The French way can be Feng Shui

Many of my keyclients request French adaptations of their packaging, websites, advertising and how-tos in order to obey the language laws in Quebec and across Canada. They do understand the importance of reaching their market with a message that will be tailored to their lingo or culture, but most of all they just want their issues solved, and fast. That is why I put together a list of rules to follow when you are translating your message to French, in order to respect all the many requirements enforced by the Office de la langue française (OLF), also affectionately known as the language police. All it takes is one disgruntled consumer to lodge a complaint and you will receive a written warning, assigned a case number, then a fine if the situation is not corrected in a short amount of time. We can also help you deal with the OLF and other governing bodies and call them on your behalf. Over the years I have seen horrible (and often funny) attempts at French by these robots who should be left in the box – they get zero points for trying, it will insult your market and upset your distributors. Why take the risk when it can be so much more cost effective to include your French strategy at the outset with your design or ad agency; remember quality translation costs are the least expensive of the entire process, and it will be much cheaper than having to reprint a campaign or pay a fine. But the number one motivation should be to please and ease the French consumer’s experience, turning it to profits and loyalty. Win-win! Mais oui!