Cosmetics Translation: How to Achieve Flawless Results
The cosmetics industry involves the most multifaceted, complex language of any sector; navigating ‘beauty speak’ can be difficult enough in your mother tongue.
When it comes to entering another market, you’re faced with the daunting task of meticulously translating everything from ingredient lists and legislative materials to the all-important marketing content capturing the essence of your brand and which is essential for building a following of loyal customers. Even the slightest loss of clarity or step out of context could see a thriving, cult-status beauty brand fall flat in a market they should have dominated, which is why it’s essential that you put your cosmetics translation in the hands of professionals.
Talking Heads has developed a unique approach to cosmetics translation of cross-referencing relevant legislation before undertaking localised translation, ensuring full compliance and smooth integration of your brand in the target market. Our list of satisfied cosmetics clients includes the likes of Beauty Bay, Max Factor, Nouveau Lashes, Revolution Beauty and Sephora. We work with a vast network of expert beauty translators and world-leading legal partners within the industry, so your project is in capable hands every step of the way.
Our thorough understanding of the beauty and cosmetics industry has been built from years of hands-on experience. Below are just a few of the key considerations involved in cosmetics translation; we’ve thought of every detail so that you won’t have to.
FULL LEGISLATIVE COMPLIANCE
As one of the most stringently regulated industries in the world, you simply wouldn’t be able to sell cosmetics in any market without ensuring the products adheres to local legislations. Our very first stage is to work with world-leading legal partners to provide advice on international compliance, such as confirming that your products’ ingredients are permitted in the target market and identifying which legislations you must abide by.
Following our unique ‘legislation first’ approach to cosmetics translation, we then match any legislative terms to the precise wording in the target market’s legislation before accurately translating all remaining text to the highest standards. The final stage is to have a legal team in the target country review the finished pack artwork: this legal team becomes responsible for the compliance of your product in their market, so you can be completely confident of your product in market.
BRAND IDENTITY RETENTION
Beauty and cosmetics is an incredibly personal industry; customers are loyal to brands that they trust and relate to most closely in terms of lifestyle and ethics. Because our cosmetics translators are experts who fully understand the beauty industry within the target market, they are able to provide a step further than a literal translation of your content, marrying up their industry insight with your brand guidelines in order to ensure it will connect with consumers across the world on the same level as the original.
UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL STANDARDS
What is considered beautiful and appealing in one culture could be undesirable and even taboo in another. You may have seen examples of this where a photograph of one person is Photoshopped into the ideal beauty standards of different countries, with hugely varying results. Talking Heads’ cosmetics localisation services take into account beauty standards as just part of a range of cultural factors to ensure your product has the best chance of acceptance in any country.
MEETING CONSUMER DEMANDS
Consumers of the cosmetics industry are more informed than ever; this is true across all global markets. They want to know exactly what they’re putting on their skin, as well as where and how it was manufactured, and expect full transparency from manufacturers. The slightest loss of information through translation could appear as an attempt to mislead customers, and see them turn to competitors with more easily understood content in that language. Talking Heads develops a unique brand dictionary for frequently used phrases and terminology, which all cosmetics translators are given access to in order to ensure the clarity and consistency which customers expect in any language.
Beauty translation certainly isn’t easy. It can be a complex, confusing and long process that’s best left to the experts – and we love it. Talking Heads ensures flawless results every time. Read more about our beauty and cosmetics translation services here >>