Branding and internationalization: the importance of translating a brand in the foreign market Posted on 12 March 2020 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 5 min Catchy images, seductive slogans, jingles repeated ad nauseum until they turn into unforgettable (sometimes unbearable) torment—an endless bombardment with a single goal: to carve the name of a brand or a product into people’s minds. Welcome … Continue Reading
SEO: Why Multilingual Keywords Are Essential to Your Business Posted on 22 March 2018 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment In our digital era, multilingual SEO has become a critical element to any business, as it allows your website to pop up on the first page of search engines. Ranking on the top pages brings more traffic to your website—potential customers who are interested in your … Continue Reading
How To Boost Your Website: Localization and SEO Translation Posted on 7 March 2018 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 2 mins Although they are not the same thing, localization and SEO translation work together to empower your website and help people find your offers and services within the chaos of the net. Localization is part of the translation process, as it … Continue Reading
Website Translation vs Website Localization Posted on 22 February 2018 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Is there any difference between website translation and website localization? When approaching a new foreign market, you must know not only the language of the country you are targeting, but also its culture. The latter is fundamental in order to avoid offending your … Continue Reading
Translating and Localizing Keywords Posted on 8 February 2018 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Keywords translation is not just about translating. It is about researching and localizing for a local target because choosing the right keywords is critical for organic SEO and for attracting the right target audience in the right language. Why Translation Is … Continue Reading
Technology, Translation, and Possible Futures Posted on 25 January 2018 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Technology has often been seen as something completely unrelated to the translation world. We often think about translators as figures writing down on paper what they read, pen in hand. Needless to say, reality is a bit different. Technology should exist to improve … Continue Reading
January: Time for New Year’s Resolutions for Businesses Posted on 12 January 2018 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Reaching a better work-life balance, conquering new markets, attracting more customers within your existing market, and so on—in January, everybody is facing their new year's resolutions. Listing them is one thing, but putting them into practice is another. Some goals are … Continue Reading
Learning Business from Christmas Classics Posted on 14 December 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 4 mins Running a business means always being keen to learn new lessons and techniques that also come from fields seemingly unrelated to your business. Classics are one of those fields. "How does reading the classics make you better at business?" … Continue Reading
The Importance of Knowing Foreign Cultures During the Process of Internationalization Posted on 23 November 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Knowing the culture of the country you are approaching can be critical when you want to start the process of internationalization at your business. In fact, when you go global, you must have a multilingual marketing strategy that is made of different small steps that make … Continue Reading
Going Global: What’s Your Multilingual Marketing Strategy? Posted on 9 November 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 6 mins Going global means having a clear business plan in mind and clear objectives. But going global also implies going local in many countries. To do so, you have to know the specific markets and the characteristics of every country you want … Continue Reading
GILT: Globalization, Internationalization, Localization, Translation Posted on 19 October 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 3 mins GILT is the acronym for globalization, internationalization, localization, and translation. These are the four steps your products or services have to go through when you want to sell them to a global audience beyond the borders of your home … Continue Reading
Four reasons why you should build a business plan Posted on 4 October 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 2 mins Are you thinking of improving your business or going international? Take some time to meditate about it and reflect upon yourself and plan ahead. More than half a year has gone by now, so you might feel the need to go back to your business … Continue Reading
7 Marketing Lessons We Learned from The Rolling Stones Posted on 27 September 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 5 mins Is it weird for a rock band to give us some marketing tips? We don't think so. Nowadays, we're overwhelmed by marketing and advertisements of all sorts, which makes it difficult for a company to stand out. In a world of possibilities, … Continue Reading
Fashion in Translation Posted on 21 September 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 4 mins Fashion weeks always take place in big cities such as Milan, London, Paris, and New York, but fashion mostly happens through different distribution channels, the retailers net, and even through languages and translation. Weird? Not … Continue Reading
Five questions you should ask yourself before going international Posted on 14 September 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Going international is definitely an opportunity to improve your business and increase income. But it also implies a certain degree of risk. So before you start dreaming big—we're all dreamers, and there's nothing wrong with that—you have to face reality. Expanding … Continue Reading
What can entrepreneurs learn from literature? Posted on 3 August 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 3 mins Literature has always been a vivid source of inspiration in many different fields, from visual art to music, design, and even entrepreneurship. In fact, being an entrepreneur is a tough job that requires a touch of creativity when coming up … Continue Reading
Netiquette Rules: Speed, Variety, and Politeness in Social Media Posted on 27 July 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 4 mins Social networks are critical to the expansion of a business, and netiquette rules are fundamental in order to make careful use of them. In fact, social media is certainly a slippery slope where many people and businesses fall—the fact that … Continue Reading
Treat and Greet: How to Increase Customer Satisfaction Posted on 7 July 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 3 mins Customer satisfaction is vital for your business, and maximizing it means maximizing profitability. According to DestinationCRM.com, a website dedicated to discussion of customer relationships, businesses lose on average 10% of their … Continue Reading
Going International? Don’t Panic! Posted on 29 June 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 4 mins The time has come for your business to go international—you have reached such success in your home country that you seek new markets in which to demonstrate your ideas. Great! In fact, going global can have positive effects on your business, … Continue Reading
Foreign Languages: Why and How to Choose a Translation Agency Posted on 23 June 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 5 mins Speaking a foreign language is beneficial not only from a personal perspective, but also—and especially—for businesses. Why? Because knowing at least a second language facilitates communication between businesses, between a company and its … Continue Reading
Your Website as a Business Card: Do It Better! Posted on 15 June 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 3 mins Your website is your business card. Before contacting you, your customers might have taken a look to it, and only after that they decided whether or not to contact you. But the simple fact of having a website is not the trump card that makes … Continue Reading
How Translations Help Your Business Grow Posted on 8 June 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 2 mins Your business’ success depends a lot on your online presence, as it allows you to reach your target audience by communicating with the right people and increasing your sales. If you are an international company, it's likely that you have … Continue Reading
A Translator’s Most Important Skills Posted on 1 June 2017 by aparthenos | 2 Comments Estimated reading time: 2 mins Do you know all the skills professional translators are required to have? People often think that a degree in foreign languages is enough to start a career either as a freelance or in-house translator. But, as with any other job, it requires … Continue Reading
Business: multiculturalism and language skills matter Posted on 26 May 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 3 mins You're a small company and you intend to expand your business abroad? Have you ever thought of investing in a language course to improve your employees' language skills? Every year, many European companies appear to lose business because … Continue Reading
Customer Service, or About the Power of Kindness Posted on 16 May 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 4 mins Customer service is the detail than can make the difference between your company and your competitors, and this is where many small businesses fail; ignoring the customers' needs means cutting short the potential life of a business. … Continue Reading
Translators and Interpreters: Improvising is Banned Posted on 20 April 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 3 mins "Why don't you apply for a job as an interpreter or translator? You've studied foreign languages, after all!" I don't even remember the number of people who told me this after my graduation back in… well, that's not important! What matters … Continue Reading
Positive Attitude: The Right Weapon to Face a Translation Posted on 3 April 2017 by aparthenos | 2 Comments Estimated reading time: 4 mins Positive attitude is everything when you have to face a workload that seems bigger than you. It might be difficult. For instance, how many times did you think, “Oops! It’s already 5 o’clock on Friday and I have to finish this job by tonight, … Continue Reading
Localization: What’s Behind Your Video Games? Posted on 24 March 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 3 mins Have you ever wondered why some video games have different titles depending on the country they are released in? Sometimes even characters look different and their names are spelled differently. This is because of localization, the process of … Continue Reading
Translating, or About an Art Lying Between Science and Creativity Posted on 17 March 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Translations: art or science? Creativity or algorithm? When talking about translation, people usually think about literary translations—that is, novels, poetry, comics, and many other literary genres. However, there are various kinds of translation: patent and technical … Continue Reading
Google Translate: Will Communication Rely Solely on Algorithms? Posted on 10 March 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Estimated reading time: 5 mins In about three years, Google Translate will be able to translate almost anything, even novels. Thus, professional translators won't be necessary anymore. This is the alarming message that Giodano Vintaloro, translator and English professor at … Continue Reading
Promoting “Made in Italy”: don’t forget marketing translations! Posted on 2 March 2017 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Promoting "Made in Italy" abroad: don't forget marketing translations! When you sell your products, either abroad or in your home country, you have to show your target audience why they should buy from your company and the special characteristics they can find only in your … Continue Reading
Summer is coming Posted on 28 July 2016 by aparthenos Summertime at Athena Parthenos doesn’t really mean vacation time; to tell you the honest truth, it’s more like “prep time.” In the period between May and September, we work side by side with our customers to prepare all the marketing material for the expos they … Continue Reading
Borders, memories and food Posted on 21 July 2016 by aparthenos "The memory of time is full of swords and guns, I want to remember you for that kiss you gave me in Iceland. " J.L. Borges My memories, on the other hand, are all related to food. I know, it's embarrassing, but that’s how it is. I'll give you one example: you certainly … Continue Reading
Money makes the world go ‘round Posted on 13 July 2016 by aparthenos …Money makes the world go ‘round, the world go ‘round…. I’ll explain how in “a few words”... I am Friulian, but on occasion, in addition to foreign languages and Italian, I speak the Venetian dialect. Having reached the age of remembrance, when memories related to my … Continue Reading
When our cellars will have to learn to speak …Chinese Posted on 6 July 2016 by aparthenos Following market trends is part of our job and we become an integral part of them thanks to our customers, whose needs, processes, and goals change over time. Some examples? - Very often the demand for "a new language" by a client is the last step in a deep change in … Continue Reading
Uniqueness Starts from Small Details Posted on 29 June 2016 by aparthenos At Athena Parthenos, just like at all other companies, we have an email footer with all our contact information. At the very beginning—to do something cute—we decided to have a picture of our employees next to the website address and phone number. We thought it was a great … Continue Reading
The Travel of a Big Fish from the Pond to the Ocean: How a Small Company Can Become a Billion-Dollar Multinational Corporation Posted on 16 June 2016 by aparthenos Some years ago, a friend of mine told me about the story of Africa and shoes—a business owner of a shoe company sent two of his sales representatives to Africa to check out the market and see whether they could start selling shoes there. One came back with bad news and said … Continue Reading
I Will Make a Stellar Employee Out of You Posted on 9 June 2016 by aparthenos Transitioning from study to employment can be extremely difficult for many young workers, especially during times dominated by financial crises. A large percentage of companies try to transition out of these difficult times by increasing production and sales without adding … Continue Reading
Have You Heard the News? Posted on 27 May 2016 by aparthenos Are you a gossiper? Even if you are not a person that normally likes to gossip, we’re all familiar with those so-called “word of mouth” conversations. These conversations can’t be defined as gossip, but they do resemble them: 1. Someone tells you something about a third … Continue Reading
Words: Small Elements for the Biggest Effect Posted on 19 May 2016 by aparthenos Few weeks ago, I read an interesting blog post called A little thing about release notes by Anna Pickard, Editorial Director at Slack. She pointed out how at Slack, words are part of the user experience too. I sincerely liked that post- and for that matter also Slack’s … Continue Reading
1, 2, 3 Localize! Posted on 12 May 2016 by aparthenos I believe deeply in the saying “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” and I also like to think that it’s best if the step you take is in the right direction. For this reason, it is important to keep in mind that although the journey is what will take you … Continue Reading
Why Apps should be localized from the very beginning Posted on 4 May 2016 by aparthenos Five minutes reading The application world is a real business—one that is quickly becoming one of the biggest. Most likely, this is because apps were designed from the very beginning as products to be sold globally. Thus, if you invest in the creation of apps you should … Continue Reading
Behind the scenes of digital marketing: costumer courtesy and start-ups Posted on 20 April 2016 by aparthenos Digital marketing is a big deal right now—many companies allocate a percentage of their budget for it, and that percentage is increasing every year. If you work in a big company, the digital marketing budget is probably relatively easy to find and invest, but it’s not as … Continue Reading
What Your Companies Need to Learn from Sci-Fi Posted on 6 April 2016 by aparthenos They say that if you are a geek, you are not very interested in sports. You could always say that cultural differences are something that really interests you. Even without reaching Sheldon Cooper’s level of expertise on the Klingon culture, if you have seen and enjoyed Star … Continue Reading
Standing between coins and words: where is the value of translation? Posted on 30 March 2016 by aparthenos Last week, I attended a conference in Vienna, and during a coffee break with another attendee, I discussed one of the most common situations that translation agencies encounter when selling their goods to companies—translated words are considered too expensive. I … Continue Reading
101. When you live with a freelance translator Posted on 23 March 2016 by aparthenos If you are about to share your home with a freelance translator these are some good points to keep in mind before it's too late: They don't necessarily follow the traditional 8 working hours A cup of coffee has the power to transform their typical growl into … Continue Reading
Young, smart and beautiful: that’s the reason why you should choose Athena Parthenos. Posted on 15 March 2016 by aparthenos The translation agency you’ve been looking for Athena Parthenos is a company with a young mentality. Most people think negatively of the term “young,” because they often associate it with the idea of being inexperienced or simply unstable. I personally like … Continue Reading
Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes Posted on 8 March 2016 by aparthenos One of the comments that I often hear when my friends travel around the world is that they weren’t able to find decent Italian food outside of Italy. They complain about ketchup on pizza or carbonara pasta full of mushrooms. Although I know they are sincerely distressed by … Continue Reading
When baking becomes “fashion” Posted on 9 February 2016 by aparthenos I'm not a professional in the food sector—I'm someone who enjoys food, sure, but that doesn't make me an expert. But here at Athena, we help companies in the food industry reach their customers around the world. Our "house specialty" is the technical translation of … Continue Reading
Eviction Notice to Modernity Posted on 3 February 2016 by aparthenos I am sure that at least once in your life, you have either asked or answered the question of whether you would prefer living in the countryside or in a big city. But were you ever asked if you would be willing to go and live off the grid? If not, prepare yourself for a new … Continue Reading
New Website of Athena Parthenos: WHY All These Awards? Posted on 26 January 2016 by aparthenos Last June, Athena Parthenos launched its new website created by the team of Lucia and Andrea of direWeb. Over the following months we received many awards and much praise for our site. Here are just a few examples: A French mention by Frenchdesignindex A source … Continue Reading
Google teaches you how to tango Posted on 19 January 2016 by aparthenos What can I say? I am a nerd and to me each year the CES (Consumer Electronic Show) is more like a Magic Kingdom than anything else. Considering that the conference takes place in January, there is no better way to welcome the new year than with a fresh breath … Continue Reading
Humor: did we lose it in translation? Posted on 21 April 2015 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment A common saying states that laughter needs no translation, but how about what triggers the laughter itself? That spark, that special harmony poses one of the greatest challenges for a translator: the translation of humor. As much universal as individual, and at the same … Continue Reading
I’m sorry doctor, I don’t speak medicalese Posted on 24 March 2015 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Have you ever found yourself at a doctor's office with the awkward feeling of having some communication problems? Have you ever heard them asking you a totally incomprehensible question even if it was formulated in your own language? Or worse, have you ever been implicitly … Continue Reading
Wanted: techniques to overcome language barriers Posted on 10 March 2015 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Having spent a lot of time abroad for both studying and working reasons, I have always been fascinated by how communication in a foreign language works. I have often noticed the difficulty caused not only by a poor command of the language, but also by a lack of awareness of … Continue Reading
In the name of my reputation Posted on 3 March 2015 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment I am watching tv while eating dinner, the news on and the Italian president of the government is talking in English in a very important ceremony or event, or European congress, or very big political event. I’m dining and he’s talking in English. Something really bad is … Continue Reading
Eggs or not eggs, that is the question! Posted on 27 February 2015 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment When I came to Italy in 2007 I worked as a lifesaver in Bibione. My purpose was to Just to get in touch with Italians, live, work and be with them in real and sometimes dangerous situations. My intention was to experience real and daily life to find out if it would work to … Continue Reading
Writing and translating for children: a “balancing” practice Posted on 12 February 2015 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Translating is like exploring the world - each text can be indeed compared to a town with its own peculiarities even though it does make part of a region (a sub-field, e.g. mechanics) and a country (a field, e.g. engineering). The opportunity of continuous discovery it … Continue Reading
Court interpreting in Italy: are we keeping the pace with other model countries? Posted on 5 February 2015 by aparthenos | Leave a Comment Some years ago, during my first experiences in the interpretation field I had the opportunity to see a professional court interpreter at work, experience that inspired my BA dissertation. Later, thanks to the support of this interpreter, who was my professor at that time, I … Continue Reading