Global Stays, Local Languages

A Novel Approach to Localizing the Airbnb Platform

(600+ hours & 1.2+ million words)

The Client

Airbnb, a global leader in the hospitality and lodging industry, changed the way people travel by offering unique accommodations and experiences around the world. To reach a broader audience and enhance user experience, Airbnb sought to localize its entire platform (website, apps, and various communication materials), in dozens of new languages, including Bulgarian. Our liaison for this project was leading Italian localization company Translated.

The Project

Through our collaboration with Translated, we played a pivotal role in the localization of Airbnb’s platform into Bulgarian. They approached our founder to support their innovative method for this momentous project, which placed native-tongue creative copywriters at the forefront of an effort to produce a highly local rendition of Airbnb’s voice for each language to be added. Our task encompassed preparing the project, onboarding and training translators, as well as localizing over 1.2 million words into Bulgarian across multiple content types, such as marketing materials and email communications.

The Challenges

This extensive project posed several significant challenges:
  • A Novel Approach to Localization: The innovative idea to have a creative copywriter at the core of each language localization was never tested before. It was styled much like a sandbox project and required a lot of ingenious thinking.
  • Months of Dedication: The sandbox preparation part of the project required several months of on-site collaboration in Italy with 50+ copywriters and language leads from the world over.
  • Volume and Team Management: Designing and preparing the approach and then managing the translation of millions of words, coordinating efforts among 40+ Bulgarian linguists required meticulous planning and leadership.
  • Consistency and Tone: Maintaining a consistent tone of voice and ensuring the translation matched Airbnb’s brand across all texts was crucial, even more so when working with dozens of linguists that have to collaborate, facing dynamic deadlines.

Our Solutions

Our approach to these challenges was comprehensive and hands-on:
  • On-Site Collaboration: Our founder took an active role on-site at our client’s premises, working as lead copywriter for Bulgarian for more than three months. This close collaboration with the Bulgarian language lead, as well as 50+ copywriters and language leads from all around the world, allowed for genuine brainstorming, testing ideas, receiving constructive criticism, and applying real-time problem-solving and adaptation.
  • Glossary and Style Guide Development: Together with the language lead, our founder helped create and continuously refine a detailed glossary and style guide, which were essential for keeping the translations consistent and on-brand.
  • Linguist Training and Support: We provided extensive training for both our in-house team and Translated’s 35+ Bulgarian linguists on how to use the platform effectively while adhering to the established guidelines. Our ongoing support over several months ensured high-quality localization efforts and resolved any issues promptly.

The Results

Our integrated and proactive approach enabled us to meet Airbnb’s high standards for quality and consistency in localization. The collaboration not only enhanced the accessibility of Airbnb’s platform for Bulgarian-speaking users but also fostered our international collaboration, strengthening our expertise and reputation in managing large-scale localization projects.