Latest / The Starfish Storytellers / Season 4, Episode 10: Beyond Translation - Cultural Adaptation in Global Storytelling with Christabel Alio

Transcript

Season 4, Episode 10: Beyond Translation - Cultural Adaptation in Global Storytelling with Christabel Alio · The Starfish Storytellers

0:00
Welcome to the Starfish Storytellers, the podcast
0:03
that makes a difference one story at a time by
0:05
bringing storytelling to life. travel to France,
0:31
so from Nigeria to France. And when I was packing
0:35
my boxes, so it was more of, okay, you're going
0:39
to take this, you take this, this is important
0:42
or this is not important. And then when I was
0:45
leaving, so it was goodbye everyone and I headed
0:50
for France. Arriving in France at the airport,
0:53
I found out that the environment was a bit different
0:56
from what I was used to. There was no one to
0:59
help me carry my luggage because in Nigeria,
1:02
you could actually pay someone to help you take
1:05
your bag with you. But everyone was so busy rushing
1:10
to catch up a train or to catch up a bus. And
1:14
then I finally found a man who helped me, which
1:18
was really nice of him. And he took me to the
1:22
train station. When I got there, He helped me
1:25
to just, okay, explain to me some things. And
1:29
I naturally told him, thank you, sir. God bless
1:35
you. And then he looked at me and he was like,
1:38
okay. But I saw something like a surprise in
1:42
him. And I was just asking myself, what is happening?
1:47
Why did he react that way? And then stoned on
1:50
me that I was no more in Nigeria, that I am now
1:53
in France. in a country where religion is not
1:59
really part of the daily lifestyle. But I grew
2:03
up that way. And when I grew up in Nigeria, being
2:07
a student there, it was more of normal student
2:11
life, the normal life of navigating between school
2:15
and housework, doing your assignments and stuff.
2:19
We also have this culture of greeting our elders
2:22
really well. And coming to France, I find myself
2:27
in an environment where you can use what they
2:30
call Tsutwaimo, so it's like an informal greeting
2:34
that anyone can use, which is not the same in
2:37
Nigeria. So this story actually helped me to
2:43
realize that whenever you are coming to a new
2:46
country, you are not the one that is going to
2:51
ask them to adapt themselves. you should actually
2:54
be in the position to understand what environment
2:58
are you going into? What do I expect them to
3:05
offer me? And how can I put myself in a position
3:08
where they are going to be receptive of me? And
3:12
I mean, it was really a drastic shift, by the
3:20
way, or like... Throughout the years, looking
3:23
back now, I realized that I have been able to
3:27
translate myself, if I can say. So living the
3:31
Nigerian culture where everything is, you are
3:36
more or less used to what is happening, you know
3:39
how this is done. And then coming into an environment
3:42
where it's totally different and then you're
3:45
like, am I going to survive this? Or how do I
3:50
put myself in a situation where this is going
3:52
to work well? So even our smallest habits, the
3:58
way you read, the topics you choose, the expressions
4:01
you use, they carry a meaning. And you are not
4:06
the one that's going to receive or perceive that
4:10
meaning. It's actually your audience that is
4:13
going to perceive that. So when stepping into
4:16
a new world, you cannot just translate your words
4:20
or you should not just translate your words.
4:22
Yes, I was speaking English, I started speaking
4:24
French because I was in France, but I also had
4:27
to adapt my habits to fit into the environment.
4:57
Hello, my name is Liana Henry and welcome to
5:00
the Starfish Storytellers. I'm the CEO of the
5:03
Black Dog Group, a MarCom and project management
5:06
firm headquartered on the east coast of the U
5:08
.S. in quaint colonial Bedford, Massachusetts.
5:11
I'm your host and passionate about storytelling.
5:14
I'm actually on a mission to raise up the next
5:16
generation of storytellers. We've named ourselves
5:19
the Starfish Storytellers after the Starfish
5:21
Story. The moral of the Starfish Story is based
5:24
on the power of one. No matter how big the challenge,
5:27
each action we take makes a difference and has
5:29
an impact. One step, one starfish, or one story
5:32
at a time. Every episode, we welcome a new storyteller
5:36
who will share their story meant to inspire and
5:38
connect with you. Then we'll break it down and
5:40
offer tips for any listeners who are ready to
5:42
tell their own stories. So thanks for tuning
5:45
in. Now let's get started. Today's episode is
5:49
Beyond Translation, Cultural Adaptation in Global
5:52
Storytelling. And with me today is our guest,
5:55
Christabel Alio. She is a multilingual storyteller
6:00
and brand strategist who knows how to bridge
6:02
the gap between global vision and local voice.
6:05
Bilingual in French and English, Christabel brings
6:07
a rich background as a community manager, content
6:10
manager, and PR manager. She holds dual master's
6:14
degrees in corporate communications and brand
6:16
strategy and specializes in localization, translation,
6:19
and cross -cultural communication. In our interconnected
6:23
world, telling a great brand story isn't just
6:27
about finding the right words. It is about making
6:30
sure that those words, images, and ideas resonate
6:33
across cultures. So on today's show, we'll be
6:36
diving into the art of cultural adaptation in
6:39
storytelling, which is the practice of shaping
6:42
global brand messages so they align with local
6:44
values, customs, and expectations without losing
6:47
their original essence, which is not always easy
6:50
to do. We'll explore why just translating isn't
6:54
enough. how cultural nuances can make or break
6:57
a campaign and share some practical strategies
7:00
that brands can use to connect with audiences
7:02
in meaningful, authentic ways around the globe.
7:06
I'm excited to talk about how you're making stories
7:09
resonate no matter where they happen in the world.
7:11
So welcome to the show, Christabel. Thank you
7:14
so much, Liana. Thank you for having me on the
7:19
Staffish Storytellers podcast. It's really a
7:22
pleasure to be here. to share my story and I
7:25
hope that this episode will help every listener
7:28
out there to understand why cultural adaptation
7:31
is a good tool or an effective tool in telling
7:36
its stories and especially in an international
7:40
context. So thank you once again. Thank you.
7:44
So we kick off every episode with some introductions.
7:46
Would you mind telling our listeners a little
7:48
bit more about you? Yes. Thank you for that.
7:53
So hi, everyone. I am Christabel Aliou, Christabel
7:57
Chioma Aliou. I'm a bilingual communication specialist,
8:01
passionate about storytelling. I love telling
8:03
stories. I love writing. I love cultures, and
8:07
I also love languages. I am a Nigerian who is
8:11
currently living in France, born and brought
8:13
up in Nigeria. And I came to Europe for the first
8:17
time in 2020, landed in France. And I would say
8:21
that one thing really interesting about my journey
8:24
is my encounter with the French language. So
8:29
I actually came in contact with the French language
8:33
at a very young age, thanks to my mom, who is
8:38
also a French teacher. So I had the opportunity
8:41
to grow learning French, and I loved it. So I
8:46
engaged in debates. singing, doing some drama
8:50
at school and stuff. So it was a really interesting
8:53
time for me, I would say. And I was known as
8:56
like the French guru in school. After my first,
9:03
my primary and secondary school, I decided to
9:05
go into the university to do my bachelor's. And
9:09
I had a bachelor's degree in French language.
9:12
The idea there was to become a translator and
9:16
interpreter. or go into working in an embassy.
9:23
So I did not want to, I never had, how do I,
9:27
I never had like an idea that one day I'll find
9:30
myself in communication. That was not the plan.
9:34
But then, because like in Nigeria or even in
9:37
Africa, you find out that people are mostly used
9:39
to white collar jobs, like the jobs that are
9:42
going to pay well are going to be, if you're
9:44
going to be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer,
9:48
but I just knew that I loved what I was going
9:50
into. So I wanted to go do that. So when it came
9:56
time, when the time came for me to do my masters,
10:01
I decided to applied for masters in translation,
10:05
interpreting, and communication. Why? Because
10:09
I felt that, okay, they are quite related. And
10:13
I'm like, if translation doesn't work out, communication
10:16
can do it. And then I get only one admission,
10:21
which is to study communication. So that is where
10:23
the communication journey for me started, I would
10:27
say, which was in 2022. And prior to then, I
10:31
had not had any experience about communication.
10:34
So it was like a new experience and adventure,
10:40
I would say, which has been quite interesting
10:43
because I've learned lots of things. I've had
10:45
the opportunity to engage in different missions
10:49
as an international internal community manager,
10:56
as also a content creator. creating different
10:59
contents, written content, audio content, and
11:03
also some web copies, like for social media,
11:07
internet, and the web pages of the companies
11:11
I've worked for. And I would say one important
11:14
thing that I would keep on being proud of is
11:19
actually the opportunity to work in international
11:22
context, which I love so much, working with international
11:26
companies. and using French and English. And
11:29
today, I know that I'm in communication, but
11:32
I can say that I am a translator more because
11:36
I use both languages, French and English, in
11:40
my content. And it's really an opportunity for
11:44
me to be more innovative and create adaptive
11:47
context for those who I work for. Wow. You know,
11:55
I was listening to you talking about what you're
11:58
doing and and sort of your journey and You know
12:03
it it is it is so much more than just translating,
12:06
you know I'm bilingual in Spanish and English
12:11
and there was a time where I thought I would
12:13
be Like a courtroom interpreter for folks that
12:19
had had court cases And what I learned because
12:27
there's so many like Spanish from Spain is very
12:31
different than Spanish in the Caribbean. And
12:35
I imagine that, you know, Spanish French in in
12:39
France is very Parisian. French is going to be
12:42
very different than like French, Canadian French.
12:45
Absolutely. And so it's I think. What I have
12:50
found, too, is it's more than just dialect. It
12:55
really is how people are living their lives in
12:59
that culture, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's
13:03
true. Yeah. Yeah. So I appreciate your story.
13:10
I loved what you talked about, that you had said
13:12
what you said to that man and he kind of gave
13:15
you a funny face when you said it. Again, I think
13:21
I've learned what Latinos in Cuba call a sandwich
13:28
is different than what Latinos call it in Ecuador.
13:33
It's two totally different things. When we think
13:39
about brand storytelling and we talk about the
13:42
localization that happens on the enterprise level,
13:45
especially across huge in marketing, all the
13:49
marketing materials that go to all of the field
13:52
folks in all the different countries and on all
13:56
the different webpages. It is so important that
14:00
it's not going to be a one -for -one with the
14:02
translation. So we've seen it happen. You've
14:06
got a slogan, it's catchy, it's clever, and it
14:10
maybe works perfectly in one country, but then
14:12
it fails. in another country, or offense, even
14:15
worse, offense. And that's because great storytelling
14:19
isn't just about what you say, it's how it lands
14:23
with the people that you're talking to. So it
14:25
is very much about who you're talking to. The
14:28
idea of cultural adaptation is how brands can
14:30
stay true to their global identity while making
14:33
sure that their message feels personal. You know,
14:36
and we'll talk more about that and relevant in
14:39
different corners of the world. From language
14:41
choices to local customs, today we're going to
14:43
explore the small details that make a difference
14:46
wherever a story crosses borders. So why don't
14:51
we go ahead and jump in if that's okay? Yeah,
14:55
sure. All right. I would say cultural adaptation
15:00
is really a very powerful tool in storytelling
15:03
because especially international companies just
15:08
listening to my story alone you find out that
15:12
yes it was like a personal experience but it's
15:17
actually what happens in the brand brand world
15:20
is actually what happens in the communication
15:22
world and um if you are when you are addressing
15:25
to an international audience you can see you
15:29
cannot do without cultural adaptation it's not
15:32
possible Because the thing is everyone has a
15:35
culture. Everyone has an origin and a way of
15:38
life. And this way of life, the person is used
15:42
to it. Like I mentioned in Nigeria, the Tutwimo
15:45
that is used. And it's general also in the African
15:49
culture. If you see your grandmother or your
15:54
mom, you must respect them. And the respect,
15:59
there's some culture in Nigeria that you have
16:00
a specific greeting. for someone who is older
16:03
than you in age that you will not use for someone
16:07
who is your age mate and you they are really
16:10
strict with that but in french you can talk with
16:14
your with your colleague at work that is way
16:18
older than you that may even be your mom if you
16:20
are a young employee so you find out that there
16:26
are these differences and and brands should actually
16:30
learn how to take these differences into consideration
16:33
because what is important is to understand who
16:37
their audience is so trying to analyze the people
16:40
they are going to speak with and what is different
16:43
about this culture and how can they also tailor
16:46
their messages to better capture their attention
16:49
because which is really important. Also when
16:54
I came to France I knew I had a really difficult
16:58
time changing my greeting and speaking with those
17:04
who are older than me with it two twice more.
17:06
Because to me, I'm like, I mean, I am still young.
17:10
I'm way younger than you. So it's difficult for
17:13
me to use two instead of who. That's just a different
17:17
sense. Yeah. So brands should really cultural
17:22
adaptation has to be part of storytelling when
17:26
they use it. I read part of your white paper,
17:35
and it's great research, by the way. This message
17:40
that you have, obviously it's global. And I'm
17:45
probably going to say something pretty controversial
17:46
right now. But do you find that you need to sort
17:50
of drive home this importance for localization
17:54
and all of the cultural adaptation? across the
17:59
globe, or is the West really the problem here?
18:04
Like, you know, living in America, I find that
18:11
sort of Americans tend to show up places, maybe
18:15
they're tourists, right? Maybe they're tourists
18:17
and they show up somewhere, you know, some country,
18:22
and maybe they don't understand that what you
18:26
were saying in your story was, I can't have the
18:29
expectation that people are going to bend to
18:32
my culture. I'm standing in their country right
18:35
now amidst their culture. Are you finding this
18:44
mission that you're on to really help people
18:47
understand the need for cultural adaptation?
18:50
Do you find that the French need to understand
18:53
this? Nigerians need to understand this? Are
18:56
the Europeans need to understand this or is this
19:00
sort of, you know, sort of help trying to help
19:03
some Americans understand this? I actually think
19:08
it's going to be on a general note. So it's not
19:13
just limited to a specific culture or a specific
19:18
or a specific sector, like in the marketing.
19:25
but then it's more of anyone who wants to make
19:30
an impact or any brand who wants to make an impact
19:34
and how this brand can actually make an impact.
19:38
So wherever a brand is located or wherever someone
19:42
is located, cultural adaptation is, it's more
19:49
or less, I mean, you come to my, territory, if
19:54
I can say, you are the one that came, you want
19:56
to explore, you want to get to discover some
20:02
things, but if you have to be in this capacity
20:07
to also receive what I have to offer, because
20:12
I may find it difficult to change. And I think
20:17
it's not just limited to a specific culture,
20:20
whether Nigeria or in America or in France, I
20:27
think it's something that is really general.
20:31
Okay, so that's super helpful to hear. And then
20:34
the other thing, I know I have further in our
20:37
little list of questions here that I had for
20:40
you. There was something that we were going to
20:42
talk about around how interesting and I thought
20:46
it was very interesting and how I think it would
20:48
be so valuable, is having people from the target
20:51
market on the team. And as we've been talking,
20:56
I was thinking it really falls on the brand to
21:01
do the market research into the market they're
21:04
going to break into to really understand who
21:08
they're talking to. Who's your audience? What
21:11
are their needs? we have a product and service,
21:19
everybody needs this. But I think not fully grabbing
21:23
what's the boots on the ground, like who's on
21:27
the ground, understanding their true pain points.
21:33
I think that a campaign would flop, wouldn't
21:35
it? I mean, if they didn't really do that research.
21:39
Yeah. Actually, I think that's going into a new
21:47
environment, a new country, in as much as brands,
21:51
yes, these days there's technology and so on,
21:55
but there is a difference with someone who lives
21:59
in this community, someone that has grown in
22:04
that community or has really lived every aspect
22:08
of his life or a large aspect of his or her life
22:12
in a certain community. and it's going to be
22:16
beneficial to you as a brand to go in search
22:20
of these people or go in search of someone that
22:22
has this expertise because you're going to save
22:25
cost if you want to go and look for someone every
22:30
time someone is going to do a localization strategy
22:33
for you. That's an extra cost. And maybe due
22:38
to time or due to limited resources it may be
22:42
difficult also to have a really deep market analysis
22:47
before going there and in my white paper I mentioned
22:52
something that you should also be in search of
22:56
improving constantly and anytime you want to
23:00
improve constantly it's easier for someone who
23:04
is used to the system to continue from where
23:08
they stopped the last time because in the future
23:11
was going to say, okay, this time we're in China,
23:15
this did not work. Let's see if in this other
23:18
Asian country, is it the same? If it's not the
23:22
same, maybe we should go through this because
23:24
of this. So I think it's also not just about
23:29
the having natives in the team, but also having
23:32
people who are experiencing this, who have like
23:37
specialties in localization that could actually
23:40
help brands achieve what they want to achieve.
23:43
Because what is really important is your brand.
23:48
You are the one that wants to sell a brand to
23:50
them. You need to also make them come to you
23:56
because you are not the only brand on the market.
23:58
There are so many brands out there and you need
24:01
to make an impression. How do you make an impression?
24:04
It's speaking to the audience. how they will
24:08
understand. You need to come down to their level,
24:11
try and understand them. And I really think that
24:15
having natives or people in the local markets
24:19
or people that have lived in the target local
24:22
markets really goes a long way in helping companies
24:24
achieve that. And it's really effective for adapting
24:28
strategies in the long run. I think they would
24:31
be the best advisors, really, right? I think
24:35
so. because there is the experience that you
24:40
can't just match. I mean, if it's someone that
24:43
is not in the country, yes, I also talk about
24:47
diversity in the team. And in diversity, I also
24:50
mean bringing someone who is in the country of
24:56
like the main country. Imagine if the country
25:00
is the brand is based in France, we could have
25:04
people from different schools and different experiences
25:07
in the team. But also locally on site, it's important
25:11
to have people because this is going to help
25:14
to easily adapt the strategies and easily capture
25:20
the cultural nuances that are in those cities,
25:25
which you may not see if you are outside. So
25:27
you need someone who is really grounded in this,
25:32
who lives it daily. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and I think
25:37
you said it, the nuances go hand -in -hand with
25:40
the translation. You can't have one, I think,
25:42
without the other. Because it's never going to
25:46
be a one -for -one, I don't think. That was what
25:48
I found in the interpretations that I was doing
25:51
as an interpreter, that I couldn't just have
25:55
one standard piece of paper that told me, five
26:05
different people. I wasn't going to be translated
26:07
exactly the same for every single person if they
26:09
came from different countries. So that's super
26:15
interesting. So I wanted to talk a little bit
26:21
about, because we've talked already, I think
26:25
we've talked about your background and we've
26:28
talked about cultural adaptation. You talk in
26:34
your paper about globalization and the global
26:39
approach. Think globally, act locally, which
26:41
I think goes in line with what we've just been
26:44
saying. Why do you think brands struggle with
26:51
this? I actually think that What brands look
27:01
out for, first of all, is the risk that this
27:04
may have on their mark, on their brand. Because
27:09
when you talk of localization, you're talking
27:12
of the balance. So how do I balance my global
27:16
identity or the global identity of my brand while
27:22
trying to meet the needs of the local market?
27:28
and localization here, so global and local, localization.
27:34
And the localization here is going to more or
27:38
less be an adaptation of the elements of your
27:42
brand that may cause a problem or that may cause
27:46
a problem to people in the local market. And
27:50
when brands see this, if the strategy is not
27:54
really adapted, they tend to either standardize
27:58
their strategies and having something really
28:01
rigid, no matter the culture, no matter the country,
28:06
which may, mind you, cause rejection later on,
28:12
or they may, unfortunately, yes, they want to
28:18
localize their strategy, but they may localize
28:21
it too much, way too much, that is going to affect
28:26
the brand and the brand is going to lose its
28:29
identity. So I feel. So what is that? How does
28:33
I'm sorry to interrupt. How does what does that
28:34
look like? Localizing too much. What can you
28:37
give an example? When I say localizing too much,
28:41
it means that we are either we're creating a
28:43
brand from scratch. So we are going to scrape
28:48
off everything and we're like, OK, the missions
28:52
of the brand. Yes, in Europe, we are more into
28:56
sustainability. In Africa, we are not going to
28:59
talk about sustainability at all. We are going
29:02
to go into maybe agriculture or something different
29:05
that is not really linked to the brand. And then
29:11
if you see, for example, Coca -Cola, okay, everyone
29:15
knows that Coca -Cola, it's more like the brand
29:17
of happiness and they carry their happiness.
29:21
around the world no matter where they are in
29:23
China, in Asia. So they have like I would say
29:27
a standard identity keeping the global aspect
29:33
of the brand and anywhere you are in the world
29:35
you find out when you see Coca -Cola you are
29:39
going to know even if it's going to be translated
29:42
into the local language but when you see it you're
29:45
going to know oh this is Coca -Cola with the
29:47
colors and everything yes. Mind you, there are
29:50
some colors that may cause a problem in the local
29:54
market. For example, I know in China or in the
29:58
Asian culture, the white color is not seen as
30:03
purity. So you need to be careful of how you
30:05
use the color. But in Africa, in Europe, in America,
30:09
we can use white. It's sparkling, it's clean
30:13
and stuff. But it may be different elsewhere.
30:17
In the Chinese culture, I think the number four
30:20
is considered as a number of backlog. I think
30:25
because I think it's the pronunciation, it's
30:30
a bit the same as debt or something like that.
30:33
And then anyone who is coming to China needs
30:36
to keep that into consideration. And it's gonna
30:39
say, okay, how do I balance the two? How do I
30:44
keep my global brand so that I don't lose my
30:50
identity. And then sometimes they find it difficult
30:52
to balance the two. And another thing, which
30:55
is also important is that when you want to, if
30:58
you are going to standardize your identity, like
31:02
keeping it global, it's easier to have something
31:07
you are prepared and that you already have that
31:11
you use and you just send out a global campaign
31:16
for all your your countries and in our communities,
31:20
it may not really waste time because we've prepared
31:23
this. And sometimes what some brands fail to
31:27
understand is that it's not how far but how well.
31:33
So how well is the brand going to resonate with
31:38
my audience? It's not about, okay, I'm going
31:40
to save time, but I need to do what I'm doing
31:44
really well. And sometimes, because of resources
31:47
and all, it's difficult to really balance the
31:51
two. And we're like, okay, let's just overlook
31:53
it this time. And we're going to maybe put that
31:57
into consideration next time. But sometimes,
31:59
I mean, it can really cost different. There are
32:02
so many risks around it. And I really think these
32:05
two parts are actually what makes brands have
32:10
a difficulty in really balancing both. Wow. I
32:16
mean, as you were talking about the over -localization,
32:22
it's almost like it's less about localization
32:24
and more about trying to be all things to all
32:27
people instead of sticking true to who you are,
32:32
and that there may be markets that just aren't
32:36
going to be a fit. Do you know what I'm saying?
32:40
Or I would imagine it's a matter of taking parts
32:45
of your products and services or your brand and
32:50
picking out something that would be a fit and
32:53
maybe growing that or expanding that part. But
32:55
I love the example of like, okay, we're sustainability
32:58
over here. We can't do sustainability here, so
33:00
we're just going to do agriculture, but we don't
33:02
have agriculture as any strength. How's that
33:05
going to resonate? Are people going to even believe
33:07
us? Are they going to buy into this idea? It's
33:11
a big risk, I would think. Yeah, that's true
33:15
because I know that there are some brands that
33:20
change their names when they go international,
33:24
especially in like some countries where maybe
33:27
the color has a problem or maybe there's another
33:30
brand that has the same name and they don't really
33:33
want to compromise their identity. So they change
33:39
the name. But what is really important, I mean,
33:42
I think what makes a brand is not the name, is
33:46
not the logo, but it's really what is behind
33:49
the identity. So what are the core values? What
33:53
are its missions? And how do I want to tell my
33:58
story? In as much as this way of telling the
34:02
story should be flexible. That's where the localization
34:05
comes in. Then with these three pillars, I think
34:08
that even if my brand name changes because of
34:13
the situation I have on ground, even if the logo
34:15
or the colors are not the same, there is something
34:18
that brings us together or something that supports
34:22
the brand as one, which is the identity. As a
34:26
localization specialist, are you typically doing
34:33
projects that are more focused on sort of that
34:41
translation interpretation side. Do you get to
34:45
advise on the bigger picture with the nuances
34:48
as well? Do you get to point out, you know, in
34:51
this particular market, this color is a problem,
34:55
this number is a problem, these are their traditions,
34:59
they hold very tight to them, you don't want
35:02
to use this length. I mean, do you get to go
35:04
that deep into it or is it primarily just the
35:08
language side of it. Okay, I actually do both.
35:12
So I have had the opportunity to really, yes,
35:17
translation is part of it because of the bilingual
35:20
side I have. But then what is also important
35:23
is like the strategy that's built or that holds
35:29
up this bilingual side. And then, yeah, I have
35:34
actually had the opportunity to work on some
35:38
press releases that are specific to different
35:41
markets. For example, in some of my missions
35:45
I've written press release looking for an Indian
35:47
market and there's some, depending on what the
35:51
company proposes, there is a possibility of picking
35:56
a specific product from what the company has
35:59
as an offer and adapt and knowing how... this
36:04
plays a specific role for that environment because
36:07
let's imagine a company is a producer of laptops
36:15
or intake. If I want to sell a laptop, I have
36:21
the same product. It's either I produce locally
36:24
and then I try to have a price that fits into
36:29
the market I am in or even if I'm producing locally
36:33
or internationally, my message is not going to
36:37
be the same. Maybe I may talk about how this
36:44
laptop was built with recyclable materials, how
36:48
it is energy savings and all, but then in Asia,
36:54
I may talk of how this machine or how this laptop
37:00
is really fast how you can use use it to do lots
37:06
of things or the like how versatile it is so
37:09
you find out that sometimes in the market the
37:14
message is changed and i have actually had the
37:16
opportunity and um to actually work on both sides
37:20
so yeah the translation part we should not just
37:23
be translation of words but translation also
37:26
of emotions while you're telling your story and
37:31
also the strategic part which is more about like
37:35
advising on how okay in this culture let's go
37:41
more into sustainability because this and this
37:45
and this and this and in my white paper I mentioned
37:49
about that because I had I discussed about how
37:53
Vinted, which is like a C2C company, so customer
37:59
tech platform could adapt a strategy using this
38:05
localization strategy in Nigeria. And then that's
38:09
where I go more into like advising on this could
38:12
be nice because Nigeria has this basis. So yeah,
38:18
I more or less use both. translation, French
38:21
and English, and also the advising part and giving
38:27
more consulting and making more research about
38:30
the strategy. I think press releases are a great
38:34
place for this, really. If you have to put out
38:38
press releases across different parts of the
38:41
globe, that press release is not going to look
38:44
the same. period. It is not. So I think what
38:49
a great way to be able to, great place to be
38:52
able to really tweak the messaging to fit the
38:57
market. So you talked a little bit about Vinted.
39:02
I was looking into that too. I'd love to have
39:05
you sort of dig into that because I thought it
39:07
was a very interesting case study in adaptation
39:12
in action. So can you talk a little bit about
39:16
sort of the takeaways, but also sort of give
39:18
us a little bit of background on that? OK. So
39:22
I don't know if any of the listeners will know
39:26
Nigeria, but then Nigeria is located in Africa,
39:29
West Africa. And Vinted is located in Europe.
39:35
And this platform is more of like where people
39:39
can actually sell their products or sell fairly
39:41
new stuff. They started first with selling of
39:46
clothes and accessories. And I think now they
39:49
are going more into tech, to make it more of
39:52
like a trading platform for different things,
39:55
household items and personal items. So Nigeria
40:02
already has this potential of selling and buying
40:10
fairly used items. And we have a market, specific
40:15
market called Ocrica. So in the Ocrica market,
40:19
you find really nice things that are solid, that
40:22
are all sold, that are solid, but also nice.
40:27
So you could maybe go there and they are unique.
40:31
So the Nigerian market invented I found sort
40:36
of like a similarity between the both. I'm like,
40:39
okay, Nigeria has this potential and vintage,
40:42
this is what it is into. So maybe we should try
40:45
and see how could this happen if ever the idea
40:51
comes up today. And then in this case study,
40:56
I was able to analyze the Nigerian culture. So
40:59
go more into, okay, in Nigeria, Yes, I know that
41:06
Vinted deals more about economical secularity,
41:11
recycling of items, and also the possibility
41:14
to more or less participate in sustainability
41:19
by selling off things that you don't need anymore
41:23
or what you're not using. But in Nigeria, inasmuch
41:28
as sustainability is taking its place little
41:32
by little in the community, it's more of, okay,
41:36
if we are going to participate or engage in this
41:43
sustainability process, you need to give us a
41:45
reason why. And that reason why is you need to
41:50
sell that the items that are gotten on that platform
41:54
are not just fairly used items. Because Nigerians
42:01
Even if it's a fairly news item, we want quality.
42:04
So I know that they tend to look for quality
42:07
because if you see the social status, maybe when
42:10
someone, someone can be more or less easily categorized
42:16
by the way the person dresses, by what the person
42:18
has, which is not really the case in Western
42:22
countries. But in Nigeria, when you see someone,
42:25
you're like, okay, this person should be rich
42:27
because okay, I said the person dresses this
42:29
way and all. And that is really important. We
42:34
also like when life is simple to us. We don't
42:37
want anything complicated. But we are also into
42:41
like, there's something we call creativity, but
42:43
also puzzling. At a really young age, you want
42:48
to go into, okay, how do I make more money? What
42:52
can I do that is intuitive for me to get to skill
42:56
and stuff? So. We really love to go and look
43:00
for this and look for that. And you need to sell
43:02
this to us. So even as a brand that wants to
43:05
sell, that wants to encourage economical circularity,
43:10
this is your mission. But I analyze how vintage
43:14
could translate that mission into premium quality
43:19
at a low cost price or at a cheap price. Because
43:24
now you are selling to them that, okay, the items
43:28
are not expensive because they are fairly secondhand,
43:32
yes, but they are also of a good quality. And
43:35
that is what they want to hear. So this case
43:42
study actually more or less touches different
43:46
aspects. I also thought the aspect of analyzing
43:49
the specificities of the Nigerian culture. How
43:54
are Nigerians, how they talk? In Nigeria, we
43:56
have different languages. We are more religious.
44:01
So how can you balance also using the religious
44:04
aspect to talk about your brand without, yes,
44:09
making it a religious brand? Not far from that,
44:13
but balancing both what are important to us or
44:17
what things are important to us and what communication
44:21
channels are important. Because if you have a
44:25
strategy, the strategy should be destined to
44:29
people. And how are you going to communicate
44:31
with them? So the communication channels need
44:34
to be really taken care of. And I also explained
44:38
how I knew that, okay, in Europe, in Nigeria,
44:44
we also, technology is growing, like there are
44:48
laptops, there are phones, there are access to
44:52
network and all, but we tend more to communicate
44:58
with people when we see them physically. We are
45:00
not used to, okay, I'm going to be here. I'm
45:04
going to pay for something and then you send
45:06
it to me. I don't know if it's gonna come. So
45:09
we need to be sure of what we're engaging into.
45:13
So you need to also sell trust. Among one of
45:16
the ideas I was able to propose was putting up
45:22
like a pop -up store or a contact center where
45:25
people can go physically to either drop items
45:28
or pick up their items. So it more or less engages
45:33
the brand to come in contact too with their audience,
45:36
the local community, and also build and trust
45:39
that people may not have when dealing with platforms
45:45
like this. So what you're saying is, just so
45:52
I'm clear, so Vinted does both, so they have
45:57
both the platform and the pop -up stores in the
46:01
different communities so that there can be that
46:04
one -on -one as well as that ease of online shopping.
46:09
Is that what you're saying? As of now, I doubt
46:12
if Vinted has pop -up stores. It's a platform
46:16
online, mostly in Europe. Then it was like a
46:21
proposal of how, using the globalization strategy,
46:25
they could make something like that in Nigeria.
46:30
Because in Nigeria, yes, there's going to be
46:31
the platform, which is interesting and making
46:35
it more authentic. But coming in contact with
46:39
them actually plays a really good role in building
46:44
up the brand image in a country like this and
46:47
also helping people patronize the brand more
46:51
because you can't do without people. And if you
46:55
don't go where they want you to be, you won't
46:58
be able to get them. For example, I know that
47:02
there's this French brand skincare, L 'Oreal.
47:07
that recently started using WhatsApp to talk
47:11
to people in West Africa, which will most likely
47:15
not be done in Europe or in America. I mean,
47:20
in America, we may mostly use mail. We may mostly
47:24
use social media. Yes, in Africa, we do use social
47:29
media to communicate, but using WhatsApp shows
47:34
like a proximity. And they understood that and
47:37
decided to go into that aspect, which is really
47:41
working really fine for them because they have
47:44
the opportunity to give tips on how to use the
47:46
product, have like a customer care that is really
47:52
there for people to access. And you know, you're
47:54
talking to someone, you're not talking to something
47:58
fictive. So, yeah. So as you were talking, I
48:02
was thinking, well, first of all, backing from
48:05
what you just said, I think WhatsApp does a really
48:07
nice job of creating that accessibility so that
48:13
anybody in the world can connect and do it in
48:17
a way that's accessible, cost and platform and
48:22
availability. So that's nice to hear that they're
48:27
using it. And that's a great example of a brand
48:32
that is using a tool locally, right? And the
48:37
other thing you're saying is when you're talking
48:39
about the pop -ups, I was thinking, well, that
48:42
makes total sense. I worked for a large software
48:45
company that had their headquarters in the United
48:50
States, but they had offices all over the world
48:54
and they had reps, sales reps that were all over
48:57
the world. Some were at offices, some were their
49:00
own locations. But they had offices in all sorts
49:02
of places. And going back to what you said about
49:05
having people from the target market on the team,
49:08
that makes total sense because you have an office
49:12
right boots on the ground. You have people who
49:15
work there, who live there, who understand the
49:18
community. They understand the culture. They
49:20
understand what the local businesses and companies
49:24
are looking for. And they're going to be your
49:27
best. Uh, advisors when it comes to absolutely,
49:32
because there is something that we must understand,
49:36
like as people who are, or just storytellers
49:39
or those who are into communication and, um,
49:43
brand strategy is that. Or marketing proximity
49:49
with your clients. It's really important. I mean,
49:53
yes, there's technologies today, but. you can't
49:59
do without the human contact. I mean, we need
50:03
people to talk to, we need like anything you
50:07
want to do, you need someone to be there. Either
50:11
the person is behind the AI, but someone needs
50:15
to, they need to be a human intervention. And
50:20
coming close to the local audience really, helps
50:26
them to understand you better and also helps
50:30
them to trust you because they are sure okay
50:34
this person I can easily go to this person to
50:37
explain what I need and that this person is going
50:40
to understand what I need because they need someone
50:43
who understands them and if you don't understand
50:45
them it's going to be really difficult for you
50:49
to to connect and connection is really important.
50:53
Yeah, in order for a brand to be able to grow
50:57
connection is key. Yeah, for sure. So we're going
51:01
to get wrapping up soon. This has been a wonderful
51:04
conversation. It's just been talking about everything,
51:06
which is great. But I think one thing I don't
51:10
know, like you talked about being able to do
51:11
some advising. If there are businesses or content
51:15
creators or even corporations that maybe don't
51:18
have a large localization budget, but they still
51:23
want to be local. What is one thing that they
51:27
can start doing today to be a little bit more
51:30
culturally sensitive in their storytelling? Okay,
51:34
I would say that what is important about localization
51:41
strategy, yes, I know the financial part more
51:44
or less, it's going to help you put up some projects
51:48
that will possibly, I'm not sure, I can't say
51:55
for sure 100%, but will possibly make an impact.
52:00
But what is really important here is not really
52:04
the budget I have to make the localization strategy,
52:09
but I would say is how I can maximize the resources
52:13
I have now. Today we have like technology, right?
52:21
There's the social media, there are forums. So
52:24
I would say for small businesses or content creators,
52:28
or even cooperatives, associations, who would
52:32
like to explore this, or personal content creators,
52:35
like people that have their personal brands,
52:37
that want to explore globalization in their strategy,
52:43
I would say listening is really important. So
52:46
you should start by listening to your environment,
52:49
to your audience. and trying to understand who
52:53
are they? Why are they, like, why do they watch
52:57
my content? What answers are they coming to get
53:01
from me? I think that that is really, it's really
53:06
going to open a door of different wide opportunities,
53:10
right? Because when you understand who they are,
53:14
you would be really more conscious of responding
53:20
to their needs. And when you respond to their
53:22
needs, they will come to you because they found
53:26
something that they need in you. And like I said,
53:29
we're not the only one out there. There are so
53:31
many other people. Yes, they may not be, they
53:34
may not be like a really good large projects
53:37
to go into building a project and all. But listening
53:43
is really important. So you should listen closely
53:46
to your audience. Try to understand them. and
53:50
ask for regular feedback. Because if you are
53:56
open to maybe I won't really say criticisms,
54:01
but really feedback and trying to know what people
54:04
think about your brand and listening to them,
54:07
it will help you to be able to better propose
54:14
contents that feed that fit into their needs.
54:20
So there are also tools that you could use like
54:24
sending localized surveys. It could be forms
54:29
like the Google forms who send polls to them
54:32
and be like, okay, hey, I'm working on this.
54:35
How do you or what do you guys expect? And it
54:40
should be tailored to who they are. So if they
54:43
set an objective for themselves, okay, I want
54:47
to help, just say I want to help people be free
54:53
financially or have financial freedom. That is
54:57
my objective. So how do I build up messages that
55:01
is going to respond to their needs? That is how
55:05
they could actually put in localization in their
55:09
strategy without necessarily having to do with
55:13
lots of budgets. And I think if you invite people
55:17
over to talk about their experiences and to talk
55:21
about, share their cultural experiences, it also
55:27
helps because you are listening and we are also
55:31
putting something that is interesting to your
55:33
audience. And this is what I actually discussed
55:36
in my white paper and that really listening continuously
55:39
and adjusting your content is really important.
55:42
And for a brand that wants to keep saying relevant
55:47
out there, you need to listen. And listening
55:51
is what is going to make your localization strategy
55:55
effective. And that works across anywhere. Any
56:03
brand's strategy has to have a listening component
56:07
in order for it to be successful. So before we
56:14
go, I just wanted to ask you, what is the best
56:17
way for folks to get in touch with you who would
56:20
like to look at some of your work on cultural
56:22
adaptation and maybe, you know, maybe get their
56:25
hands on that white paper? Yeah. So there was
56:29
that would like to go deeper into cultural adaptation
56:32
and storytelling in the international environment.
56:35
You could actually contact me on LinkedIn. or
56:40
by mail, and then I could share my white paper
56:43
with you. I could also put the link of the white
56:46
paper into the description, thanks to at the
56:50
end of the podcast, so that you will have direct
56:53
contact with the white paper, if before maybe
56:56
contacting me, I don't know. So you will have
56:59
the opportunity to discuss more further with
57:02
me in the long run, yeah. Okay, that's great.
57:05
That's great. Yeah, we'll definitely get the
57:06
word out. It's a great white paper in it. There's
57:10
a lot of really, really meaty information in
57:13
there. So that's good. So that's all the time
57:18
we have for today. Thank you, Christabel, for
57:20
joining us and sharing your insights on cultural
57:24
adaptation. This is really how to turn a good
57:27
story into a global one. And you're showing us
57:31
in what you shared. pretty much how the magic
57:35
happens when we think beyond translation, not
57:37
just interpreting those words and start to speak
57:40
to people's hearts wherever they are in the world.
57:42
So thank you so much for being here. It's been
57:45
a pleasure sharing about my experience about
57:48
cross -cultural communication and storytelling.
57:51
I mean, I think it's something I can continue
57:54
talking about because I'm really passionate about
57:56
cultures and languages and I really hope that
58:00
today's conversation is going to inspire brands
58:02
out there. marketing specialists or storytellers
58:06
to think more about adaptation, which is really
58:09
important. That's great. Thank you. Thank you
58:13
so much. And to our listeners, whether you hear
58:17
us locally from the BTV studios in Bedford, Massachusetts
58:21
or across the globe on such podcast channels
58:23
as Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Prime, thanks
58:27
for listening. We hope you enjoyed this episode
58:29
and we'll see you next time. Happy storytelling.