Product Label Translation: It Pays to Do it Right

Have you ever been to a foreign country and been unable to decipher the labels on cans or bottles?  I have spent absurd amounts of time looking for hair products in foreign stores because I wasn't sure if the bottle actually contained shampoo or conditioner or some other substance.  I also remember finding "raisin" juice in a Canadian grocery store and feeling disgusted until I realized that the other side said “grape juice”.  (Products in Canada are labeled on one side in English and on the other in French). 

The Huffington Post assembled a slide show of absurd labels and instructions, many of which resulted from bad translations.  (Warning: a couple are not quite G-rated).  Like most bad translations, these are really funny, but that's obviously not what the companies were going for. 

So, why do so many poor translations slide through the cracks and onto the labels of everyday products?  Translating labels is, admittedly, a complicated process, but not an impossible one.  Translation by Design focuses on every little detail to make sure the client is completely satisfied. 

First, TBD makes sure that the translator assigned to a particular product label knows the field.  Then there are several factors to consider, such as: What parts of the label should be translated?  Do we need to change the measurements from English to metric?  Should the name of the product be translated?  Will the translation offend any members of the target culture? 

Given how much is at stake in terms of people's safety, as well as their likelihood of taking the product seriously, it’s a pity that more companies don’t adopt a similar philosophy on label translation quality.  Although that would leave us with less to laugh about...