^{Article originally published on: https://www.wired.com/story/what-do-cookie-preferences-pop-ups-mean/}

As an internet user, it’s common to see popups about cookie preferences, asking you to accept or decline before proceeding. Typically, we just go ahead and accept them, or simply close the popup, without even reading and understanding what they mean.

Cookies are a mechanism used by websites to store data about the user. This information is stored on your computer and is used by the website to improve your experience. There are different types of cookies depending on the data they store and how long that data persists. The presence of cookies has been on websites for a long time, but the occurrence of these popups asking you to accept or deny has become a more common practice due to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) introduced by the European Union and was put into effect on May 25, 2018. Every organization regardless of the location is bound to this law whenever they collect data on EU citizens.

Even though this regulation exists, there is still a lack of transparency on how cookies work and who manages the data collected from them.

It’s important to read the message about “use of cookies” before accepting them, so you have a better understanding of what the cookies are about and how they will be used. Browsers also allow you to clear stored cookies for a particular website; it’s important to have the practice of clearing cookies too, especially if you accepted them by accident or you just don’t want them to persist.

The post Cookie Preferences: What Does Consent Really Mean? appeared first on Globalization Partners International.

Article originally published on:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/15/dti-prompts-businesses-to-translate-promotional-materials-in-english-filipino/ 

The Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has prompted businesses that any marketing/commercial materials in foreign languages should have English and/or Filipino translations. This is according to the Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 19-09, series of 2019, last 21 June 2019, which mandates:

 “The primary use of Filipino and/or English in signages, billboards, advertisements, brochures, flyers, notices, advisories, labels, price tags/lists, menus, receipts, and other business marketing materials. Foreign languages are allowed, provided the same are translated to English and/or Filipino.”

Who are the subjects of this order?

Every entity and establishment in the Philippines is expected to comply: producers, manufacturers, distributors, supply & chain, as well as sellers of consumer goods or services. Translation into English or Filipino languages for marketing purposes shall be as prominent as any foreign language. More importantly, the DAO also stipulated that “the use of Filipino language is not limited to Tagalog but also includes regional and provincial dialects”.

What are the consequences to offenders?

Business establishments proved to violate any of the provisions of the DAO “shall pay the penalties ranging from PHP1,000.00 up to P300,000.00 while repeated offenders will face the cancellation of their business name certificate that was issued by the DTI, and revocation of business registration, permit, license, and any other regulatory clearances upon the recommendation of the Department to appropriate government agencies or units”, quoted from the article.

Consumers are encouraged to report any violations to ConsumerCare@dti.gov.ph or through the official DTI Consumer Care social media accounts.

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 Article originally published on: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/auto-translations-and-captions 

When TikTok reached 1 billion users in late 2021, a milestone achieved just five years after it officially launched in 2016, there’s no doubt this social media/entertainment platform has something more to offer. A statement quoted from the article says, “TikTok has become a platform that transcends cultural boundaries to make global connections feel even more effortless.” True to their word, the world’s popular video-sharing app has recently added an auto translation feature allowing global users to connect to wider audiences without worrying about language limitations.

“We continue to invest in creating an inclusive and accessible environment so that our growing global community can feel free and comfortable expressing themselves and finding connection with others,” TikTok’s newsroom article stated.

Captions and Auto Translations Features

The new TikTok translations feature is a follow-up to the auto captions capability that was introduced in early 2021. Since then, “TikTokers” around the world have incorporated subtitles into their content making video-sharing experiences even more interesting. Just imagine the global impact of its new translation capability! During this early stage release, TikTok translation feature will be available in 9 languages:

English, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Turkish, Portuguese, Italian, Korean, and Indonesian

In addition to multilingual captions, translation is also available for text stickers added in the videos. 

Are you wondering how your “local humor” will be translated into other languages? Collaborations and feedback within TikTok communities will surely play an important part in the continuous development and success of this platform. If you are keen to learn new languages while having fun, then you might want to turn ON your app’s “show auto translations” option within the Language menu.

The post TikTok Auto Translations will Transcend Cultural Boundaries appeared first on Globalization Partners International.

 Article originally published on:
 https://www.datanami.com/2022/07/08/meta-releases-ai-model-that-translates-over-200-languages/ 

Today, AI translation technology still has rough edges on the surface when you hit that “translate this” function on Facebook or Instagram feeds, but Meta’s unveiling of its No Language Left Behind initiative (NLLB-200) aims to bridge that gap and “give people the opportunity to access and share web content” in 202 different languages.

Everyone on the internet can now access Meta’s NLLB-200 open-source code and toolkit enabling the research community to build various applications (written in Python) and improve the quality of low-resource languages like Asturian, Luganda, Urdu, and more. Meta says this initiative “will improve the quality of translations across its technologies by an average of 44% with that number jumping to 70%” – a benchmark determined by its proprietary BLEU metrics.

Quoting from Meta’s AI video Jean Maillard said, “Language is the key to inclusion. If you don’t understand what people are saying or writing, you can be left behind.” No Language Left Behind gave birth to Meta’s improved AI model with 55 African languages compared to other translation tools supporting only less than 25. To assess the quality of the NLLB-200 model, Meta also shared their open source evaluative dataset FLORES-200 along with the training model code.

Nonprofit organizations and researchers that want to use NLLB-200 for their meaningful and high-impact projects can be eligible for Meta’s grants of up to $200,000. Projects related to “sustainability, food security, or education” are a few examples of the impactful entries that can apply for the grant. The company is specifically encouraging projects with a key focus on translating two or more African languages.

Furthermore, “Meta has begun a partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation to improve translations on Wikipedia by using NLLB-200 as its back end content translation tool,” says the article. “This is going to change the way that people live their lives … the way they do business, the way that they are educated. No language left behind really keeps that mission at the heart of what we do, as people,” said Al Youngblood, user researcher at Meta AI in a video.

To see NLLB-200’s translation capabilities through stories visit the Meta AI Demo Lab.

The post News: Meta Unveils its NLLB-200 AI Translation Model appeared first on Globalization Partners International.

The media localization industry continues to face the challenge of ever-rising streaming content supply while the talents seem to decline. The roles in demand are voice-over actors, dubbing directors as well as subtitlers in new language combinations. Industry experts predict that this crunch will get worse in the upcoming months, and will drain the existing pool of subtitling talent. So, how are industry leaders dealing with the media localization talent shortage?

With increasing media demands on a global scale, the “grass should be greener” more than ever in the media localization field. However, most talents see widespread stress and burnout due to the long hours of work needed to meet production deadlines. More often than not, localization projects handed to the “freelance community” require delivery within “a third of the amount of time”, and with fees which are not enough to match the skilled translators’ rates. To make things even harder, media companies do not treat localization as a valuable aspect of their media package. Resorting to machine translation (MT) is the ultimate blow to media localization talents as the cost is low (bots don’t need bread). Naturally, machine translation output threatens not only the quality of subtitles and dubbing but more importantly the talent supply of language professionals.

Needless to say, the creative human element is important to keep content integrity and preserve the art of localization. To address this looming talent apocalypse, there are companies who are making their offers more attractive, sometimes by paying double normal rates and providing better working conditions. Additionally, Jorge Diaz-Cintas, Professor of Translation Studies at University College London suggests that academic-driven initiatives such as specialized courses and training on audio-visual translation (AVT) – could also help solve the talent crunch and attract more people to media localization industry.

Article originally published on: https://slator.com/what-to-do-about-the-talent-crunch-in-media-localization/

The post Media Localization Talent Shortage: A Wake-up Call appeared first on Globalization Partners International.

Education, entertainment, and everything you wanted to know about translation services but were afraid to ask. Welcome to Languages & Locales, the official newsletter of Globalization Partners International.

In this edition, you’ll get a Case Study detailing how GPI provided a comprehensive localization of Jeenie’s mobile and web apps into 9 languages.

In Tools & Tips, you will learn about our proprietary Globalization Toolkit which helps translators and engineers apply the best practices in localization and internationalization workflows. In Meet the Team, you will go behind the scenes and meet some of the GPI translation professionals. And don’t miss the Curation Corner bringing you interesting news and articles from around the world.

Are you ready to dive in? Subscribe to Languages & Locales and receive the latest edition!

The post Welcome to Languages & Locales: March Edition appeared first on Globalization Partners International.

The rule of thumb in marketing is to ‘know your demographic’. However, many have fallen into the trap of misconceptions and often adapt an ‘off-the-shelf’ approach to their target market. It worked before, why change now? Or some will say ‘stop reinventing the wheel’. In this article, Hernan Tagliani gives away four marketing myths that will alienate Hispanic consumers.

Myth #1: Hispanics don’t react as quickly as general market consumers

It doesn’t matter how or when this assumption was formulated, it is a one-sided myth. Sounds like an excuse for not getting the most out of this market. The author said, “Some executives think, since they have been in the market for years, they have brand equity and consumers know their brand. But if someone doesn’t have a connection with you, they aren’t going to be eager to reach for your products.” We couldn’t agree more.

What we know about Hispanics is that they are one of the most loyal consumers once they ‘approve’ your brands or services. And because ‘word-of-honor’ is a big thing, they won’t risk their integrity if something (or someone) is not worthy. So let yourself be known to your Hispanic consumers, be persistent to get their attention, and then give them something to be loyal to. Whether this means reallocating your marketing resources to support your culturally-specific initiative or revisiting your current communication strategy.

Myth #2: Hispanics don’t have disposable income to buy certain products or services

Hispanic consumers’ buying power is constantly rising in the U.S. “According to Forbes Magazine, the Hispanic community has contributed significantly to the U.S. economic growth and will continue to do so. Hispanics in the U.S. have become one of the top ten economies in the world,” Tagliani added. To debunk this myth once and for all we need numbers: $2.7 trillion was the total economic output of the Hispanic consumers as of September 2019 – equating to the 7th largest GDP in the world if they were an independent country. So yes, they do have disposable income.

Myth #3: You can reach Hispanic consumers with a total market approach

Just because the majority of U.S. consumers go to the same supermarket doesn’t mean they visit the same isle. The Hispanic market should not be targeted just like the market at large. Yes, Hispanics speak English or are bilingual, but their culture, upbringing, and motivations differ. Some “catchy & funny phrases” in American English might sound offensive in the Hispanic culture. Therefore, take invaluable time to know them deeper, or else face the risk of alienating them.

Myth #4: Your competition isn’t marketing to Hispanics, so you don’t need to either

Whether you have the ‘elixir of life’ as a product or there’s no substitute to what you’re offering – your business still needs to explore new markets to survive. If the U.S. is your major feeder market and you don’t pay attention nor allocate a marketing budget for Hispanic consumers then you are missing a great deal of revenue opportunity.

“The fact that your competition is not reaching Hispanics is actually a great business opportunity. If you reallocate marketing dollars to this new, influential audience, it can help balance a loss of sales from the general market where competitors may outperform you,” Tagliani concluded.

Multicultural marketing initiatives require commitment and courage to prove old concepts wrong. Moreover, to build your brand and business credibility within the fast-growing Hispanic market, it means applying the opposites of the above misconceptions. Awareness of who you are is important, but without engagement that leads to purchase intent, you might need to revisit the drawing board.

Article originally published on Adweek:

 https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/marketing-myths-hispanic-consumers/

The post News: 4 Marketing Myths About Hispanic Consumers appeared first on Globalization Partners International.

Parents and children rejoice! New heroes are here to save the world following Mattel’s unveiling of the multicultural Rulers of the Sun action figures that joined their MOTU collections.

Introducing Sun-Man, Digitino, and Space Sumo – the multicultural trio fighting for justice against their arch-enemy “Pig-Head.” Together, these three make up the Rulers of the Sun squad. Let’s get to know them a little up close and personal.

[The Rulers of the Sun | Source: Mattel/the Toy Book]

The Multicultural Rulers of the Sun

Sun-Man, one of the first black superheroes in Mattel’s toy line, debuted in 2021. “The ground-breaking Black action figure — which first hit toy store shelves in 1985 from Olmec Toys — is officially joining forces with Mattel’s vintage toy line in time for the 40th anniversary of Masters of the Universe,” the article says. His origin can be traced back to 1985 when Yla Eason, his creator, was pondering on ideas to having more toy options for her son. “When I originally created the character of Sun-Man, it was to show my son that heroes come in all skin colors,” said Eason. Sun-man’s skin color is an “organic connection” to where he draws his power – from the sun! Equipped with superhero gear such as a shield, sword, and breast plate, Sun-Man has already charmed the little ones!

We don’t know much about Digitino and Space Sumo just yet, but we can settle for ‘Latino computer wizard’ and ‘Asian telekinetic ninja’ for now. Who else has a digital wizard and a telekinetic ninja on their team? That is a powerful trio and Pig-Head won’t stand a chance!

This year, as Mattel celebrates the 40^th anniversary of He-Man: Masters of the Universe, adding the new line of culturally diverse figures to the legends is just timely.

Quoting from the article, “This job requires one to be a bit of a toy historian, and I always knew of the existence of Sun-Man, and of the high prices that vintage examples would go for in the Masters of the Universe collecting community,” said Ed Duncan, SVP of Action Figures, Games and Plush Design, & Inventor Relations at Mattel. “Even knowing that, it was only a couple of years ago that I came across Yla’s story, and it really resonated with me as another black toymaker.”

Gleason and Olmec Toys have retained all rights to the character.

Article originally published on The ToyBook:
https://toybook.com/mattels-masters-of-the-universe-welcomes-the-multicultural-rulers-of-the-sun/

The post News: Mattel’s Masters of the Universe (MOTU) Welcomes the Multicultural Rulers of the Sun appeared first on Globalization Partners International.

Education, entertainment, and everything you wanted to know about translation services but were afraid to ask. 

In this issue, you’ll get a Case Study detailing how Switzerland’s largest online marketplace for cars, property, and comparison services saved time and money with GPI’s Translation Portal. In Tools & Tips, you will learn about our award-winning Globalization Project Management Suite^® (GPMS) which helps manage translation projects across any number of languages and locales. In Meet the Team, you will go behind the scenes and meet some of the GPI translation professionals. And don’t miss Curation Corner bringing you interesting news and articles from around the world.

Are you ready to dive in? Subscribe to Languages & Locales and receive the latest issue!

The post Welcome to the first edition of the GPI newsletter “Languages & Locales” appeared first on Globalization Partners International.

This statement is no longer an assumption following the latest instalment of the Cross-Border Retail Payments Tracker – a collaborative research effort by PYMNTS – a recognized global leader for data, and Citcoin. The researchers looked into the top eCommerce sites globally.

The study shows that 46% of the top 50 eCommerce sites offer content in four or more languages. This language expansion opens up opportunities for growth through delivering native experiences across their target regions. It’s interesting to see that 16 of these sites got more than 20% of their total traffic from cross-border users. eCommerce giants such as AliExpress, Steam, Booking.com, Samsung and Ikea are the leaders in terms of global traffics, according to research.

 Traffic from foreign languages was more evident for Apple, Samsung and Shein – who claimed to get more than 50% of their total visits from cross-border users. The shift in multilingual online shopping behavior is attributed to pandemic, which retailers see as opportunities.

Furthermore, cross-border online sales in China continue to grow. By the end of 2022, it is projected that China will divert more than 50% of its retail sales online. Nowadays, 75% of China’s population use internet. As these users mature every second and can transact online, so do eCommerce businesses thrive!

Article originally published on https://www.pymnts.com/news/ecommerce/2022/nearly-half-of-top-ecommerce-sites-are-multilingual/

The post News: Nearly Half of Top eCommerce Sites Are Multilingual appeared first on Globalization Partners International.