Lost in Translation: The Broken State of Marketing in Northern Nigeria
Don’t worry, we are not going to talk about the movie but rather the funny things I keep seeing happening in the Marketing and advertising industries.
We all know marketing is a constantly evolving field that must adapt to changing consumer preferences, technology, and cultural nuances. It is critical for marketing agencies to pay attention to local differences in a diverse country like Nigeria, with its rich tapestry of languages and cultures. However, the marketing landscape in Northern Nigeria remains fractured, with agencies frequently relying on Google Translator to bridge the language and cultural divide. In this post, we will look at why this approach is problematic and how it affects both businesses and the local population.
The Linguistic Diversity of Northern Nigeria: Northern Nigeria is a region of great linguistic diversity, with over 250 distinct ethnic groups and languages. While English and Hausa serve as the lingua franca in most of the area called Arewa, many communities have their own languages and dialects. Ignoring this linguistic diversity can lead to miscommunication and the alienation of potential customers.
For example, I received a message from Airtel promoting a service for a user to listen to music, and the title of the short message is “Rawa” which translates as “Dance,” but a typical Hausa speaker will not title a message like that for the sake of being too raw or catchy, and elderly people will take it as a way of getting lost since dancing is just a way of someone losing his value if he did it in the midst of people. But if you title it entertainment, which can translate as Nishadi,” it will easily go, Why? Everyone needs some fun and entertainment in their lives.
But that is not all. The sentence structure when you dive into the message will make you fall short of words, which is why big brands like these are not paying attention to the details of what they are putting out; they lack cultural sensitivity, which will lead to the misinterpretation of brands messages and then a loss of opportunity for brands to have local community management. But my thought is, did they search for local talent that could serve the region for them? Or do they feel like the holistic approach will be okay for them?
Let’s wait for the end of the year, when brands will share a lot of holiday and New Year’s messages, As the region is dominated by Muslims, there are no exact words that you can use to send that message. I once saw an Indomie Noodles billboard in the heart of Kano City with a Google Translated season’s greeting as “Gauswar yanayi.” 😂 Why? Because season in Hausa means “Yanayi,” the same as weather, but in English, it’s a different thing, and when you put a message like this, you lose your customers completely.
Marketing in Northern Nigeria is broken because agencies are more concentrated in the southern part of the country, where most of the organizational headquarters are situated, and those agencies more often neglect the crucial aspects of language and culture. Relying solely on Google Translator and other automated tools leads to miscommunication, cultural and religious insensitivity, and missed opportunities for engagement. To build successful marketing campaigns in this diverse region, agencies must embrace a more language- and regional-based approach rather than a holistic one that misses the value of local knowledge and expertise. Only by respecting linguistic and cultural differences can marketing truly connect with the people of Northern Nigeria and create a lasting impact.
Will you patronize me if I start a marketing agency in Northern Nigeria?