Investing in high-quality translation is not just a necessity but a strategic asset for any high-compliance or high-visibility organization. Professional translation services play a crucial role in mitigating risks and ensuring effective communication across borders, cultures and markets.
In this post we’ll explore some of the tangible business impacts of translation quality, demonstrating why cutting corners on translation not only jeopardizes success but also incurs significant hidden costs.
Inaccurate or culturally insensitive translations can severely damage a brand’s image and erode trust among consumers. For example, a well-known American car maker once advertised a car in Latin America with a name that, in local slang, meant “tiny male genitals.” This not only led to public embarrassment but also reflected poorly on the brand’s understanding of the local culture, ultimately affecting sales and consumer trust.
Over time, such translation errors can diminish brand equity and customer loyalty. When consumers cannot trust a brand to accurately communicate, they are less likely to engage with it or recommend it to others. The long-term impact is profound: rebuilding a tarnished reputation can take years and requires significant investment in marketing and customer engagement strategies.
Translation accuracy is critical when dealing with legal documents, contracts and regulatory compliance materials. Mistranslations in these documents can lead to legal disputes, financial penalties or operational halts. For instance, one multinational corporation faced a multimillion-dollar lawsuit because a contractual obligation was mistranslated, leading to a failure in meeting compliance standards.
These legal entanglements not only cause direct financial damage through fines and legal fees but also indirect costs in terms of delays and lost business opportunities as the issues are resolved.
Marketing materials and product descriptions that are poorly translated can significantly deter potential customers. If a product description is awkward or unclear, customers are unlikely to make a purchase. In addition, inaccurate translations can harm a company’s SEO efforts, reducing online visibility in international markets. For instance, a tech giant once used automated translations for their product launch in China. The poor translations led to confusion and ridicule, significantly hampering the product’s initial performance and market penetration.
When instruction manuals, user guides or product descriptions are poorly translated, the result is often an increase in customer inquiries and complaints. This puts additional pressure on customer support teams, increases operational costs and leads to customer frustration. For example, one electronics manufacturer received an unusually high volume of support calls after releasing a poorly translated user manual for one of its new cameras in Japan, leading to increased support costs and damaged customer satisfaction.
Incorrectly translated documents often require costly reworks and can delay critical business operations like product launches or marketing campaigns. The need to retranslate material not only involves additional costs but also diverts resources from other projects, impacting overall business productivity. A delayed product launch due to retranslation needs can also mean lost market advantage and revenue. The cost of poor translation quality extends far beyond the immediate expense of retranslation though. It impacts a business’s reputation, legal standing, market presence, customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
High-quality translation ensures your message is received as intended. It facilitates clear communication, builds trust with your customers and supports the successful execution of your business strategies. And Responsive Translation can help. Our team of experienced linguists will ensure that your message resonates with your target audience in just the right way. To learn more, please get in touch at [email protected].