The challenge of delivering marketing messages in Arabic

People who are learning a new language are often challenged by the factor called “the features of a language”. Plainly speaking, this refers to the spirit of a particular language, its nuances and peculiar characteristics. Language is more than mere words. It is the sum total of the culture, history and environment of the land. That is why certain phrases when translated into a new language do not have the same impact and often do not convey the right message.

The modern world has certainly become a global village but it has not been able to universalise language. In the field of marketing, for example, the latest concepts and ideas are transferred to all parts of the globe. Messages of global products are translated into hundreds of languages and communicated to diverse populations across the globe. Companies managing the operations of multinationals are facing a major challenge in successfully conveying the original message in the language of the land.

This is an area filled with pitfalls and potholes. Run-of-the-mill translators tend to do word-to-word translation with hilarious, and sometimes, disastrous results. Translating new concepts into a local language with the local flavour is the only effective solution. And this cannot be left to commercial translators, who often follow the letter, and not the spirit of the language.

When it comes to localizing concepts, one should be guided by the essence of the local language. In other words, we should go back to the roots. “Drink from your own fountain,” the ancient advice, still holds good. Translating foreign concepts and ideas to a new audience that thinks in a different language is an art that is often ignored by many communicators in the Middle East, thereby reducing the efficacy of their messages.

The challenges of communicating marketing messages in Arabic are great indeed. In some countries in the region, communicators are finding alternative solutions by resorting to colloquial language. Egypt and Lebanon have used the colloquial Arabic in advertising with some degree of success. This language is strongly linked to the local culture and linguistic nuances and therefore carries significant relevance.

This theory of using colloquial language to convey specific advertising and marketing messages can, however, backfire, as has been proved in several instances. Billboards in some Arab countries, for example, often use such language, but the audience reaction is often negative, thus defeating the purpose of the message.

Local adaptation of global strategies through linguistic innovation and cross-cultural synergy is a key factor for successful marketing communications. In the Arab world, this translates to going back to the roots of the Arabic language, sourcing phrases from the rich treasure-house of our rich language. This calls for specialists in the nuances of the language, who can harness this linguistic excellence to enrich marketing messages and concepts, making them relevant and appealing to local audiences.

Professionals from Public Relations too are faced with the same problem, and most agencies pay little or no attention to this aspect, because they are unaware of the damage an improper translation can do. The short-cut solution is either to do a verbatim translation or use colloquial language. Both approaches are fraught with dangers, because they fail to make use of the resourcefulness of the Arabic language, to their great misfortune.

Direct or literal translation can often convey a wrong message or dilute it to a large extent. For example, if you try to translate literally the English phrase “putting yourself in my shoes” into Arabic, it would have a highly offensive meaning. To give another example, “Shoofi Maafi” defies translation in English. Try translating it into English, and you understand what is meant by essence of a language.

Of late, the Arab world has begun to show strong signs of going back to the roots. Look at corporate branding these days. We have powerful and impactful branding with names like Tanmia, Tejari, Emaar, Tabreed, Al Jazeera and several others. These words have a ring that creates instant rapport, because the words are derived from the Arabic language and culture.

The message to all Arab communicators is simple: localize global ideas within the Arabic linguistic and social context. Don’t trust mechanical translators. Trust your roots and the fountainhead of your culture, history and environment, and you will create the best campaigns, the most relevant advertising and the most impactful PR.