3 Common Image Localization Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Expanding your business into new international markets could be one of the most exciting steps for you or any company. While the potential is vast, navigating the complexities of localization can be very tricky, especially when it comes to adapting your images, visual content, and branding for different cultures and getting it to them with the right message. While you might think localization is just about translating words, it’s actually far more intricate. Many companies, in fact, even large brands, sometimes make mistakes in localization that can lead to failed marketing campaigns and, even worse, sending out a different message than the one intended.

In this blog, we’ll walk through the 3 most common image localization mistakes and see how you can avoid them.

1.Ignoring Cultural Sensitivities in Visuals

When you’re localizing images, one of the biggest mistakes is not accounting for the cultural context behind them. What’s considered acceptable or even beautiful in one country can be offensive or irrelevant in another. From colors and symbols to the portrayal of people and settings, every image carries cultural baggage.

The Mistake: Using images that might be innocuous in your home country but are unintentionally problematic elsewhere. For instance, certain hand gestures, colors, or even animals might have negative connotations in other cultures. For instance, while the color red is considered lucky in China, where it is worn to celebrate the Chinese New Year and bring good fortune, it is seen as a symbol of danger and evokes feelings of caution in the Middle East.

How to Avoid It: The solution here is very simple: Do thorough research into your target market’s culture. Don’t rely on generalized assumptions or a quick Google search. Rather, talk to local experts or, if possible, locals themselves.

A big part of avoiding these issues also involves ensuring a multiple-layer review process by a local team. Many businesses skip this process due to time and resource constraints, instead relying solely on translation tools. A local expert should first handle the translation or adaptation of content, followed by a second review from another local team member to catch any missed nuances or misinterpretations.

To ensure your visuals hit the right note, work closely with in-market reviewers or trusted localization service providers to catch any possible cultural missteps before you launch content.

2.Translating Text in Images Without Proper Consideration

It’s tempting to simply take an image with text and translate it for a new market. But translating text in an image without considering the overall design and layout can lead to broken formatting or unreadable fonts.

The Mistake: Overlooking how text in images impacts the layout and user experience. For example, translating text from English to German can significantly change its length, which can cause the text to overlap and disrupt the design. Also, texts when translated from English to Arabic, the way it’s written will differ entirely. While English is written from left to right, Arabic is written from right to left. This can affect everything from billboards to social media ads.

How to Avoid It: When localizing images that contain text, design with flexibility in mind. Work with designers who understand the nuances of localization and can adapt to changes in text length. You’ll need to test the design in multiple languages to ensure that the translated text fits well within the layout without disrupting the aesthetic or usability of the image.

3.Overlooking the Power of Localized Visual Style and Preferences

Localization isn’t just about language, it’s about making your visual content truly resonate with local tastes. The design style, color scheme, and even the images you use can have different emotional impacts depending on the culture.

The Mistake: Assuming that the same image style will work in every market. For example, a minimalist Scandinavian design might not appeal to audiences in a culture that values rich, detailed visuals like in Latin America, or vice versa.

How to Avoid It: Understand local aesthetic preferences and include them in your visual strategy. Also, don’t forget to consider font styles. Although font styles in themselves convey different meanings, they greatly do in design preferences across countries. Work with service providers who can do a localization audit.

Image localization is a nuanced process, and even the smallest misstep can have a lasting impact on your brand’s image and customer perception. Avoiding these common mistakes requires not just attention to detail, but also a deep understanding of the cultures you’re trying to reach.

Working with trusted localization partners with a proven track record of delivering exceptional services across global markets should be your top priority. It’s impossible for anyone in your internal team to quality check or proofread multiple languages, which means you’re blindly trusting the experts who say “good to go”.

Infognana Solutions – Your Trusted Localization Services Partner

With over 10 years of expertise in localization services, we bridge languages and connect your business with your target local audience, no matter where they are in the world. Talk to us today to explore our localization services.