Taking into account cultural peculiarities of a target audience of any business project is one of the most important factors that affect successful business making. Many of us have probably faced so called “translation problems”, when certain concepts or visual symbols are immediately perceived by consumers in one region and have no effect or, even worse, have a negative effect in another region.
Being aware of such differences is a key to a marketing success of any undertaking. The experience in IT on the Russian and Asian markets allows us to see the essential points that hinder localization of the software promoted on the neighboring market. Just translate the product, well-proven in the world, from one language to another, and it’s done! But this is not enough: the product will not be appreciated, it will not be user-friendly.
Such examples are numerous, here are three of them. European users of apps for smartphones know that the green color is "yes", "input", "good", "possible"; the red one is "no" or "exit", and even "danger", "do not enter". But in China, for instance, red or yellow colors symbolize a positive information, and the negative one is transferred by white or black.
Another example – localization of movies. Movie theaters in Asia demonstrate foreign films and series in original language with subtitles. This is the norm. In Russia the criterion of quality is dubbing, which must be performed at a very high level. Otherwise, they just will not watch the film.
Let’s also mention ads in "anime" style, popular on the Asian market and quite unusual in Europe. The result is completely different – it’s clear if you show the same advertising booklet in Singapore and in Russia.
Such problems can be efficiently solved by cooperation and integration. That is to say, when launching any new product at an Asian market, a Russian businessman has to take care of right package for it. This task can be better resolved by specialists, particularly, by designers who are familiar with this market. It’s no secret that Russian programmers efficiently resolve tasks relating to IT sphere, moreover, with little effort and by companies with small number of employees. Russian programmers are faster and more efficient in developing some non-standard and high-performance solutions. That’s why they often become winners of international competitions in programming. Implementation of their achivements can be very successful in Asia. However, the most cost efficient digital tools that serve as a material basis for such solutions are currently produced in China. Perseverance, accuracy and precision are the advantages of Asian specialists. Therefore, opportunities, existing in Asian countries, have to be combined with Russian intellectual resources.
Mobile TV solution, developed for StarHub, the leading operator in Singapore, was one of the first developments of Russian programmers, working for SPB TV, introduced in Asia as a white label product. This product, including the design, has been completely localized by our sister company operating in Thailand and Singapore.
We proceeded in the same way, creating mobile TV service for Indian operators, which, for two years, has been ranked second in India in the number of views after YouTube. The same principle is always respected on Asian markets and it proved its justice. Our Russian developers and industrial designers aren’t able to make user-friendly and intuitive interface for the Asian market.
And vice versa: for example, Chinese stonecutters make unique high-quality sculptures. However, even when these figurines are designed for the European market, their faces look unusual for an European consumer.
Apart from media, naturally, Russian programmers’ developments can be used in the area of medicine, for example, to resolve remote monitoring tasks. Mobile and online technologies are being implemented in the medical practice all over the world. Their use allows decreasing expenses for treatment both private and public. Nowadays, it is particularly important. Indeed, one the one hand, thanks to the achievement in the area of medicine, a modern man lives longer. However, on the other hand, there are more old people as a result. And, in spite of an active way of life that many of them strive to practice, they actually need increased medical control. Mobile medicine based on Russian developments may be helpful in resolution of this problem in Asian countries, moreover, particularly, by cooperating with Asian specialists and market players.
It is known that almost all the devices in the world are produced in China, whereas the software presents a more complicated task. Therefore, successful business needs close cooperation. The MedM Platform, developed by Russian programmers, is compatible with virtually all wireless medical devices “made in China”. It‘s one of top-ten platform solutions in the world for the mobile medicine. The company communicates directly with factories in Asia, and helps them also to promote themselves on exterior markets.
These projects could be well supported at the governmental level as they play important social roles, by contributing to the development of the healthcare system or making mass media available. The “One Belt One Road” initiative has already united business and governmental structures of several countries. The program for cooperation can be implemented in the area of technological and software solutions for the medicine. Today, the relevant goals are clear.
Kirill Filippov is CEO of SPB TV.
This article is based on the speech delivered by the author for the participants of the Valdai Discussion Club conference " "New Institutions for Growth in Asia and Eurasia: What Mission for Russia?".
