Summary
LingvoHouse’s adept localisation expertise turbocharged Uniqlo’s European strategy, blending advanced AI-TRANSLATION MANAGEMENT TOOLS with NATIVE-SPEAKING LINGUISTS to tailor brand messaging across diverse markets. This savvy approach not only preserved Uniqlo’s global identity but resonated deeply with local cultures, catapulting their European revenue by a stunning 20.3%. The rapid 1.5-MONTH TURNAROUND and meticulous attention to design consistency positioned Uniqlo for success in a fiercely competitive retail landscape.
About the Client
Uniqlo’s flagship store at Madrid’s Gran Vía
In 1972, Tadashi Yanai transformed his father’s tailoring business into what would become a global retail powerhouse, Uniqlo. Renowned for its simple, quality, and affordable fashion, Uniqlo has grown to over 2,200 stores worldwide. A cornerstone of its strategy has been adapting to local tastes while maintaining its global standard. “If we were to sell our products in even stricter Muslim countries, we would have to make sure they were suitable for that,” Yanai told the Nikkei Asian Review. “If we were to sell our clothes in India, they may have to conform to Hindu requirements,” he said.
Understanding the Client’s Needs
Facing challenges in Spain, Poland, and Italy, Uniqlo engaged LingvoHouse to address several key localisation challenges: (1) Brand Awareness and Vision in Competitive Markets Faced with strong competition from local and global brands such as H&M, Zara, and Gap, Uniqlo needed to captivate local markets while retaining its global identity. Goal: How can Uniqlo captivate the local market’s attention and gain traction against these formidable competitors while preserving the global identity of the Uniqlo brand? (2) Cultural and Linguistic Adaptation Uniqlo sought to tailor its messaging to reflect the unique cultural and linguistic landscape of each new market (Spain, Italy, and Poland). Goal: Determining the appropriate slang, terminologies, and communication styles for each country to ensure that the brand resonates with the local populace without losing its distinctive identity. (3) Financial and Temporal Constraints Significant financial implications necessitated efficient market entry strategies. For example, the financial implications of market entry in Spain were significant. The opening of the Barcelona store and setting up e-commerce operations led to a 4% increase in distribution costs and a higher stock value in 2017. Goal: Strategizing on how to mitigate these constraints to expedite market entry while operating within a limited budget.
How did we help?
LingvoHouse‘s pivotal role in Uniqlo’s localisation strategy was a blend of agility and precision, ensuring a seamless transition of Uniqlo’s brand messaging for each European market. Their approach exemplified an adaptable and responsive ongoing multilingual translation support, capable of delivering complex and nuanced translations. With expertise in seamlessly integrating complex projects into an agile AI-powered workflow and providing real-time tracking of project progress, LingvoHouse offered Uniqlo a fully customisable client interface, including reporting and order volumes. They enabled the instant automated import of client’s Transaltion Memory & previous Terminology into translation workflow, showcasing their adeptness in handling large-scale projects swiftly and efficiently.
The localisation of brand messaging with AI Translation Management Tools involved using AI tools for initial TOV & terminology research & project preparation for Uniqlo’s magazine content translation across Spain, Poland, and Italy. The AI’s ability to process large amounts of text quickly was complemented by native linguists who refined the content to ensure cultural resonance. The optimization of market entry was evident as LingvoHouse’s AI-driven solutions condensed months of work into just 1.5 months, accelerating Uniqlo’s European market launch. Moreover, the Desktop Publishing (DTP) for Brand Consistency ensured that each magazine reflected Uniqlo’s design aesthetics, with meticulous attention to visual elements, aligning the translated materials with the global standard and reinforcing brand recognition.
Client’s Triumph
LingvoHouse’s services, built around custom-adaptability and guaranteed by TQM certificates to ISO 17100 and ISO 9001, were key to Uniqlo’s successful European expansion, merging robust global branding with localized adaptations to spark significant revenue growth. Uniqlo’s strategic localisation partnership with LingvoHouse significantly contributed to its 20.3% revenue growth in Europe. This success highlights the impact of integrating a robust global identity with local market adaptations. For businesses ready to go global, LingvoHouse offers the expertise to navigate the localisation journey to success. Ready to experience the LingvoHouse edge? Book a call with Tatiana or connect with our Sales team on LinkedIn to start your journey to global success.
