Act Global and Think Local: How Not to Get Lost in Translation
|
News for the Hospitality Executive |
| August 16, 2012 -
In an
increasingly global world where social and search are merging and
reviews
really do matter, what should travel firms be thinking about? Kathleen
Bostick,
Vice President of the Travel and Hospitality Practice
at the global translations firm, Lionbridge,
shares her insights with EyeforTravel’s Pamela Whitby. Few in our industry will ever forget the travel chaos that erupted in 2011 as a result of the Icelandic volcano. Flights were cancelled, holidays wrecked and school starts delayed as families were left stranded in far away places. The natural disaster tested customer service strategies to the absolute limit and some came off better than others. Dutch carrier KLM was one that handled the situation effectively – and it did so using social media. In fact, the volcanic ash cloud prompted a social media strategy that has arguably become recognised as one of the best in the industry. Recognising that it simply could not update its website fast enough to report on the emerging crisis, KLM turned to Twitter to inform customers in their local language, and it did this in 26 countries. Just a few weeks ago, KLM took that strategy a step further. They said Facebook and Twitter would now be the first place customers should turn to for customer service. So far it is doing this around the clock in five languages: English, Dutch, German, Spanish and Japanese. “KLM are rock stars when it comes to social media,” says Kathleen Bostick, VP Travel and Hospitality Practice at translations firm, Lionbridge. “Getting to this point has obviously been a process. The bottom line is that they have recognised two important things. First, social media when used properly can be an excellent customer service tool. Second, responding in a person’s native language really can make all the difference.” Going global In an increasingly online and accessible world, travel firms should be thinking not only about the social but the global aspect of social media. Says Bostick, “The day you set up a Facebook page, you’re global whether you like it or not.” Bostick recently holidayed in Italy where she says she had the “hardest time figuring out where to stay and eat”. Many of the posts - for everything from accommodation to restaurant reviews - were in Italian only. When searching for travel options, people do read reviews. In fact, many travellers won’t book a hotel unless they have read a review, and will often change their mind based on a review. Because travel is such a personal experience, they are also more likely to book a site that has been translated into a local language because they know what they are buying. “Now we know that everybody reads reviews and nobody is going to be able to translate all of these,” stresses Bostick. “But with social and search merging and becoming so important, you have to have content in the language people are searching in if you want to be found.” So what do travel firms need to do? Here are some top tips:
Having a global social media strategy is really important. So how do you do it if you have, for example, plenty of resources in Spain and Italy but nothing in Russia or Japan, which are your fastest growing destinations? Outsourcing can be a part of your social media strategy. While a few years ago this may have been seen as completely taboo, given the global nature of travel this is changing. Bostick sites a faux pas by a major car manufacturer when somebody in Europe posted a question in Dutch on Facebook, asking where he could find the closest dealership. A while later came the response. “Sorry we don’t speak Dutch.” Not only did that company lose the sale, but this lost customer told all his friends about it. Many companies are still so overwhelmed with their English social media strategy that the global piece isn’t even on their radar. They know they have to do something, but may be delaying due to lack of resources. This is where a translation partner can help. They can do everything from managing and monitoring in-country platforms, communities and forums, to routing and responding, creating original in-language content, translating blogs, campaigns and reviews or simply supplementing in-house resources. Remember, websites and social media are already global whether you want them to be or not, so make sure you have a plan in place to reach and embrace your global audience. Kathleen Bostick, Vice President of the Travel and Hospitality Practice at the global translations firm, Lionbridge will speaking at EyeforTravel’s Travel Distribution Summit, North America in Las Vegas from September 13-14 alongside 90 other industry leading experts. See the full mobile agenda and speaker line up here About EyeforTravel  EyeforTravel is a leading
business
intelligence
provider for the online travel and tourism industry. As well as
providing some
of the most in-depth research into global online travel markets and
trends,
EyeforTravel produces a series of senior executive travel conferences
on a
diverse range of topics including travel distribution, online
marketing, social
media, mobile and revenue management. For more information
visit www.eyefortravel.com.
|
| Contact:
Marco Saio Global Events Director London, UK: +44 (0)207 375 7219 US Toll Free: 800-814-3459 (Ext: 7219) Email: [email protected] Rosie Akenhead Director of Events & Industry Analysis, EyeforTravel London, UK +44 (0)207 375 7229 US Toll Free: 800 814 3459 (Ext. 7229) |
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