In the blog post Get the better of sneaky errors in your texts – thanks to our “ready-to-print” service we asked you for your own experiences about mistakes that were discovered too late or just in time. We received the following story about reports in several media sources:

As Düsseldorf is the host city of this years‘Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), Düsseldorf Marketing & Tourismus GmbH produced an exclusive city guide. Over 100 pages, visitors can find information about the music competition as well as gastronomy, nightlife, culture, shopping, attractions and events in the area.

Error with implications: “Gay’s Day of Action” instead of “Schools‘ Day of Action”

Instead of the phrase “Aktionstag der Schulen (schools‘),” the misprint “Aktionstag der Schwulen (gay’s),” slipped into the German version of the brochure, and was subsequently translated into English as “Gay’s Day of Action.” Embarrassing, as it should actually have read “Schools’ Day of Action”. The mistake had to be covered with a sticker in 65,000 copies of the German brochure and 35,000 copies of the English version. On the front cover, readers were greeted with “Wielcome to Düsseldorf.” As there was no time for the brochures to be reprinted, the superfluous “i” had to be painted over 35,000 times.

It might have been an amusing mistake, but it probably led to additional costs as well as unnecessary stress. Such errors can hurt personal, religious or ethical feelings and can have communicative, economic or legal consequences. This is why we offer our customers a free terminology service as well as a free “ready-to-print” service.

Control terminology and sneaky errors with TRANSLATION-PROBST Ltd.

Our terminology service gathers important concepts and specialist terms and ensures their consistent use in all languages. With our “ready-to-print” service we check all documents that have been translated by us before completion to ensure that translations have been implemented correctly and that no errors have slipped in.

Avoid communication breakdowns with TRANSLATION-PROBST Ltd.’s quality guarantee.

admin Proofreading, Specialist translators and proofreaders, Terminology, Translating Marketing translators, Terminology, Text agency, Text revision, Text service, Tourism, Tourism translators, "Ready-to-print" service

Sadly, the TTW is all over. I would like to thank everyone who visited: it was a lot of fun showing you how to fire my crossbow. You can keep practicing with our online game – some of you really need to! After all, you can win a language course in Australia! Hit the target and win. Some of those who did hit the target were the people from KUONI- our neighbouring stand, who, like us, emphasises its Swissness. And another thing: my bushy beard has nothing to do with vanity, lack of electricity or an allergy to aftershave- I’m just a man from the canton of Uri and my beard is a symbol of my years of marksmanship. See you later!

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Professor Tell Copywriters, Editing, Fairs / Events, Interpreting, Professor Tell, Proofreading, Specialist translators and proofreaders, Translating Proofreading service, Travel industry, Tourism, Tourism translators, TRANSLATION-PROBST, TTW, TTW Montreux, Translating, Advertising text

People are likely to become customers if you speak their language, as it makes them feel understood and accepted. As former German Chancellor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Willy Brandt said- “if you want to sell something, you need to speak the customer’s language.”

Zürich Tourism has recognised this. Since 2008, most Russians who come to Switzerland visit Zürich. This trend has encouraged Zürich Tourism to produce a targeted marketing campaign aimed at Russians with the help of TRANSLATION-PROBST. We translated their entire homepage into Russian, with content tailored specifically for the Russian clientele.

The effort paid off. Several media such as 20 Minuten,NZZ Online and Der Tagesanzeiger reported on the customer-focused investment. Furthermore, the number of Russian visitors is set to rise this year despite the credit crunch. They seem to feel welcome in Zürich.

If a company fails to speak to its audience, they lose them. TRANSLATION-PROBST offers a service that tailors your texts to your target audience. As a member of ASTTI (Swiss Association of Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters), TRANSLATION-PROBST is committed to the highest standards of quality. Read more about how TRANSLATION-PROBST tailors its texts for the target audience in the article «Die Sprache der Kunden sprechen» (“The Language of the Customer”) from the magazine “Inside”, edited by FH Schweiz.

What makes a good translation? Read SuisseEMEX’s expert interview with Roman Probst.

The following links contain tips from our partner Worldsites about adapting your message to different customers.

«Kundensprache sprechen und globale Botschaft für lokale Konsumenten anpassen»

«Anpassungen an die Kundensprache und globale Botschaften für lokale Kunden»

«Wie Sie Fehler in der Übersetzung und der lokalen Kundenansprache vermeiden»

admin Copywriters, Editing, Proofreading, Translating Marketing translators, Marketing translations, Probst Translation, Tourism, TRANSLATION-PROBST, Advertising text, Texts that are tailored to your target group, Zürich Tourism