Just because a shopper is ordering from the UK or other English-speaking country does not mean they’d rather place their order in English. That’s the finding of a new study from customer experience management business SDL, which says 32% of millennial consumers prefer to use a language other than English, while 46% are more likely to buy if information is presented in their preferred language.
The report, There is only one language, is drawn from an SDL global survey which involved more than 1,800 millennials, aged between 18 and 36. It found that today’s millennials are part of an always-connected generation that expects content to be delivered across devices, channels and in the language they prefer. That means brands can benefit from localising content in domestic markets just as much as internationally.
The study found that in the UK, as in Australia, one in three respondents spoke a language other than English at home. In the US, the figure is one in four. Meanwhile, the same is true in non-English speaking countries, where one in two German, Dutch and Norwegian respondents spoke a language other than the local one at home.
Hotel operator Accor meets such challenges in its day-to-day business.
“With around 3,600 hotels and over 460,000 rooms, we interact with customers from around the world constantly, and at every level of our organisation,” said Bénédicte Lefeuvre, VP distribution systems administration at Accor. “With the help of SDL, we are translating over 20 million words a year to ensure that our customers receive the quality experience they have come to expect from our organisation. Brand loyalty and customer advocacy are integral to our overall marketing strategy and the ability to communicate appropriately with our consumers, and even our employees, around the world, with the help of SDL’s language solutions, allows us to provide a unique and personal experience for each of our guests.”
Paige O’Neill, CMO at SDL, said: “All too often, language is an afterthought in an organisations’ customer experience strategy. Marketers now need to address the demands of globalisation and ensure that their business speaks only one language – the language of its customers. Localisation strategies must be adopted to address translation at a local level, but also the personal demographics of its target audience. In doing so, consumers will be compelled to share content and foster brand advocacy in their language of choice, giving marketers a competitive advantage and the ability to deliver the customer experience that truly defines their brand’s voice, globally.”
