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When expanding into new markets, many companies focus on localization — adapting content to meet local language, currency, and regulatory requirements. But there are times when localization alone isn’t enough. To truly resonate with a target audience, culturalization may be necessary.
While localization and culturalization are sometimes used interchangeably, they address distinct aspects of adapting content for global audiences. This article clarifies the differences between localization and culturalization, and shares insights on when and how to apply culturalization to your products, services, or content.
What is localization?
Localization means adapting your content, product, or service to fit the language, culture, and practical needs of a particular market. This includes translating text, adjusting currency symbols, formatting dates, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
In contrast to translation, localization focuses on making content feel natural and relevant to the target audience. However, it may not always address deeper cultural elements such as religion, social norms, or historical sensitivities.
Think of localization as everything you need to make your product work — and feel right — in a new market. Check out this article for a deeper look at how localization works in practice and this article for even more examples of brands that have successfully used localization to connect with users worldwide.
What is culturalization?
Culturalization is a more focused layer of localization, centered on aligning content with the values, beliefs, and expectations of your target market. While localization helps content feel familiar, culturalization makes sure it’s truly culturally appropriate and emotionally impactful.
This can mean more than just translating text or updating currency symbols — it might involve rethinking imagery, humor, or messaging that could conflict with local customs, especially around topics like religion or history. Even content that’s been carefully localized may still need culturalization to avoid misunderstandings or missed opportunities.
In short, culturalization helps you move beyond just fitting in — it helps you truly connect with your audiences, culturally.
4 steps to prepare for culturalization
Cultural fit can’t be faked, especially in globalization efforts. And it takes more than a quick cultural check to get content right. A few thoughtful steps upfront can make all the difference in how your content lands in a new market.
1. Research your target audience and market.
Before engaging in any type of localization or culturalization workflow, research the cultural norms, values, religion, and social dynamics of your new market. Knowing what resonates with your audience — and what might backfire — can save time, money, and your brand reputation.
2. Audit existing content for cultural fit.
Review your products, services, and marketing materials for elements that may not translate culturally. This could include language, imagery, humor, or references that may be irrelevant or inappropriate.
3. Prioritize high-impact elements for adaptation.
Focus culturalization efforts on content most visible to the target audience, such as websites, ads, product packaging, and in-app experiences. Make sure that adapting these elements aligns with business goals.
4. Collaborate with local experts.
Engage cultural consultants or regional partners to ensure your adaptations feel authentic. Localization teams often include expert translators, but culturalization may require input from sociologists or brand strategists familiar with the new market.
6 key examples of culturalization across industries
Culturalization looks different across industries. But the goal is always the same: to make content feel truly local, not just translated, thereby driving brand engagement. Here are some examples of how culturalization helps brands connect more meaningfully with their target markets.
1. Video Games
Culturalization in gaming goes beyond translating text or dialogue. It can involve adapting storylines, character backstories, visual symbols, and even gameplay mechanics to reflect local sensitivities, especially around topics like religion, politics, and historical narratives.
These changes help developers avoid controversy, meet regional content guidelines, and create immersive, culturally relevant experiences. That’s why many studios rely on specialized game localization services to navigate cultural nuances and ensure global success.
2. Marketing Campaigns
Cultural references, humor, tone, and even color choices can vary widely in meaning across regions. An idea that resonates with one region might clash with the norms or sensitivities of another. Culturalization helps brands fine-tune creative assets — like taglines, visuals, and brand messaging — to reflect local values and expectations. By adapting campaigns to fit the cultural context, companies can strengthen their connection with the target market and avoid costly missteps.
3. Mobile Apps
App interfaces may need more than just translated labels — they often require thoughtful adaptation to local usage patterns, design preferences, and cultural cues. This could involve reworking icons, onboarding flows, gesture patterns, or content structure to align with expectations in each target market. Culturalization makes these adjustments feel intuitive and familiar, improving user experience and increasing adoption across regions.
4. E-Commerce
In global e-commerce, culturalization can influence how products are organized, described, and promoted. Shoppers in different markets may have unique preferences around product categories, pricing formats, discount expectations, or customer service norms. Beyond currency symbols and translating product descriptions, brands often need to tailor imagery, models, and seasonal promotions to ensure the shopping experience feels relevant and culturally aligned.
5. Consumer Packaging
Packaging is often the first thing consumers see, and even small cultural cues can shape how a product is perceived. Visual elements like color, typography, icons, and imagery may need to shift across markets, especially when packaging touches on topics like health, beauty, or lifestyle. Culturalization ensures that packaging not only complies with local standards but also resonates with shoppers on a visual and emotional level.
6. Financial Services
Money matters are deeply cultural. What builds trust, how people borrow or invest, and even how financial products are named can vary widely from one region to another. For B2C audiences, culturalization might involve adapting marketing messages to align with local attitudes toward saving, debt, or financial independence. In B2B contexts, it can mean rethinking the tone of sales outreach, customer onboarding, or how data privacy and compliance are communicated. Tailoring financial content and services to reflect cultural expectations helps build credibility and foster stronger relationships in new markets.
Maximize culturalization with Smartling’s solutions
Culturalization doesn’t have to be complicated. Smartling’s translation and localization solutions help global brands streamline content strategies, addressing both linguistic and cultural nuances that impact customer engagement.
From adapting language to ensuring cultural fit, Smartling empowers brands to confidently enter new markets with content that feels both familiar and local. So whether you’re expanding into EMEA, APAC, North America, Latin America, or another market, Smartling’s platform supports seamless localization to connect with diverse audiences worldwide.
For more practical takeaways, watch “Top 5 Insights to Improve Your Localization Strategy” from Smartling’s Global Ready Conference. You will come away with actionable tips to help you enhance your localization program and build stronger connections with audiences worldwide.
