When translating sporting goods, many costly mistakes that you may not even be aware of can lead to product failures or missed marketing opportunities.

That’s why this blog helps sporting goods manufacturers and sellers to play it safe in new markets. It provides a breakdown of the most common mistakes and shows how a reliable translation agency specializing in sports translations can help you avoid them and win the game.

Inadequate translations

Example: A baseball bat labeled for “youth” gets translated to “adult” in a new market, leading to safety concerns and the image of the unreliability of the brand.
Solution: Translation agencies specializing in sports translations ensure that technical terms, sizing charts, material descriptions, and safety instructions are translated correctly. Because they follow strict procedures when translating, editing, and proofreading your content to eliminate any potential stumbling blocks.

Make sure you get in touch with an agency that follows the so-called TEP (translation, editing, proofreading) procedure.

Disrupted production schedules

Example: Delayed translated manuals for your employees in other countries can cause production delays.
Solution: Experienced translation agencies offer efficient workflows and dedicated project managers who guarantee on-time delivery of translated instructions and manuals and keep your production on track.

They are familiar with the internal processes of a multinational sporting goods manufacturer with production facilities in many countries. They also know why meeting deadlines is non-negotiable so that everyone in the chain from product design to production pulls together.

Disrupted go-to-market timeline

Example: Delays in translating website content in 15 languages lead to missed engagement opportunities with potential customers in a new market.
Solution: Translation agencies with optimized website localization workflows, a large network of qualified translation professionals for many languages and a high degree of flexibility can handle ongoing translation needs for multiple languages. In so doing, they ensure the timely delivery of website content you need to sell your products as quickly as possible.

Loss of brand voice & messaging

Example: A company’s slogan “Push Your Limits” translates awkwardly in a new market, losing its motivational power or even leading to misunderstanding and becoming a laughingstock.
Solution: Translation agencies with transcreation expertise can adapt brand messaging to resonate with the target audience while maintaining the core brand voice. Always check whether the translation agency also offers copywriting or at least copyediting services.

Misunderstanding target audience

Example: A soccer jersey design featuring a religious symbol unintentionally offends some fans in a new market.
Solution: Translation agencies can also offer cultural consultancy services, identifying potential sensitivities and ensuring marketing materials are culturally appropriate.

Inconsistent terminology

Example: Running shoes are called “trainers” in one market and “sneakers” in another, creating confusion for customers.
Solution: Translation agencies establish a terminology glossary for client’s specific terminology requirements to ensure consistent use of terms across all translated materials.

Poor quality control

Example: Typos and grammatical errors in translated product descriptions create a negative brand image.
Solution: Translation agencies should employ rigorous quality control processes, including multiple rounds of review by native speakers and subject matter experts.

Slow turnaround times

Example: Delays in translating social media profile content prevent a timely launch in a new market, missing out on potential sales.
Solution: Translation agencies should offer optimized translation processes and utilize technology like translation memories, terminology databases, collaboration tools, and AI-supported machine translation tools to deliver projects on time.

Hidden costs

Example: A seemingly low translation quote balloons with additional fees for revisions and specialized sports terminology.
Solution: Translation agencies provide transparent pricing structures, and upfront cost estimates, and include revisions within the quoted price.

Pay attention to the parameters used when billing translation services by pages, words, or hours. A translation page does not correspond to a normal page in a PDF or MS Word file but is calculated by characters or words. Normally, a translation page contains 1800 characters without spaces or 250-300 words depending on the specialization area if you don’t want machine translation to take place.

If machine translation is used, then the process is called machine translation post-editing (MTPE) where translators correct the mistakes made by the machine or AI-supported tools. The cost of this service depends on the machine output quality and the time needed to set the translation right.

Poor SEO

Example: A translated website fails to rank well in search engines due to a lack of relevant keywords for the target language.
Solution: Translation agencies with SEO expertise can translate keywords and optimize website content for improved search engine visibility in the target market. Always check if the translation agency has had experience with the localization of SEO content or even offers SEO services.

By partnering with a reputable translation agency that understands the sporting goods industry, you can avoid these pitfalls and achieve seamless communication in new markets. And get more customers at the end of the day.

Contact us if you need help with the translation of your sporting goods. Let us help you translate words into your customers, success, and progress!

Sporting goods and translations: Avoid these costly mistakes