[New Post] Grammar Hammer: Stuffing vs. Dressing and Content Localization’s Importance

 

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Grammar Hammer: Stuffing vs. Dressing and Content Localization’s Importance Catherine Spicer Thanksgiving turkeys are being brined or defrosted. The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line® is up and running. Millions are either making travel plans to head over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house, or preparing for the onslaught of family and friends to arrive at their doorstep, ready for the big meal. When someone talks about turkey with all the trimmings, I'm always curious to hear what they call the dish that accompanies the bird. Is it stuffing or is it dressing? People land squarely in one camp or the other on this topic; there isn't much middle ground. If you stuff the bird, you call it stuffing. If you serve it as a dish on the side, it's a dressing. If you are south of the Mason-Dixon line, it's dressing no matter where it goes (either inside the bird or next to it). Northern states call it stuffing. Historically, you can trace this dish's origins to the 16th century where you can find recipes for a "forcemeat or other seasoned mixture used to fill the body of a fowl before cooking." Regardless of what goes in your bird or next to it, how you refer to it is influenced by regionalization. Although the stuffing/dressing debate makes for amusing holiday dinner conversation, language regionalization and content localization are important topics to keep in mind throughout the year. Consider the content you create and the products you promote for your brand. Are your products and services only available in certain markets or can they be shipped anywhere in the world? Are you talking to a specific regional audience or do you need to tailor your message for a broader appeal? I remember one of the first times I went to see a show at Second City Theater in Chicago with my visiting parents. I was laughing hysterically at jokes that they didn't get since they weren't local to Chicago. Content you want to send to a specific geographic region should be developed and managed with the local level in mind. You or the distribution partner you work with should have an established network of local contacts who will get your information to your intended audience. Your content also can be personalized for even more effective outreach. When we work with customers who are sending press releases outside of the U.S., our translators localize the translations. This is because the direct translation of a word or phrase doesn't always translate, literally. Understanding a language's regional variations is crucial to getting your story out to a global audience. Not doing so can result in your message falling flat. Even worse, doing it incorrectly can lead to embarrassment for your brand.. If you are wading into a new market, help them see why your story matters. Download our white paper Setting the Record Straight: Press Releases that Stand Out in the Digital Age for more tips on writing content that hits the right audience in the right way. Author Catherine Spicer is a manager of customer content services with more than 20 years' experience counseling brands on their content. She also authors Beyond PR's long-running Grammar Hammer series. Follow Cathy on Twitter @cathyspicer and tweet her your #grammargripes. For those who are interested, she will be serving her grandmother's cornbread dressing at Thanksgiving.

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