It’s a big world out there…so understandably someone wanting to tackle new global markets might not be sure where to start. To help you get going we’ve collected some recommendations on the top selling European markets; specifically the English, German and French language markets. Keep in mind translating designs and other elements of your campaigns can help boost conversions!
English: England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland
If you are trying to adapt a campaign for UK markets, make sure any colloquial words used are correct. For example, Americans say “mom” while British people say “mum”, Americans say “vacation” and British people say “holiday”. People will relate most strongly to designs that are in their “language.” You can get more information on different English dialects from websites like the English Club. When researching new niches in UK markets keep in mind people living in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England all speak English but they’ve got very distinct cultures, traditions, and terminologies!
German: Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria
If you target German-speaking markets, we recommend translating your designs, except in cases wherein the message is clearly made to be kept in English, like the popular British quote: “KEEP CALM AND…” or similar (very simple) kinds of messages. It’s very common for people in these countries to be bilingual or even trilingual; especially with younger audiences (40 and younger) – you could try using designs in English (but make sure the campaign description and ad copy are in German). In the German language, the ending of adjectives/adverbs and the article can change depending on the gender of the nouns you use. If you want to address women for example, don’t forget to pay attention to the gender of the nouns you use [e.g. teacher: Lehrer (male), Lehrerin (female)]. It’s always a good idea to check with your translator about the gender-specific words in your design – and to make sure you target the correct gender with your ads!
French: France, Belgium, Monaco, Canada (Quebec), Luxembourg
Similar to German (and other Romance Languages) adjectives and nouns may require a specific version of a word when describing males or females; for example the verb “to become” is “devenue” when describing a woman and “devenu” when describing a man. It’s important to pay attention to these types of details and work with a native translator on your designs to ensure you’re creating the correct design for your target audience.
