British Telecom
Country
Japan
Industry
Telecommunications
Project
Annual Report
BT is one of the world’s leading communications services companies, serving the needs of customers in the UK and more than 170 countries worldwide. Services: broadband, mobile and TV products and services as well as networked IT services.
BT is the world’s oldest multinational telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in over 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division, it is a major supplier of telecom services to corporate and government customers worldwide.
BT’s Annual Report is a comprehensive report on the company’s Progress throughout the preceding year, which includes information about the company’s activities and financial performance. BT’s Financial Investors annual report was created with the concept in mind for a multilingual layout and localised for the Asian market.
Alignian was assigned to create and design multilingual investor communication print material that included graphs, pie charts and financial analysis, as well as translation and localisation.
Challenge
BT needed to translate and localise its annual reports from English to Japanese for publishing in different Asian markets. The important aspect was the accuracy and appeal of written communication, as the translated copy will be distributed to investors who need accurate financial data and engaging visuals.
The English to Japanese translation required a 3-step process with a linguistic and cultural understanding of the Japanese language and market, while localisation included selection of fonts to ensure readability and aesthetic, along with typesetting with a great eye for detail, ensuring that all components are customised for each market while maintaining the document’s purpose.
The annual report was requested to be produced within tight timescales while ensuring the delivery of the right message.
Solution
Alignian had the resources to react promptly to the immediate needs of telecommunication services organizations, and the experience to help them reduce the long cycle times by adapting documentation to appeal to the culturally-bound learning techniques when providing translations.
The production process involved English to Japanese translation, editing, proofreading to DTP (typesetting/layout), and localisation. Alignian assigned a dedicated team of translators, editors, and DTP operators to meet the client’s challenges. Our production team of creative directors, designers and native linguists delivered strategic brand communication and publishing.
Alignian’s efficient solution was implemented using translation-memory technology throughout the project life cycle, ensuring cost-effectiveness, as well as consistent terminologies.
Results
Alignian delivered BT’s Annual Report localised versions with consistent layouts and within a constricted timeline.
The readership of the annual report exceeded the previous year metrics and surpassed the forecasted result.