Marketing is about connection. It’s about saying the right thing to the right people at the right moment, and making it mean something. But when you’re marketing across cultures, languages, and continents, “meaning” gets complicated.

Over the years, I’ve worked in (and across) more time zones than I can count. I’ve launched campaigns in seven languages. I’ve lived in Italy, Australia, the U.S., and collaborated with teams from 10 countries across the globe.

Here’s what I’ve learned about the art of translating ideas, not just words.

1. Fluency ≠ Cultural Understanding

Just because something translates linguistically doesn’t mean it lands emotionally.

I’ve seen perfectly translated taglines fall flat because they didn’t account for how different cultures express trust, humor, or urgency. I’ve also seen small tweaks, like changing a color, a tone, or a form of address, make all the difference in the world.

Lesson: If you want to connect globally, you need more than a good translator. You need a cultural decoder.

2. Ask Before You Assume

One of the first rules of global marketing? Ask. Don’t assume.

Ask your team in Berlin if that slogan makes sense. Ask your contacts in Tokyo what tone feels respectful. Ask your Parisian colleagues if that pun actually works (spoiler: it probably doesn’t).

The best cross-cultural marketers don’t just adapt, they listen first.

3. Local Voices > Global Templates

I’ve worked with companies that tried to push a one-size-fits-all brand guide across six countries. It never worked. Why? Because effective messaging isn’t about control, it’s about trust.

Letting local teams lead (within brand parameters) consistently produced stronger engagement, better resonance, and – yep – better results.

Global strategy should be a scaffolding, not a script.

4. Humor Is Tricky. So Is Formality.

Humor is one of the fastest ways to win hearts, or lose people entirely. It’s deeply cultural and doesn’t always travel well. What’s clever in New York might be confusing in Munich or too casual in Seoul.

Same with formality. In some places, first names are friendly. In others, they’re disrespectful.

Rule of thumb? If you’re not sure, ask someone who lives and breathes that culture.

5. Language Is Emotional, Use It Thoughtfully

Words aren’t just vehicles for ideas. They carry weight. Emotional weight. Cultural weight.

Using the right idiom, the right metaphor, the right cadence, can turn an unremarkable message into something unforgettable.

That’s the kind of work I love most. The kind that isn’t just heard, but felt.

Final Thought

Being multilingual isn’t just about verbs and vocab. It’s about seeing the world from more than one perspective. And in marketing, that’s everything.

So whether you’re launching a product in three languages or writing a tagline that needs to land in five cities, remember: translation is about connection. And connection starts with understanding.