Textappeal on BBC NEWS
March 4, 2011 – The lead feature of BBC NEWS BUSINESS highlights Textappeal as a company that is showing the way in global virtual business. In a web article titled “The Virtual Business: Doing Deals in Your Pyjamas”, Fiona Graham, Technology of business reporter for the BBC News, writes:
“Textappeal is (a) company working to a hybrid virtual model.
Founded originally in Paris, the company does transcreation – translation for the advertising and marketing industries. This requires more than just straight language skills, it’s about ensuring that advertising and branding translates culturally.
Clients have included a worldwide hotel group. When this hotel firm translated its slogan into Chinese characters, they found later it also meant pig’s tail, leading them to engage Textappeal’s services.
Costa Coffee uses Textappeal to make sure they don’t make a cultural faux pas
They now work in 151 markets with global brands such as Nikon, Swarovski, and Nokia’s luxury mobile brand Vertu.
Co-founder Elliot Polak says their remote workers can feel isolated at times.
“The idea that everyone can work from their home is a nice idea, but most people want to be with other people – it’s more stimulating and they come up with better ideas.”
The company says it values its remote workers and works hard to help them feel like part of the team, flying their top people in to head office to spend time with each other and the team.
In the 12 years Mr Polak has been in business he has seen a seismic shift in the technology available.
“It’s hard to believe we were using fax machines. We could fax each other and find people in different markets who could do these things.
“Over the last two years people have realised that you don’t really need offices – you just need talented people and thanks to technology you can connect people up.”
Using talented people who have been through a rigorous testing process, but who are local to the countries the brands are breaking into, gives Textappeal the edge, Mr Polak believes.”
Read the full BBC feature: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12622771