03 · Markets
Localize meaning, not just words
Adapt the promise, search vocabulary, and creative for each market with native review.
Localize the decision
Literal translation preserves words. Good localization preserves the reason someone chooses the app. Rebuild the brief for the market: audience, local category language, promise, proof, pricing context, and cultural expectations.
Give native reviewers a real brief
Provide product context, screenshots, character constraints, terms that must remain unchanged, and the intent behind each field. Ask the reviewer to flag unnatural search language—not merely grammar.
Plan creative and copy together
Text expansion can break a screenshot. A familiar benefit in one market may sound alien in another. Review the localized listing as a complete page at realistic sizes and keep room for adaptation.
Roll out with a learning plan
Do not launch every market simply because the translation file exists. Decide what support, analytics, review response, and product behavior the market needs. Record the date and reviewer for every locale.