As professional translators, most of us know by now that words don’t always tell the whole story, especially online. In digital media, content isn’t just written or spoken – it’s visual, interactive, and highly contextual. A meme isn’t funny just because of the caption. A brand slogan isn’t persuasive just because the grammar checks out. And a line in a cartoon doesn’t land unless the tone, culture, and context match.
Welcome to the world of multimodal localisation – where meaning lives not just in language, but in images, sound, layout, gestures, humour, and user expectations. And where a “faithful” translation can sometimes do more harm than good.
What is it that usually goes wrong?
I remember working on an English to Serbian localisation campaign for a large clothing line. They contacted me after realising that the translator hired for the campaign had done a lousy job translating their slogan for the coming autumn season. It was a simple slogan: New collection! Autumn 2017. And the job description was simple – make it loud, yet effective! The description included even the colours and the size of the font that the slogan was to be printed in and glued onto the shop windows because the clothing line believed that this would help the translator imagine the end product – the image of the slogan on the shop window. The solution offered by my predecessor was cumbersome and inadequate, as if the translator had ignored the fact that this slogan was to be printed in large letters on every window of the shop that the clothing line was renting in the city centre. What can I say? My solution was just like that: loud and effective! And as a bonus, I was to enjoy my work for a few months whenever I went by the shop in my city: Nova kolekcija! Jesen 2017.
What is localisation in the multimodal digital age?
Let’s start with a definition that works outside academia. Localisation of content in the multimodal digital age is the process of adapting digital content that uses more than one communication mode — text, visuals, sound, movement – to make it feel natural and meaningful in another language and culture. We may say that all content in the digital age is multimodal and includes the following:
- Commercials and brand campaigns
- Websites and mobile apps
- Streaming shows, cartoons, video games
- Memes, GIFs, social media reels
- Instructional videos, podcasts, and webinars
Each of these doesn’t just communicate through words. They’re an ensemble of elements that work together to produce an effect. If you localise one mode (say, the script, i.e. the language) and ignore the rest (like visuals or cultural tone), the whole thing can fall apart – or worse, fall flat.
What gets in the way?
So why does localisation sometimes go wrong, even with the best intentions? Here are just a few classic pitfalls:
- Literal translations that strip the original of its tone, humour, or emotional nuance.
- Ignoring cultural references, visual metaphors, or inside jokes that don’t travel well.
- Design elements (like layout, direction, colour) that clash with local reading habits or expectations.
- Confusing units, formats, or laws — from currencies to road signs to copyright rules.
Often, the issue isn’t the translator’s language skills. It’s a disconnect between the original meaning environment and the one the audience lives in.
It's all about context
To truly localise well, you need to look beyond grammar and syntax. You need to ask:
- What’s the purpose of this content?
- Who is the intended audience?
- How do they think, speak, feel, joke, and buy?
- What visuals, tones, and interaction styles feel “natural” to them?
- What’s the subtext? The emotional or cultural assumptions baked into the original?
Only when we match the context of the message, not just the text, can we really deliver a localised version that hits home.
Why it matters more than ever
We live in a digital-first, global content economy. And most of that content is designed to trigger emotions quickly: curiosity, laughter, trust, desire. If you miss the mark by even a little – the tone’s too flat, the joke’s too strange, the layout’s too awkward – your message won’t stick. It might even alienate your audience.
That’s why clients now want more than just “accurate” translation. They want campaigns that convert. They want animations that make sense across markets, not just linguistically, but visually and emotionally.
A better way to work
So, how do we, as translators and localizers, adapt to this more layered, more dynamic reality?
Here are some tips that work:
Analyse the big picture
Before translating, understand the function of each mode in the content: what the visuals are doing, how the tone is set, and what emotional or cultural hooks are being used.
Respect emotional logic
Sometimes, it’s not about the exact words. It’s about how the line feels, in rhythm, humour, sarcasm, politeness, or intimacy. Match that energy in your target language.
Collaborate with designers and media teams
If possible, work with the teams who handle the visuals, layout, and sound. They might be able to tweak an animation or adjust subtitle timing to better suit your adaptation.
Test your work with native audiences
When you’re not sure how something lands, ask. A small round of user feedback can save a localisation from embarrassment or unlock a better way to express the message.
Stay curious about your audience
Read, watch, listen, scroll. The more you immerse yourself in your target culture’s media, humour, habits, and hangups, the better you’ll be at making content that connects.
The bottom line
Words are important. But they’re only one piece of the puzzle. As localizers, our job is to deliver meaning, and meaning is always multimodal. It lives in context, in feeling, in the complex dance between what’s said, what’s shown, and what’s assumed.
When we embrace that challenge, we stop being “just” translators. We become meaning-makers, the kind who can take a global message and make it feel like home, wherever it lands.
We invite you to deepen your understanding by joining our webinar, “Localization of Animated Content in the Entertainment Industry” on July 3, 2025, at 11 am GMT. Discover practical strategies to bring animated stories to life across cultures and make your localization work truly resonate.
