Stay Tuned
Stay connected to RWS with the Globally Speaking LinkedIn newsletter.
134: How can cultural savvy (or the lack of it) make or break a global campaign?
In France, the Big Mac, McDonald’s favourite burger, has the same name as in English and doesn’t have a translation. In Hong Kong, it has been given a name that no current machine translation could fathom: Gui Mo Ba, which could be translated as ‘the invincible juggernaut’. Why? Because one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to translating according to cultures. That’s when transcreation works its magic for brands, slogans and marketing content. Listen to transcreation specialist Sheryl Sze, who’s worked with major brands such as Sotheby’s and Deliveroo. Sheryl outlines how technology and humans can work together to achieve the right equilibrium – and why, it’s optimal that transcreation is included at the early stages of content development.
Guests
Passionate about connecting cultures and people, Sheryl Sze is a transcreation specialist with a pragmatic, result-driven approach, developed over two decades of hands-on/managerial experiences in Marketing, Communications and Localization. She has worked with major brands and institutions including Sotheby’s, Deliveroo, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, South China Media Group, The Education University of Hong Kong, as well as Dyson and Pentagram. Having lived and worked in three continents, she is dedicated to the promotion of cross-cultural understanding and enjoys connecting seemingly disparate worlds through curiosity and creative problem solving. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Sheryl completed her degree in Communication at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and has worked in London since 2013. A dynamic communicator and storyteller, her cultural insights are valued by teams in design, marketing and strategies alike. Sheryl is a proponent of a blended approach in translation that harvests what new technology can offer in the art of intercultural communication.
Hosts
Marine is RWS’s Social Media Specialist, responsible for developing and implementing the company’s global social media strategy.
After graduating as a translator from German and English into French, Marine did her internship at RWS in Berlin as a translator and terminologist. After her internship, she continued to work for the RWS Berlin office as a technical translator for 5 years while continuing to learn about marketing and social media. She then did some consulting for RWS as a social media specialist and became RWS’s social media manager in 2021, managing the company social media channels and community.
Marine has a degree in translation and terminology from the UCLouvain in Belgium. In her free time, she enjoys learning foreign languages, doing sport and taking a walk in the sun to discover cute coffee places. She is based in Madrid, Spain.
Listen Everywhere
