We’ve asked the question, “What’s your Local IQ?” hundreds of times and we always get a different response. It ranges from I don’t know, what’s that, it’s good, I’m good, to stop bothering me! What we find is regardless of who we’ve talked to, Local IQ™ is still relatable and applicable across all industries. We define Local IQ™ as the only framework that will localize your product and service offerings in new markets. In other words, it’s a localization framework.
Redefining Localization
For businesses and marketers, language and localization go hand in hand. However, our decades of experience tell us that localization goes much deeper than just language. In fact, we’ve identified that visual designs and experience through technology also play a huge role in the decision-making process of customers.
As a result, we took a more simplified approach by developing Localization Intelligence (Local IQ™). It’s a model that benchmarks three areas of localization to determine localization effectiveness. In this model, there are two types of IQ for each area: high IQ increases the likelihood that users will adopt your business offerings while low IQ reduces those chances of adoption. We typically find that business offerings that poorly perform in new markets are a result of low IQ decisions. With the above in mind, we’re able to redefine localization and build a framework around it called Local IQ™.
Your Local IQ™
Benchmark your localization efforts against our three key framework areas: Communication, Technology, and Visual:
Criteria | High IQ | Low IQ |
Communication | The intent of your messaging was not lost and is clearly understood by your end user: - Customers understand the intent behind your message | Messages are worded awkwardly and aren’t crafted for the target audience: - No action is taken after viewing your message |
Technology | Your product offering becomes an extension of user or current workflow: - The UI/UX is appropriate for the given market | Your product offering is seen as just another product: - The UI/UX is foreign to end users |
Visual | When your customer sees your product offerings, they understand the context of your business: - Images were thoughtfully selected for connecting with customers | Your product offering does not get realized when viewed by your customer: - Images are offensive or do not relate to the customer |
What’s Your Local IQ™?
Local IQ™ is meant to guide decisions around localization projects and ensure the most effective results from localization. So, where do you fall in the above spectrum? If you find yourself operating in the Low IQ region for one or more criteria, then maybe it’s time to revisit your localization strategy. If your localization falls on the High IQ region, then be relentless in maintaining it.
If you need help with localization or have any questions, reach out to us, the experts in localization services!
