Translating Your Company Magazine into German

It’s no secret that Germany and the United States are close economic partners. As a result, a multitude of American companies operates in Germany, whether it be through partnerships, affiliates, or international offices.

Having a company outpost in Germany is crucial to reaching the local market in your industry. But at the same time, you also risk losing the corporate culture that made your core business successful in the first place. If your German subsidiary works independently to secure and nurture business opportunities in that country, it may not represent the mission, vision, and values of your company as well as you’d like.

That’s where internal communication strategies enter the discussion. Any marketing expert knows that internal marketing can become just as important as promoting your products to external audiences, especially if your corporation includes multiple offices across different regions. Translating your company magazine into German can help you communicate with your workforce in that country, and brings with it several key benefits:

1) Strengthening Corporate Culture

Above all, a unified internal communications piece like a regular magazine or newspaper helps strengthen the bond between your employees, even internationally. They will feel like they are united in being a part of a bigger culture, and that culture will reverberate in their interactions with customers and clients.

Business leaders around the world are beginning to realize the importance of a strong, coherent corporate culture. Employees who buy in to the culture will inevitably begin to represent it in their interactions with outside stakeholders.

Take SAP, for example. The German company has become a premier business finance solution in the U.S., and it has done so through a consistent reputation of accuracy and efficiency. That the corporation can maintain that image in countries around the world is thanks in large part to its clear efforts on maintaining and improving its corporate culture, making all employees feel like they’re part of the same company.

2) Making Your Employees Feel Involved

In addition, a well-translated internal magazine makes employees in foreign countries like Germany feel involved in the core events and news coming from headquarters. Sharing insights from company executive, strategic plans and ideas, and recent industry trends before they are released to the public will make your employees feel like they are a part of the company’s inner workings. That, in turn, will increase their commitment to their work, and ultimately benefit everyone involved.

Naturally, your employees in foreign countries will have little connection to your American leadership team. But through a translated company magazine, they will feel like they are connected, and that leadership cares about them just as much as they do about U.S. workers.

3) Prioritizing Your Foreign Operations

Translating your company magazine into German, or any language in which your corporation operates, can also work wonders for your internal prioritization of foreign markets. One danger many businesses face as they move their operations to new countries is that they will always prioritize their home market, neglecting any potential issues in other countries.

However, an internal magazine that is translated into German helps prevent that fact simple because it necessitates articles and mentions of the company’s German operations. Your foreign markets will remain on your mind, which means you can prioritize and make the most out of your opportunities in another country.

Of course, all of these benefits are only achievable if your company magazine is translated professionally and with an eye on quality. A badly-translated publication can actually have the opposite of your intended effect, alienating your internal audience by showing that that your U.S. headquarters don’t even care enough about them to learn their language.

Accurately translated magazines and newsletters, though, help you strengthen your corporate culture and make your employees feel involved. If you are looking for a partner that can help you achieve these benefits and strengthen your international operations, contact us.