Multi-national marketing needs multi-lingual speakers!

BDB and its need for a multi-lingual workforceFriday 9 March 2007

Barrett Dixon Bell Ltd

B2B specialists Unique international capability Proven track record ~ €3.0M turnover ~ 25 employees

BDB’s clients

What does BDB offer?

Experienced marketing consultancy Award-winning marketing

communications campaigns Exceptional results

Return on marketing investment

What makes us different?

Our approach to multi-lingual marketing

We do not like the BIG agency approach: Offices in London, Paris, New York… Costly, inter-office rivalry

Nor do we like the ‘networked’ agency approach ‘Not invented here’ syndrome, budget splitting,

inter-agency rivalry, loss of cohesion…

BDB: One Office. One World

One office One team

Multi-lingual staff dealing with clients, editors and suppliers in their own language

Easy co-ordination one point of contact

Reduced overhead/co-ordination costs

Strategic & tactical consultancy

Targetaudience

Communicationstrategy

Keymessages

Communicationobjectives

Businessobjectives

is key to successPlanning

What do linguists get involved in?

Advertising Design, copy, style

Media planning Negotiation/purchase

PR Copywriting Editor liaison, checking

translated copy Clients

Telephone/face-to-face liaison

… and much more!

Why do we need linguists?

English may be the ‘language of business’: Middle/senior management level In large companies

12,000 bakers in France - not even 20% speak English

UK/US-based B2B publications are well read. But: local language advertising/coverage essential

Feedback form Black Country Metals Ltd

If the British and Germans and selling product to a customer in Spain ..

… and all things are equal … … except the Germans speak Spanish –

who do you think will win the business?

“Languages are one of the building blocks of the success of UK plc and has to be recognised as being so”

BDB’s linguists Speak to editorial/client contacts in their

own language delivering significantly improved response editorial reduced advertising rates understanding of concepts/ideas

Liaise with distributors/agents in their own language improving buy-in and involvement

Personnel requirements

Copywriting Mother-tongue English speakers

2nd/3rd language fluency Graduate level Face to face and over the phone We can teach people ‘marketing’ - it’s

too late to teach a language!

Bright and articulate Organised and efficient

Feedback from GCHQ

Comments from ex-Head of Languages: It’s not just other language skills that matter … Communications skills in English are also vital!

Language issues

Shortage of applicants Too few good candidates

Fluency Often poor/ ‘English’ accent

Language Too many Spanish speakers Too few German speakers BRIC

Reduced cultural awareness/ understanding Fewer years abroad?

How is this affecting our business?

Recruitment taking too long having to compromise on our core beliefs recruitment of non-linguists

Business growth without good people, we’ve had to turn down

good business

Loading Key linguists are over-stretched

Discussion