With the rise of video marketing in the social media age, brands everywhere are turning to video content as a means to engage with audiences more effectively. This is particularly important for international brands who need to show their customers and prospective buyers that they invest in the highest quality of content.
The thing is, the same video is not going to have the same impact in every market, because different cultures react differently to the same footage. Translation alone is not going to make your videos an international hit and you are going to need something called video adaptation to make big things happen with every target audience.
What is video adaptation?
Video adaptation is the process of adapting your video footage for multilingual audiences. This goes far beyond translation and assesses the visual components of your video to spot instances where it needs to be more culturally relevant to specific target audiences.
For example, if you are running an international marketing campaign for audiences in England, Spain and Romania, those panning shots of London might not be so effective for your audiences outside the UK (unless your brand or message is directly tied to London/Britain).
Likewise, if you are also targeting consumers in Japan, it will probably pay to film scenes featuring Japanese actors that people in the country can connect with on a more relevant level. Or, there could be more detailed specifics that need addressing, such as a historical reference that could offend one of your audiences, a symbol that is interpreted differently in parts of the world or simple colour changes that are required.
For example, the swastika is more famous as a Buddhist or Hindu symbol in many parts of the world than anything to do with Nazi Germany.
Why is video adaptation important in modern marketing?
The internet has given every brand a global platform, making it easier than ever to connect with people around the world. However, it also makes it easier to offend people from all over the world and you do not have to go far to find offended audiences on the internet. Without video adaptation, a whole bunch of bad PR can come back to bite you and this is why it is so important to carefully consider everything you publish.
You might not realise it, but marketing campaigns rely on assumptions and data that represents the masses. Generalisations are ingrained into marketing messages and this involves a lot of stereotyping, characterisations, humour and various other creative elements that can either be lost in a different culture or (worse) even be offensive.
This is precisely what video adaptation aims to avoid by making your footage culturally sensitive and relevant to every audience. It is not only about playing it safe and avoiding any upsets; it is about engaging with audiences on a deeper level with video content that truly resonates with their native tongue and background.
Contact our team of dedicated professionals, who will help you with your video adaptation needs.