A pre-launch checklist for localised video ads

Localising an ad is quick now. Checking it is still on you. Run through this list for every market before you spend on it.

The script

• Read the English back-translation in full. Does it say what you'd say?
• Are prices in local currency and believable for that market?
• Is every claim one you can support there? Rules on health, finance and comparison claims differ by country.
• Are brand and product names unchanged?

The edit

• Replace on-screen text: supers, prices, offers and the call to action.
• Check captions fit the frame. Some languages run much longer than English.
• For right-to-left languages such as Arabic, check captions and graphics read the right way.

The launch

• Check whether prices must be shown including tax in that market.
• Make sure the landing page the ad links to is localised too.
• Run the localised version against a translated control if you can, so you learn what the extra work is worth.

Regionly flags pricing, claims and cultural points for each version and lists on-screen text replacements, but a native speaker's final read is always worth it for big spends.