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(Re)imagining Canada: Projecting Canada to Canadians through Localized Websites. Julie McDonough Dolmaya University of Ottawa, Canada [email protected] www.mcdonough-dolmaya.ca. Methodology. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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(Re)imagining Canada: (Re)imagining Canada: Projecting Canada to Canadians Projecting Canada to Canadians
through Localized Websitesthrough Localized Websites
Julie McDonough Dolmaya University of Ottawa, [email protected]
Millward Brown Optimor Most Valuable Global Brands 2009 (cf. April 29, 2009 Financial Times)
Top 25 brands with Canadian website (from the top 33 brands)
Various degrees of localizationSites considered “localized” when global gateway offered link to Canada site
MethodologyMethodology
Google Microsoft Coca Cola IBM McDonalds Apple GE Wal-Mart Nokia Toyota UPS Blackberry HP BMW SAP Disney Gillette Intel Oracle Amazon AT&T HSBC Pampers Nintendo Cisco
Top 25 brands with a website localized for Canadians
Diversity
French Canada
Focus on websites localized for CanadaFocus on websites localized for Canada
Canadian DiversityCanadian Diversity
Images usually depicted people of various ages and ethnicities.
Only 3 of the 19 sites with images of people did not include at least one photo of a visible minority:
AT&T CanadaUPS CanadaBMW Canada
Multiculturalism ensures that all citizens can keep their identities, can take pride in their ancestry and have a sense of belonging. Acceptance gives Canadians a feeling of security and self-confidence, making them more open to, and accepting of, diverse cultures. The Canadian experience has shown that multiculturalism encourages racial and ethnic harmony and cross-cultural understanding, and discourages ghettoization, hatred, discrimination and violence (Citizenship & Immigration Canada 2008).
Diversity in localized websites differs from “official” federal government’s narrative:
Canadian DiversityCanadian Diversity
hsbc.ca
hsbc.ca
pampers.capampers.ca
walmart.ca nokia.ca cisco.ca
Canadian DiversityCanadian Diversity
toyota.ca
mcdonalds.ca walmart.ca
nokia.ca
mcdonalds.ca
sap.ca
ge.ca
Canadian DiversityCanadian Diversity
apple.ca
Are companies representing themselves or
what they think their customers want to see?
HSBC site localized for French and English Canada
HSBC site localized for Chinese Canada
French CanadaFrench Canada
On the surface, French and English are equal23 of 25 sites localized for English Canada and French CanadaLayouts of English and French versions identicalTextual and visual content usually identical
Multimedia sometimes available in English but not in French
Microsoft CanadaPampers Canada
Gaps in French/English contentGaps in French/English content
Gaps in French/English contentGaps in French/English content
Text within images sometimes not translated into French
SAPPampers CanadaAmazon CanadaApple Canada
• Text within images sometimes contains errors• Pampers Canada
pampers.ca sap.ca
amazon.ca
apple.ca
Political implications of localizing for Political implications of localizing for French CanadaFrench Canada
2006 census:
Canada’s population: 31.2 million
English mother tongue: 17.9 millionFrench mother tongue: 6.8 million
Residing in Quebec: 5.9 million Ontario: 488, 815
New Brunswick: 232,975Other mother tongue: 6.1 million
Trends for translation of general and commercial texts:
English into French
ConclusionsConclusions
Future studies:
How do these sites compare to domestic (Canadian) sites?
How are other website elements (e.g. environment, community involvement) depicted on the websites? What cultural and political implications do they have?
