dōTERRA is a world leader in the sourcing, testing, manufacturing, and distributing of CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essential oils through a global network of Independent Product Consultants. The company primarily operates in Asia and North America, but has rapidly growing markets in South America and Europe. dōTERRA has recently partnered with LSA for professional translation support in several key European languages.
LSA was recently tasked with translating dōTERRA’s Welcome Pack, a collection of introductory materials for new Consultants, and the Spring/Summer 2014 issue of their Living Magazine. LSA’s Marketing Director, Keri Robinson, recently sat down with Roger Duce, Director of Sales and Marketing for dōTERRA Europe, and LSA Senior [tooltip content=”A member of the Translation and Localization division assigned to manage a client project from the estimating phase through completion, delivery and follow-up.” url=”” ]Project Manager[/tooltip] Molly MacPherson to discuss these projects in more detail.
Keri
Prior to partnering with LSA, how did dōTERRA meet the language needs of its European customers and prospective customers?
Roger
Before partnering with LSA, we relied on our bilingual employees and Consultants to translate materials for us. There were several issues with this approach. For starters, we wanted our employees to focus on their daily tasks, not translating materials, and we wanted our Consultants to concentrate solely on growing the business. We also realized that the translations were being performed by individuals with no real translation experience, which we knew could affect the quality of the translation. A partnership with LSA allowed us to shift the priorities of our bilingual employees and Consultants while ensuring the highest level of translation quality.
Keri
What was the first project request LSA received from dōTERRA?
Molly
Our very first project for dōTERRA was to translate, edit, and format their Welcome Pack, the introductory set of dōTERRA’s key publications, into Dutch and Slovak. In all, it comprised a whopping 22,000 words and 82 pages of formatting. While that translation was underway, we were given additional projects, like translating the Spring/Summer 2014 issue of their Living Magazine into Dutch, Slovak, and German.
Keri
Can you describe dōTERRA’s translation review process for me?
Molly
LSA partners with dōTERRA’s in-country associates for translation review. Together, we have developed a [tooltip content=”A glossary serves as a reference guide for translators. It contains a company’s key terminology in the source language and the approved translation of those terms in the target language(s). ” url=”” ]glossary of key terms[/tooltip] to help direct the translators in their work. The reviewers review the final translations and provide feedback and suggestions to LSA’s translation teams.
Keri
What was the initial feedback from your in-country associates?
Roger
Overall, our in-country associates have been very pleased with the translations they have seen. Any changes that have been made during the review process were minor nuances that had to be ironed out and had little to do with translation quality.
Keri
What challenges did we face (if any) during the course of these projects? What solutions did we implement to meet these challenges?
Molly
Because these publications, and the several that followed, were being finalized in English at the same time that they were to be translated, they went through several versions and updates before they could be finalized in the target languages. Living Magazine, for example, had four iterations before the project was complete. Using [tooltip content=”A computer program that helps to translate text documents more efficiently.” url=”” ]CAT (computer-assisted translation) tools[/tooltip], we could receive a new version, auto-fill all of the parts that were translated in the earlier version, and just translate the new pieces of text without adding great expense for the client.
Keri
What has been your overall experience with LSA? How would you describe your relationship with your dedicated Project Manager?
Roger
My experience with LSA has been nothing but positive. LSA is a company that provides quality language services at a competitive price. Having Molly as our dedicated Project Manager has been an absolute pleasure. She is proactive, detail-oriented and professional. I can rest assured knowing she is on top of every last detail!
Keri
Are there any other translation projects on the horizon for dōTERRA?
Roger
We have recently asked LSA to translate our Welcome Pack into Danish, and that project is well underway. We have a number of additional projects coming up as well, including some website translation, a fall product catalog and future issues of our Living Magazine. We also plan to add more languages to the mix as we continue to grow our presence in the European market. Everyone at dōTERRA looks forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with LSA for years to come!
