Why Communicating in Foreign Languages Isn’t Just About Overseas Expansion

Being able to communicate naturally and effectively in foreign languages is essential if your business has ambitions to succeed in international markets.

However, having this ability can prove just as valuable when it comes to maintaining engagement, nurturing leads and building relationships in your home country. In a diverse, multicultural nation such as the UK, for example, there are many opportunities for companies to connect with customers in specific audience segments by communicating in their native tongue.

International Audiences in the UK

For British businesses, one of the biggest benefits of being able to engage with international customers in your home market is gaining maximum advantage from the large numbers of global travellers who routinely visit the UK every year.

The Middle East is one of the most reliable sources of regular tourism to British towns and cities, with citizens of Gulf countries heading to the UK in large numbers every summer to escape the sweltering heat at home. This has fuelled the phenomenon of ‘supercar season‘ in London, when some of the Middle East’s richest consumers come to the UK capital in July and August to display their spectacular vehicles and spend money.

But it’s not just the ultra-rich who have made a habit of travelling to the UK from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates every year.

Recent figures from VisitBritain showed that a record number of GCC visitors took trips to the UK in the first quarter of 2018. There were 161,000 visits from the region, two per cent more than in the same period a year earlier.

Perhaps most significantly of all for businesses, Gulf consumer spending rose by 11 per cent year-on-year to £358 million in Q1, a figure that is likely to increase significantly over the summer months.

GCC tourists are some of the UK’s biggest spenders, typically spending £2,733 per visit, compared to the global average of £625.

Tricia Warwick, VisitBritain’s interim director for the Middle East region, told Arabian Business: “Britain’s attractions, hotels, shops and luxury goods are all offering great value right now, making it an attractive choice for visitors from the GCC who already rate the UK as a top destination.”

As well as enabling stronger engagement with the large numbers of international consumers who visit the UK every year, the ability to communicate in foreign languages can support relationships with particular ethnic groups who are permanent residents of the country.

Taking Muslim communities as an example, speaking to this audience in a natural, familiar way that reflects their unique priorities can prove hugely valuable for businesses.

Personalised Communication

Being able to speak to your customers in their native language could prove vital to achieving a vital goal in modern marketing: personalisation.

In fast-moving, competitive industries where consumers are placing increasingly strict demands on their product and service providers, effective personalisation could make a big difference to marketing ROI.

Recent research by Deloitte showed that one in five people who had shown an interest in personalised company offerings would be willing to pay a 20 per cent premium for them. An earlier study by Salesforce found that more than half (53 per cent) of consumers would be happy to share their personal data if it contributed to a more relevant, beneficial shopping experience.

Personalisation has never been more important, and how you speak to your audience is critical to achieving this goal and showing your depth of customer understanding.

By speaking to Muslim consumers in the UK in Arabic, for example, you can put forward a compelling case for why you are well-positioned to meet their specific needs. Using your customers’ native language in product descriptions could be particularly useful if you arehoping to build interest in relevant offerings such as modest but fashionable clothing for Muslim women.

Carefully planned, properly constructed language is one of the fundamental building blocks required to establish trusting relationships with your customers and demonstrate that you understand what really matters to them.

Locaria offers a range of services that can optimise your communications and deployment of language, including content localisation and social media marketing. To find out more, give us a call on +44 (0)20 3948 6800.