Last week ICS-digital launched its ICS-translate venture at CasinoBeats Malta Digital, with the Leeds-based firm introducing the brand as the sister agency to the long-established digital marketing, content and SEO agency.
Designed to open up new opportunities for growth and to develop new language services for brands ”focused on measurable results across digital channels in over 78 languages,” ICS-translate also provides a range of services such as subtitling, multilingual voiceover, interpretation and native-language content creation at scale.
Drawing on hundreds of native-language linguists and content producers, the agency aims to provide language services that allow brands to get more value from their existing marketing strategies.
“We’ve been offering high-quality translations in over 70 languages from our Leeds base for several years as part of our broad digital service offering but only late last year did we decide to consciously carve out a separate brand for clients interested in our translation and localisation services,” Charlotte Green, director of ICS-digital, said on why now was deemed the perfect time to launch.
“We have a lot to shout about when it comes to translation: the highly attentive nature of our client account managers, the quality of our output and the rigorous quality checks that go into the work we do, and the relationships that we build with our loyal customers.
“We realised that what makes our service so special really deserves a separate platform and brand identity which we can use to amplify our offering – so now we have ICS-translate.
“The world is a very different place to how it was when we launched sister agency ICS-digital”
“In some respects launching a new brand during a global pandemic could be seen as a questionable decision, but now more than ever as companies scramble to make their digital offerings as appealing as possible in this ‘new normal’ we’re all operating in, we want to be seen outwardly as the reliable, personable brand we feel we are.
“The world is a very different place to how it was when we launched sister agency ICS-digital just over 10 years ago, but nothing has changed when it comes to what we place at the forefront of our agency brands: transparency, reliability, and quality, all at a competitive price that represents serious value for money for our clients.”
CasinoBeats Malta Digital, delivered in association with Gaming Malta, featured 40 virtual exhibitors, numerous networking opportunities, 130 leading speakers, and a plethora of opportunities for 3,000 senior decision-makers from operators, suppliers, affiliates and other industry stakeholders.
Green continued by addressing why the event was deemed a logical choice for launching and how igaming specialism came about: “We’re lucky enough to have clients come to us for translations in multiple sectors, most notably finance, eCommerce, and the public sector, but we’ve always been proud of our offering for the igaming industry. It therefore made sense to us to launch at a gaming conference this year.
“Our plans to launch earlier this year at the physical CasinoBeats event in Malta were scuppered by the arrival of the coronavirus, but we wanted to support the virtual event this summer while not delaying for any longer the launch of ICS-translate.
“We’ve built up a serious database of knowledge in this sector”
“As for our igaming specialism, much of the reason for that has been crossover in terms of client base from ICS-digital, a digital agency that has provided marketing services at scale for gaming brands since 2009.
“More than that though, we have a close understanding of all of the aspects around the edges of the igaming industry that matter hugely when it comes to translation; aspects like local legislation and regulation, cultural preferences, and the fact that some phrases in the igaming world simply don’t translate in the neat way you might expect.
“We’ve built up a serious database of knowledge in this sector that we believe can’t be replicated by other translation companies.”
Before moving on to address ICS-translate USP’s and what exactly sets it apart from the rest: “I think the fact that we can offer brands so very much sets us apart from other companies in the same industry.
“The close link between ICS-digital and ICS-translate means we can take clients all the way through the digital journey; from quality translation and localisation of their content, to local SEO and international PR, with multilingual PPC and technical consultancy services to boot.
“All of that can be managed by the same experienced account manager, drawing upon the expertise of our core team in Leeds.
“To keep the connection with players it’s essential to speak their language”
“I also think that we do go above and beyond in a way that is very special. For instance, not all translation companies would go the extra mile for their casino clients by carrying out in-situ testing after the translations have been put live online.
“For slot clients, that means one of our language specialists actually playing a version of the game to make sure that the translations make sense in-context. We care a great deal about the work we do and I think that’s clear in how we work for our clients.”
With trust quite rightly deemed one of the all important factors for players when it comes to online casino, Green pinpoints exactly that as a key facet in how igaming brands can use multilingual content to attract and keep players.
“Trust is such a huge factor for players to make that all-important first deposit,” she says. “If the content they read is poorly translated or hasn’t been written with them in mind, players will be pushed away.
“Of course, players in different markets also search for casinos using different keywords, and (in new market especially) it’s important to give them the game, payment, FAQ and terms & condition content needed to welcome them on board.
“To keep the connection with players it’s essential to speak their language with on-going content that builds trust and a relationship with your brand.
“In such a competitive market brands have to give players a reason to care – and multilingual content can do this while building competitive advantage in terms of SEO and player engagements, as well as on a product level.
“We’ve decided to launch ICS-translate as its own brand because there’s a clear need for what we do, and our commitment to iGaming. It really isn’t enough to cover the basics in casino translation – players and regulators need much more in order to build safe and impressive growth.”
