How SMART reduced turnaround times and scaled localization processes

Introduction

SMART Technologies is a global pioneer in collaborative technology, best known for inventing the SMART Board interactive display.

For over 30 years, SMART has been at the forefront of innovation, developing cutting-edge solutions that help people connect in meaningful ways. This includes Lumio, an award-winning teaching tool that makes lesson creation and delivery effortless for educators worldwide.

To support its diverse global audience, SMART communicates in 40 languages, ensuring a seamless experience for users everywhere. This commitment to multilingual accessibility extends to:

• Interactive classroom hardware and software solutions that empower teachers to educate children in their native language.
• Clear, accessible documentation to assist school technicians with troubleshooting issues efficiently.
• Compelling marketing content that attracts new customers and strengthens SMART’s global presence.

Through translation and localization, SMART continues to expand its reach, enhance user experiences, and maintain its leadership in the global edtech industry.

The challenge

SMART has a well-oiled translation process for technical content in place. However, this approach fell short to producing emotionally engaging content like marketing brochures and blog articles.

This was a key concern for Gloria Blaney, who oversees localization at SMART: “The quality of content is super important for us to help our clients and users to teach and inspire.”

To truly connect with global audiences, SMART needed creative content that was not just translated but adapted for cultural relevance and emotional impact. That’s where Milengo came in.

While machine translation could have been a quick fix, SMART knew that a trusted language service partner with a tailored approach would make all the difference in crafting compelling, resonant content for local markets.

“SMART aims to help users across the world build connections that matter to them – with learning and work, and between students and colleagues. The best way to do that is by providing our products in the native language.”
– Gloria Blaney, Localization Manager, SMART

Our solution

Leveraging transcreation for stronger local connections

To deliver an outstanding customer experience, SMART partnered with Milengo to develop a tailored transcreation workflow to bring marketing content global.

Launched in June 2022, the workflow was first implemented for SMART’s German web presence – an essential driver of business and customer engagement in the DACH region. Given its significance, ensuring content resonated culturally and linguistically was key to SMART’s success.

Bridging the cultural divide

Milengo helps SMART connect with its German audience by:

Tailoring content to SMART’s diverse buyer personas, from educators to tech specialists and corporate decision-makers.

Refining English marketing language, making it more formal and factual for the German market.

Adapting content to reflect Germany’s school system and regional teaching environment.

Aligning messaging with local education policies, such as DigitalPakt, which funds digital infrastructure for German schools.

A smart blueprint for transcreation

Transcreation requires creativity and collaboration. To facilitate this, SMART and Milengo leveraged Smartling’s transcreation tool within their cloud-based Translation Management System (TMS).

Unlike traditional translation tools, Smartling’s platform:

• Allows translators to provide multiple creative translation suggestions to choose from.
• Enables reviewers to leave comments, approve, or refine translations.
• Supports back translations for non-fluent reviewers.
• Provides preview of how the final content will appear in context.
• Tracks every change made throughout the transcreation process.

By using Smartling, SMART and Milengo successfully created authentic, locally relevant brand experiences that reflect the target audience, SMART’s brand identity, market nuances, and cultural sensibilities.

The secret ingredient: Collaborative communication

Transcreation isn’t a simple one-way service – it thrives on collaboration.

To ensure cultural authenticity, SMART and Milengo engage in hands-on sessions, such as product demos and marketing training, to help linguists fully grasp SMART’s brand voice and localization needs.

An open feedback culture with two-way communication is also essential. Regular status calls allow linguists and client reviewers to exchange insights to refine messaging, and allow Milengo to continuously improve processes.

“The open communication is the most valuable piece of the relationship,” says Gloria Blaney. “The team at Milengo is very responsive and excellent in collaborating.”

The outcome

SMART’s commitment to transcreation has delivered impressive results. “Approval rates from internal reviewers have gone up significantly,” says Gloria Blaney. The translation process has also become more efficient. Turnaround times have dropped from over seven business days to just three to five, allowing SMART to deliver high-quality content faster.

Looking ahead, the partnership continues to grow. In 2022, Milengo helped SMART expand its website from four to seven languages, opening new opportunities to scale the transcreation workflow. With a shared focus on quality and innovation, SMART and Milengo are “just getting started.”

Ready to launch a successful transcreation campaign?

Marketing translations aren’t just about converting words from one language to another—they’re about capturing emotion, intent, and brand voice in a way that truly resonates with local audiences. Unlike standard translations, transcreation ensures your messaging remains compelling, culturally relevant, and impactful across markets.

With over 30 years of experience, Milengo specializes in helping brands break language barriers without losing their creative spark. Let’s craft marketing content that connects, persuades, and drives results worldwide.

Schedule a consultation today to discover how our transcreation expertise can bring your brand to life in every market.