The Republic of the Philippines (Pearl of the Pacific) is home to many natural features, languages, and customs. Various nations, such as China, the United States, and Spain, have had a significant impact on Filipino culture in the past.
Filipinos are well-known for their friendliness and relationship-based nature, making them an ideal target market for businesses seeking to grow their customer base. Furthermore, the Philippines has a growing economy, with most Filipinos not speaking English as their native language. This presents a huge potential for firms that translate their materials into Filipino.
Adopting other company methods, such as “Glocalization,” was simple because Filipinos form various connections.
In 1955, Coca-Cola ran an ad called “Pearl of the Orient” to promote its product. Their 21-minute film highlighted Filipino customs and traditions. Its content included traditional dances and festivals and people from the area interacting with laughter while drinking bottles of the American beverage brand.
Coca-Cola aimed to make Filipinos feel more comfortable and receptive to foreign products by localizing them to their culture, which is not an issue since Coke is “pure” and “part of the family” branding. The Filipinos’ adaptability and embrace of change permitted profitable business partnerships and endless possibilities.
The Philippines has a population of over 100 million people
The Philippines is the world’s 12th most populous country and has a growing economy. In fact, according to the World Bank, “The Philippines is among the fastest-growing economies in East Asia.”
There are many Filipinos throughout the world. Many of them work in the healthcare, maritime, and education professions. Despite living outside the Philippines, they remain loyal to local companies. For example, Filipinos frequently want to go to a Jollibee restaurant when traveling abroad.
Now that the world has gone digital, now is the best and easiest time to enter the Philippine market because more than 70% of Filipinos are active on the internet. According to a report by We Are Social and Hootsuite, Filipinos spend the most time online, with an average of nearly 11 hours per day.
This implies a large potential market for businesses that translate their materials into Filipino.
English is not the first language of most Filipinos
The Philippines is a Southeast Asian country with many English speakers who range from basic to advanced, or educated native English that has been simplified, particularly known as “Business English.” It leans toward US speech patterns due to American colonial influence on the country’s education system and because of limited Spanish education.
More than 90% of the population speaks English as a second language. As a result, Filipinos are among the largest English-speaking people in Southeast Asia. However, if you immerse yourself in Manila’s diverse streets and try to speak English to random locals, such as market vendors and public transportation drivers, you will discover that the majority are not proficient, and only about one-third are fluent and can converse in English on complex topics.
For example, they might show evasiveness, embarrassment, or shyness, but they will still try to converse with you as best they can. It’s proof that a large portion of the population is still not comfortable using it.
Translation can help you build trust and credibility in the Philippines
If you want your Filipino customers to trust and like what they see from your brand, the tone of voice used by your brand must speak directly toward those feelings. One way is to speak in their native language and use appropriate slang terms when necessary because Filipinos will likely support products and causes that honor their culture and heritage, a strategy used by many YouTube content creators known as Pinoy baiting.
Many brands have done this, but they do not convert because the localization is poor. By choosing Lexcode as your translation provider, we will ensure that your materials are localized for conversion and sound natural to your customers; there will be no awkward expressions.
Translation services are affordable and customizable
Because of the expense and time involved, many companies would never consider offering their materials in a different language. They don’t realize translation is a significant one-time investment because translations do not expire. In contrast, ads only run for a limited amount of time.
Lexcode offers a low-cost translation service that starts at PHP 2.4 per word (USD 0.046). You may choose which materials you want to be translated based on your budget. Many of our clients start with small translation requests, such as menus and product labels, before returning with bigger ones later.
Clients can also customize their requests by using other services like editing to ensure that their English materials are free of grammatical errors and consistency issues. Another service they bundle with translation is closed captioning and subtitling to make their content more inclusive while increasing viewership and engagement with their video ads.
Start your project by hiring a professional translation service
If you’re looking to break into the Filipino market, translating your content is necessary. While English is widely spoken in the Philippines, it’s not the first language of most Filipinos. To connect with your potential customers, you need to communicate with them in their native language. Translation services can help ensure that your message is communicated accurately and effectively to your target audience. By hiring a professional translation service, you can ensure that your translations will be accurate and culturally relevant. Ready to start targeting Filipino consumers?