Translate Your Brand With Caution

* The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, “Salem — Feeling Free,” translated in the Japanese market to: “When smoking Salem, you feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty.”

Companies budget a great deal of time and money toward creating a brand. Ensure your brand is used consistently and carefully, and make sure it’s protected from legal challenges and misrepresentation. Prepare documentation to govern the brand’s use. Scour all advertising materials that appear in public to make sure they comply with your branding requirements. Provide a consistent impression of your brand to customers. That impression can translate into tangible value for a company — both in assets on a balance sheet and customer perception. In many cases, the same level of attention isn’t given to materials translated into another language, but it should.