New marketing strategy demands top-notch execution
Lyon-based B to B communication agency pemaco recently turned to SFM Traduction to provide French-to-English translation and English copywriting services for Schneider Electric’s Energy Efficiency Solutions Guide, a 100-page catalogue targeting building systems designers and installers on commercial property markets in all countries where Schneider Electric operates.
The stakes were high for pemaco—the agency could not afford to disappoint a major corporate customer—and at Schneider Electric, where energy efficiency was recently placed at the core of a new solutions-driven marketing strategy and where all eyes—right up to executive level—were riveted on the outcome of this strategic communication project.
Sylvie Soule, account manager at pemaco, developed the concept for the document—an introduction outlining general environmental and regulatory issues plus five chapters presenting the solutions on a series of double-page spreads—and orchestrated all aspects of production, from copywriting and translation to graphic design and final editing.
Based on past projects successfully completed together for the same customer, Sylvie knew that SFM Traduction’s Sara Freitas-Maltaverne shared her vision for the document, and would be willing to go the distance to ensure that the high expectations for the project were met. Sylvie particularly appreciated Sara’s tenacity: “If she isn’t satisfied with something, she will keep on plugging away at it until she is. She is also easy to work with, really listens to the customer’s needs, and takes into account the limitations inherent to any project.”
Quality is in the details
Sara’s assignment—a hybrid of translation, rewriting, and copywriting—demanded considerable attention to detail. The contributions of multiple authors from Schneider Electric in different languages—French, English, and a blend of both—had to be unified to ensure that the entire 100-page document came together as a coherent, attractive, and readable whole.
There were also a number of hurdles to overcome at Schneider Electric, where the use of certain outmoded terms and expressions in English had become institutionalized. Sara took the time to meet with internal stakeholders and, armed with documented evidence, was able to convince the team to risk breaking away from “business as usual” to ensure that the entire document reflected the fresh, modern image that had been chosen for the new marketing strategy, right down to details like choice of vocabulary and even punctuation. For Sylvie, Sara’s availability and willingness to go the extra mile “greatly contributed to our credibility and our added value on this project […] and made a positive impression on the customer.”
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