Reaching Global Audiences and Driving Revenue Growth Through Video Localization

Video localization is adapting a video’s content and language to suit a target audience’s cultural, linguistic, and regional preferences. This involves translating the video’s dialogue, subtitles, and on-screen text into the target language and adapting the video’s visual elements, such as graphics and images, to suit the cultural context of the target audience.

Video localization can also involve modifying the video’s soundtrack, such as adding or removing music or sound effects to suit local preferences. The ultimate goal of video localization is to make the video more accessible and appealing to viewers in different regions and cultures and increase the video’s reach and impact in the target market.

Video Localization for Revenue Generation

Video localization can generate significant revenue for businesses in the real world by helping them reach and connect with a global audience. By adapting videos to suit the preferences and needs of different cultures and languages, businesses can improve their brand recognition, customer engagement, and, ultimately, their bottom line.

For example, a study by the Common Sense Advisory found that consumers are more likely to purchase products and services from a website that provides information in their native language. Additionally, another study by the European Commission found that 90% of internet users in the EU prefer browsing websites in their language.

In the entertainment industry, localization has proven to be a lucrative investment. For example, the Hollywood blockbuster movie “Avengers: Endgame” grossed $2.798 billion worldwide, with $629 million coming from China alone. This success is attributed to the film’s successful localization efforts, including translating the dialogue and subtitles into Mandarin and adapting the visual elements to suit Chinese culture.

Video game companies have seen significant revenue growth from localization efforts in the gaming industry. For example, video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) reported that 33% of its total net revenue in 2019 came from international markets, and localization was a critical factor in its success. In 2019, EA invested in localizing games in languages such as Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese, which led to increased sales in these markets.

The Role of Subtitles and Captions: Improved Engagement

While captions and subtitles are often used interchangeably, it’s essential to understand that they serve different purposes for viewers. Captions are a form of text that appears at the bottom of a video and communicate speech, non-speech sounds, and music, which are crucial for understanding the content. They accommodate viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing and can be translated into multiple languages. Non-speech sounds are identified with brackets to differentiate them from the dialog.

On the other hand, subtitles are a form of text translation of spoken audio that do not include non-speech sounds or music unless they are part of the dialog. While subtitles can be translated into multiple languages, they may not be suitable for deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers and may not comply with disability rights laws in some countries.

Captions and subtitles used in conjunction with voice-over or dubbing significantly improve engagement. According to Uscreen, a video-on-demand platform, adding captions or subtitles can increase average rates of viewing to completion by 30%, boost video shares by 15%, generate 17% better reactions, and increase call-to-action click-throughs by 26%.

How To Plan Out Video Localization Efforts

The process of video localization involves several steps:

• Analyze the video to determine necessary changes for localization.
• Translate the video’s audio and visual elements into the target language, including dialogue, subtitles, on-screen text, and graphics.
• Modify the video’s visual elements to suit the cultural context of the target audience.
• Review and edit the translated video to ensure accuracy and cultural appropriateness.
• Test the localized video to ensure it meets the target audience’s expectations.

Video localization is crucial for companies expanding their reach to new markets. It allows companies to communicate with their target audience in a way that resonates with them and helps build brand loyalty. By adapting videos to suit the preferences and needs of different cultures and languages, companies can better connect with their audience and ultimately achieve their business goals.

Conclusion

Video localization efforts have the potential to generate significant revenue for businesses in a variety of industries by helping them connect with and appeal to a global audience.

Adapting a video’s content and language to suit a target audience’s cultural, linguistic, and regional preferences involves planning, including analyzing the video, translating its audio and visual elements, modifying its visual elements, reviewing and editing the translated video, and testing the localized video. Video localization is crucial for companies expanding their reach to new markets as it allows them to communicate with their target audience in a way that resonates with them and helps build brand loyalty. Furthermore, video localization has the potential to generate significant revenue for businesses in a variety of industries by assisting them to connect with and appeal to a global audience.

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