Translation vs. Localization: What Does Your Brand Need?

Today, your customers can come from anywhere. Brands like Netflix and Spotify grew fast because they reached people in many countries. But entering a new market takes more than shipping your product. You also need to cross language and culture gaps.

That’s why many teams ask the same question: Do we need translation, or do we need localization?

What is localization?

Localization means shaping your product or content for a specific place. It is not only about words. It is about how the whole experience feels.

With localization, you adapt things like:

tone and style
images, colors, and icons
currency, units, and formats
layout and user interface
legal or policy details

The goal is simple: the product should feel like it was made for that audience.

Translation vs. localization: the key difference

The difference is mainly about scope.

Translation

Translation changes text from one language to another while keeping the meaning. The focus is on clarity and accuracy.

Localization

Localization includes translation, but it also adjusts cultural and practical details. The focus is on user trust, comfort, and relevance.

A useful way to think about it:

You can translate without localizing.
But good localization almost always includes translation.

Translation often works well for content where emotion is not the main point—like manuals, medical documents, or research. Localization matters most when you need people to feel something—like in marketing, apps, games, and brand messaging.

📖 You might also like to read: Multilingual Content Marketing Strategy

Example of language localization

Even when people speak the “same” language, the words can change by region.

Spanish is a good example. Spain, Mexico, and Argentina all use Spanish, but the vocabulary and everyday phrases are not the same.

Take this sentence:
“Two pounds of strawberries cost $10.”

A localized version would change key details:

In Mexico, you would likely switch pounds to kilograms and use Mexican pesos (MXN).
In Argentina, even the word for strawberry can change: “fresa” may become “frutilla.”

Slang and idioms are another big one. If you translate trendy English phrases like “lit” or “on fleek” word-for-word, it may sound strange or even meaningless. Localization finds a local phrase that creates the same vibe.

Even small spelling differences matter. For example, “color” (US) vs “colour” (UK). These details can decide whether your brand feels local or foreign.

Example of full localization

Localization also includes design and technical changes. Here are a few common ones:

1) Colors, symbols, and visuals

A color can mean very different things across cultures. For example, white may signal purity in some places, but in others it is linked to mourning. A localized campaign adjusts design choices to avoid the wrong message.

2) Date and time formats

In the US, dates are often month/day/year (04/05/22). In many other countries, they are day/month/year (05/04/22). If you don’t localize this, users can misunderstand deadlines, bookings, or deliveries.

3) Layout and interface

Some languages take more space than English, so buttons and screens may need resizing. Others, like Arabic and Hebrew, use right-to-left reading, which can require flipping the entire layout.

Real-world examples of localization

Many global brands win because they treat localization as strategy, not a last step:

Netflix localizes the app experience and content through subtitles, dubbing, and local originals. In India, it also introduced a lower-cost mobile plan for local buying habits.
Coca-Cola adapted its name in China to a version that fits local sound and meaning, helping it feel familiar.
KitKat in Japan aligned the brand with a local phrase that connects to good luck, and it launched flavors made for local taste.
Spotify localizes discovery by promoting music that is popular in each region and running ads that feel local to daily life.

Which one should you choose?

It depends on your goal and what you are publishing.

Choose translation if:

You need accuracy above all (medical, legal, technical content).
You have high-volume content like reviews or tickets.
The content is short-lived and the budget is tight.

Choose localization if:

You are launching an app or website and UX matters.
You are running marketing that needs emotion and trust.
Your brand uses slogans, humor, wordplay, or culture-based references.

Final thought

Translation helps people understand you.

Localization helps people trust you.

If your brand wants to feel like a real part of the market—not a visitor—localization is what turns “international” into “local.”