Transferrable skills across different markets / languages

[roark]

Hello, I'm wondering whether people have experience working as copywriters in markets other than the English language market? I'm thinking about Mexico but also interested to know about Asia. Assuming a writer has fluency in that language, what has your experience been? I suppose many copywriting skills are transferrable but that a deeper knowledge of the local culture would be needed?

[SARubin]

Hello, I'm wondering whether people have experience working as copywriters in markets other than the English language market? I'm thinking about Mexico but also interested to know about Asia. Assuming a writer has fluency in that language, what has your experience been? I suppose many copywriting skills are transferrable but that a deeper knowledge of the local culture would be needed?

Hey Roark,

That's a good question. I've never worked outside of the English language, but I did ask myself that same question a while back.

And one thing I discovered was, yes, there are definitely cultural differences. And there's also syntax differences in the language that we have to be aware of.

Like here in the US I might say "the girl is riding a bicycle" but in other languages the syntax would swap it around and say "a bicycle is ridden by the girl"

It's a subtle difference but if we get it wrong the natives know we aren't one of them. and it can break rapport.

I have an audiobook called "The Culture Code" by Clotaire Rapaille, which is really insightful when it comes to dealing with other cultures.

Here's a link to a post I wrote about it, a year or so ago, with a link to the book on Amazon if you're interested...

If you sell to different cultures you need to read this...

[roark]

Wonderful, thanks Steve. Somewhat related, I just came back from Asia and used the to indicate OK, and then later realized that I was not 100% sure it meant the same thing. I checked later and fortunately it did!