Pre-flight assembly at Hatfield

Today I work for Wordbank a UK and US based transcreation and marketing translation company. Despite the Bank in the name we neither lend money nor award a bonus the size of the national debt of Argentina. 

Words and their application are what we value – not forgetting that in this online world those words can be embedded in an online game or voiceover as readily as a web banner.

By some strange hand of fate I find that  I have been transported from the vectors and coordinates  of late ‘70′ s advanced missiles and rocketry, via the bits and bytes of the ’80’s  mini-computers to a world where words, concepts and imagery are the currency of the moment.

But fear not – this BLOG is not just more arcane, pre-Bill Gates geekery.

Boy did I sell a few of these!

While rockets and computers can be interesting objects in their own right – these two in particular  – my  subject here  is communication, in the marketing and advertising sense, and how best to succeed  when trying to make it work across cultures, language and timezones.  The obvious language and cultural problems should be apparent to all but the most  isolated recluse or hermit – which is no protection against  daily faux-pas and minor slip-ups as  we all recognise. Intriguingly, what is less apparent is how often  technology, media and organisational structure are the true root of the problem.

I, and hopefully we, welcome feedback, comments,  suggestions and participation while we explore how to ensure that what is received,  is what we intended to communicate.