Spanish 101 Won't Get Business Owners the Market Share They Expect

May 9, 2005 -- Every day more and more companies and products are reaching out to U.S. minority market segments by crossing the language borders. These companies should beware that they may be losing their core identity in the process of reaching these new markets. This occurs when a company relies on simple or literal translations and erroneously believes they have consistency in their brand and brand voice in the translated language. Many companies turn to the first “bilingual” person for help translating their brand communications, without realizing they do not have the necessary expertise and knowledge of the language.

Traditionally there have been two options for obtaining professional translation of brand communications. Translation companies have played an important roll in the advertising and marketing industry by filling the need for quick literal translations. But as more companies market to minority consumer segments, standing out among the competition demands effectively communicating brand messages by “recreating” them in other languages. More sophisticated companies have turned to multicultural advertising agencies with the professional staff to ensure effective in-language communications. Yet the high cost and long-term contracts can easily eat up the marketing budgets of small to mid-sized advertisers. This situation has created opportunities for new companies that deliver effective and cost-effective in-language brand communications.

One of these new companies is Tayrona Communications, Inc., headquartered in Valencia, California. Its focus is to help to advertisers with their marketing communications targeted at the growing U.S. Hispanic Market. This new concept offers clients a more intelligent approach to Hispanic Communications without the unwieldy burden and high cost of traditional advertising agencies or the lack of marketing knowledge and sophistication of translation agencies. Tayrona Communications’ services range from professional translations and “transcreations” to original creative development and language consulting for the entertainment industry. Many advertising agencies have already joined Tayrona Communications’ roster of clients, including other companies like Hilton Hotels Corporation. Now Tayrona Communications plays an important roll in solving their need for intelligent translations for their brands.

“Every year, small businesses are gaining larger participation in our economy. The incentives from the government and financial companies are catapulting these small businesses to big numbers in billings,” explained Mauricio Osorio President and founder of Tayrona Communications. “Part of this success is based on their growing share of the $630 billion buying power of the U.S. Latino population. But to reach that market you need to start of right: talking to them in their own language in an appropriate manner and with respect. And we at Tayrona Communications excel at doing this.”

It is a good alternative for many advertisers to turn to these companies servicing the niche between translations and advertising agencies.

For more information about Tayrona Communications Inc., visit the company’s website at www.tayrona.net