Why Agile Content Is Essential for Modern Multilingual Global Strategy
Agility has become a business buzzword in recent years. So much so that the meaning can often get lost. However, in a rapidly changing social, political, and technological landscape, agility is a crucial quality for all types and sizes of businesses. So, what does agility look like when applied to multilingual content production? What does agile localization do for your business?
In a nutshell, agility is an organization's ability to compete and thrive by quickly responding to changes in an uncertain market and business environment. Companies must navigate a fast-paced, digitally enhanced localization environment, which means shifting to proactive multilingual content creation. In this strategy, translation and localization processes are integrated early through partnerships with active, strategic localization teams for an effective global content strategy.
Responding to Global Market Changes Faster
Content growth and the ways people consume content have multiplied exponentially over the past decade. The rapid evolution of digital technology creates tools that enhance the speed of translation. These tools are even evolving to support localization. But meeting business requirements and customer expectations for accurate multilingual content demands responsible integration of new tools and agile content workflows.
As described by Thomas Murray, Vistatec CEO, "One of the biggest challenges at the moment is the concept of agility and speed of execution…The idea of being able to service very quickly with a high-quality product and to be switched on and off, literally in the blink of an eye, is critical, and this is where we [language professionals] come in." He went on to explain, "It is incumbent upon us to be agile because if you are not, then you are not going to be able to service your customers' needs or objectives." In other words, scalability depends on agile localization.
Customer expectations grow and change with evolving technology and experiences. Modern consumers know that businesses can access the technology to provide personalized, meaningful experiences that align with customer values. They also value experiences that make them feel seen and heard.
The Numbers Behind Changes in Modern Marketing and Informational Strategies
Increasingly, those valuable experiences start with video and user-generated content. Sixty-three percent of respondents in the Accenture Life Trends 2025 survey said they get inspiration from social media on how to do things smarter. Also, 68% said they would engage with a brand that educates them through blogs and videos. However, 60% say they have been questioning the authenticity of online content more than ever before. Perhaps this is why 91% of consumers say video quality impacts their trust in a brand.
Brands seeking ways to succeed globally are under pressure. They need to produce engaging and authentic content that builds trust across diverse audiences. Producing high-quality multilingual content in these formats requires companies to incorporate agile localization into the early stages of content creation.
Start including your localization teams in global content strategy development and multilingual content production at the planning stages. This can help your teams break away from siloed linear processes. They can foster faster, more collaborative content creation across languages. When companies apply agile content workflows optimized for localization, they can produce engaging, multilingual content that aligns with customer expectations without sacrificing quality or brand identity.
Improving Collaboration Between Marketing, Product, and Localization
In 2019, media consumption by U.S. adult consumers was split almost evenly. They spent 50.8% of their media time on traditional media and 49.2% on digital media. By 2026, experts estimate that consumers will spend 65.9% of their media time on digital media. Only 34.1% will be spent on traditional media. The average global internet user spends about 33 hours and 23 minutes each week consuming online media. For brands meeting global consumers where they are, localization can no longer be an afterthought.
Traditional software development following a waterfall methodology defines requirements beforehand, making changes during the process challenging and costly. Agile methodologies for software development (including website design) break processes into smaller parts for improved flexibility and easy change-making.
Agile localization integrates localization and translation into flexible workflows, enabling the production of multilingual content throughout product development. When localization syncs with the development process, all teams, from production to sales, are aligned on how localization fits into product development and marketing strategies. Localization becomes part of product development and automatically unfolds as changes evolve with the product. By incorporating translation and localization into the process, companies can eliminate delays and costly changes, thereby improving efficiency and adapting nimbly to changing trends.
Incorporating Localization Workflows Into Agile Methodology
Initially, localization may seem like a separate workflow from agile strategies. However, incorporating translation and localization into sprints, backlog grooming, and cross-functional teams automatically improves the collaborative nature of agile workflows. Localization professionals are a valuable addition to cross-functional teams devoted to agile product and software development.
Localization teams should participate in sprint planning meetings. With that early start, they can discuss which content changes require translation and which markets the translations impact. During sprints, participants can then identify content for translation and route it to translators and linguists for review.
Sprints are only one example of where localization can fit into agile workflows. When incorporated into backlog planning, localization processes can determine which user stories belong in upcoming sprints and product iterations. Since stories place the focus directly on the user, localization in this process can help teams avoid errors that could lead to user frustration, product misuse, and potential recalls.
Utilizing Tools and Technology for Agile Localization
As demand for speed and scalability in translation and localization grows, new tools and technologies are entering the market. Even tried-and-true tools like style guides and glossaries are entering a digital age, where they can integrate with digital tools that automate services.
Professional localization teams often rely on translation management systems to serve as a central hub that supports agile workflows by allowing developers, translators, reviewers, and QA testers to work in parallel without slowing each other down. These platforms integrate with other tools, such as translation memory, style guides, and glossaries, to maintain consistency and speed up translation processes.
Businesses increasingly turn to AI tools for rapid translation and improved scalability. Machine translation is the most common for rapidly producing large volumes of content in multiple languages.
However, these tools are not a complete solution for translation and localization. Responsible language service providers incorporate these tools into workflows when they make sense as a logical solution for supporting tailored workflows in tandem with human-led strategy and oversight.
Partnering for Agile Content Development
To be effective in today's global marketplace, localization should be a continuous process instead of a final step. You need agile localization, not after-the-fact localization. Shifting from reactive translation to proactive localized content creation is the only way forward for global businesses. Companies that partner with experienced LSPs prepared to optimize content for global expansion will reap the benefits of authentic connections with new audiences. Over time, those connections build consumer trust and customer loyalty.
As localization and AI evolve to become a pivotal part of every aspect of the development and marketing processes, we're eager to help our clients develop agile, global content strategies that propel their international expansion. Ready to start? Discover how Vistatec enables agile content development across markets, with scalability, collaboration, and quality at our core.
