By Alicia Fiorletta
Retail TouchPoints - February 23, 2012
A leading challenge of international expansion, whether physical or web-based, is language barriers. Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc., an international merchant of anti-aging and skin care, faced this obstacle when creating a more personalized online experience for its global shoppers.
In an effort to streamline content development and sharing, Nu Skin implemented the GlobalLink Suite from Translations.com, a language services and translation-related technology provider. Adopted by Nu Skin in 2010 and streamlined over the years, the GlobalLink solution helps the merchant create more compelling localized content for its international markets and distributors. Nu Skin recently announced the partnership and its expansion to content across all markets.
The primary goal of implementing the GlobalLink suite was to create more organized and cohesive planning processes for a vast assortment of international content, according to Dan Chard, President of Global Sales and Operations for Nu Skin. The solution allows Nu Skin, a global direct selling company, to simplify workflows for translation, review and approval of its web site copy. Content is available in more than 20 languages, including Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Finnish. This is key, since Nu Skin operates more than 52 markets worldwide, and collaborates with 825,000-plus independent distributors.
"We wanted to streamline the process for localizing new and dynamic content for all regions, as well as for our distributors,” Chard said in a company statement. “Translations.com fulfills that goal, letting us empower distributors around the world with innovative products and rewarding business opportunities."
Prior to rolling out the localization management software, Nu Skin relied on a decentralized, web-based model. All content was managed separately, with translations completed in-house. By tapping the GlobalLink Translation & Review Portal, Project Director and TransStudio solutions, the merchant was able to speed content creation and translation processes significantly.
“Translations.com’s dual capabilities of providing global language translation and localization management technology was key for Nu Skin,” Liz Elting, Co-Founder and CEO of Translations.com, told Retail TouchPoints. “Since the merchant publishes so much content to a variety of markets, it was critical that the technology was flexible enough to allow a host of workflows. It also was vital that the solution had the ability to automate tasks for all users and drive efficiencies.”
Through the Translation & Review Portal, Nu Skin eliminates all manual processes for content distribution, translation and review for stakeholders. The merchant then manages all localization requirements for online and offline content via the GlobalLink Project Director module. Materials are submitted for translation to Translations.com’s production centers and reinserted into Nu Skin’s system within a 24-hour period.
Overall global brand management is highly improved, while publication cycle times have decreased considerably, according to Elting, spotlighting the benefits of allocating localized material in a centralized platform. By leveraging the TransStudio tool, Nu Skin provides a collaborative environment where translated files can be accessed quickly and efficiently.
“A centralized platform ensures that all localized content is routed through the proper review cycles,” Elting explained. “This allows the cycles to keep pace with content creation and enables our clients to scale localization resources readily, whether those resources are internal or external.”