1. Multi-national marketing needs multi-lingual speakers! BDB and its need for a multi-lingual workforce Friday 9 March 2007

2. Barrett Dixon Bell Ltd B2B specialists Unique international capability Proven track record ~ €3.0M turnover ~ 25 employees

3. BDB’s clients

4. What does BDB offer? Experienced marketing consultancy Award-winning marketing communications campaigns Exceptional results  Return on marketing investment

5. What makes us different? Our approach to multi-lingual marketing We do not like the BIG agency approach: Offices in London, Paris, New York… Costly, inter-office rivalry Nor do we like the ‘networked’ agency approach ‘Not invented here’ syndrome, budget splitting, inter-agency rivalry, loss of cohesion…

6. BDB: One Office. One World One office One team Multi-lingual staff dealing with clients, editors and suppliers in their own language Easy co-ordination one point of contact Reduced overhead/co-ordination costs

7. Strategic & tactical consultancy Target audience Communication strategy Key messages Communication objectives Business objectives is key to success Planning

8. What do linguists get involved in? Advertising Design, copy, style Media planning Negotiation/purchase PR Copywriting Editor liaison, checking translated copy Clients Telephone/face-to-face liaison … and much more!

9. Why do we need linguists? English may be the ‘language of business’: Middle/senior management level In large companies 12,000 bakers in France - not even 20% speak English UK/US-based B2B publications are well read. But: local language advertising/coverage essential

10. Feedback form Black Country Metals Ltd If the British and Germans and selling product to a customer in Spain.. … and all things are equal … … except the Germans speak Spanish – who do you think will win the business? “Languages are one of the building blocks of the success of UK plc and has to be recognised as being so”

11. BDB’s linguists Speak to editorial/client contacts in their own language delivering significantly improved response editorial reduced advertising rates understanding of concepts/ideas Liaise with distributors/agents in their own language improving buy-in and involvement

12. Personnel requirements Copywriting Mother-tongue English speakers 2nd/3rd language fluency Graduate level Face to face and over the phone We can teach people ‘marketing’ - it’s too late to teach a language! Bright and articulate Organised and efficient

13. Feedback from GCHQ Comments from ex-Head of Languages: It’s not just other language skills that matter … Communications skills in English are also vital!

14. Language issues Shortage of applicants Too few good candidates Fluency Often poor/ ‘English’ accent Language Too many Spanish speakers Too few German speakers BRIC Reduced cultural awareness/ understanding Fewer years abroad?

15. How is this affecting our business? Recruitment taking too long having to compromise on our core beliefs recruitment of non-linguists Business growth without good people, we’ve had to turn down good business Loading Key linguists are over-stretched

16. Discussion