Customer Name: Xbox
Customer Sector: Game Console
Xbox, the game console launched by Microsoft in 2001, today serves tens of thousands of gamers in 24 countries to offer a quality gaming experience.
The project we worked on was initially prepared in Turkish and then translated into English and Arabic. The format, content and style of the source text were examined and analyzed in detail. As a result of the analysis, a price and time offer was presented to the client. The project manager forwarded the source text to a localization team specialized in this field. The translation and localization process started within the scope of the ISO 1700 standard, which emphasizes the processes and conditions necessary for the provision of quality translation services.
In the project, which involved the promotion of Xbox’s upcoming new product, the goals that the brand wanted to achieve were identified first. Xbox wants to appeal to and communicate with customers through social media, so they have turned to localization to increase brand awareness while expanding into different markets. Xbox frequently produces content on mediums such as Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, etc. to attract the interest of the internet-savvy young generation. The project in question was also localized to be promoted on various social media accounts.
Challenges Faced:
- Xbox is very active on social media platforms and their posts attract a lot of attention. Since each social media platform has its own language, the content was localized in a way that would not harm the brand’s image on different platforms.
- Localization of idiomatic and culture-specific expressions.
- Lack of knowledge on localization of slogans and hashtags
Solutions:
- Market research was conducted on the gaming industry, especially in the Middle East and Turkey, and the interests and knowledge of the players were investigated. The age, preferences and habits of the target audience were learned.
- Since the project in question was the promotion of a new game console, localization was done to increase the interest of potential customers.
- Short and clear expressions were used to impel the target audience and persuade them to buy the product.
- Since Xbox, a Western brand, was promoted in the Middle East and Turkey, special attention was given to local differences.
- Slogans and hashtags were translated and localized by paying attention to the content of the text. The more accurately and effectively the hashtags are localized, the more people’s attention they attract and the more views and interactions they get.
- By examining the promotion of previous game series, we gained knowledge about the identity, image and language of the brand.
- We tried to convey popular phrases such as “keep calm and wait” in a natural and effective way in the target language without losing their original meaning.
Solution Elements:
- Source text analysis before translation and localization
- Creative localization solutions
Conclusion:
- In order to market a Western product in Turkey and the Middle East, localization was done by examining the cultural characteristics of the target audience.
