The Donaldson Group

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A Package for North America: Meeting the Challenge of Multilingual Requirements
by Chet Makoski

Article presented by Chet Makoski at Design Management Institute, 10th International Corporate Identity Conference, Montreal, Canada
Chet Makoski, Partner and Creative Director, The Donaldson Group

Webster's Dictionary defines language as "...all the vocal sounds, words, and the ways of combining them common to a particular nation, tribe, or other group...". According to this definition, language inherently connects people. Throughout our human evolution and historical development, we have cherished this unique ability of language through the creation of a rich, expressive tapestry among our fellow creatures. Yet, from a beginning as equally far back, this same unifying linguistic force has also served as a natural differentiator. Across a world of varying cultures, we all have come to use different forms of the spoken and written word. In these reflections lie both the positive and the negative aspects of language: it separates us from one another while securing for us a localized identity.

Language barriers play a major role in global economics, especially in North America -- the world's largest economic zone. As English and French speaking Canada wrestle with their respective language-based identities, most people in the United States view the drama with vague interest. They have little reason to believe that this remote conflict makes an immediate impact on their daily lives. However, the schism of French-speaking Quebec and English speaking Canada unknowingly manifests itself in the lives of the American public every time a consumer reaches for a package off a retail shelf. Also, since the acceptance of NAFTA, Mexico has been stepping up to fill the role of full partner in the North American financial market. As Spanish rapidly becomes the "second language" of the United States, companies are also becoming more focused on marketing products to Spanish-speaking audiences.

Both culture and language are beginning to have enormous impacts on how products are being packaged and displayed for consumers in the marketplace, particularly in North America. Trilingual packaging -- English, Spanish and French -- is becoming commonplace. People who sell products are spending a great amount of time and money trying to figure out how to communicate in three different languages without making their packages look like the Tower of Babel.

The Influence of Population and Culture
North American markets influence package design with their relative sizes and specific demands for a certain linguistic text. With approximately 250 million people, the United States is the largest market and one in which the vast majority of citizens speak English. Yet, the United States has also become the world's fifth largest Spanish-speaking country. Today, in fact, 12 percent of the American population, or 30 million people, speak Spanish as their first language. To the south of the United States, Mexico, whose population exceeds 90 million people, also places educational emphasis on bilingual study. According to the Mexican Government Tourist Office, 60 percent of Mexican students attend schools where learning English as a second language is mandatory.

Of the entire population of Mexico, however, it is estimated that approximately 25 million people have significant disposable income. This statistic makes Mexico's current market for consumer goods similar in size to that of Canada. Canada, the United States' largest trading partner, has an overall population of 28 million people. Out of this total population, approximately seven million of these Canadian citizens live in the province of Quebec, which primarily speaks French.

According to the above statistics concerning each country's linguistic attributes, the breakdown for North America yields 240 million English speaking, 120 million Spanish-speaking, and 7 million French-speaking citizens across the Mexican, Canadian, and United States borders. The large number of English-only speaking people in North America and the familiarity Spanish and French speaking citizens possess with the English language both create an unequal relationship among the three languages. Subsequently, this relationship plays a key role in the effectiveness of multi-lingual packaging.

The Design Climate in North America
The design climate in North America is different from other regions in the world. Europe and Latin America, for example, have been marketing in multiple countries for decades. Subsequently, they have developed commonly accepted language formats for packaging. Yet, this concept of a common package with two languages is relatively new to the United States and Mexico, and three or more languages on a package is new to all of North America. Furthermore, this idea of multi-lingual packaging often causes unpredictable reactions among consumers and producers, particularly among English-speaking audiences. For example, a consumer called one of my clients recently and said that he would never buy another of their products again. The reason? My client had included Spanish in addition to English on their new packaging. As the above situation illustrates, corporations and designers are still trying to find an effective way to make multilingual packaging a reality in North America.

Fueling these efforts towards trilingual packaging are several forces. The prime motivations include: NAFTA - With reduced trade barriers, companies are making an effort to market more products in Mexico, the United States and Canada.

Inventories - Maintaining two or three inventories of the same product quickly becomes a costly and complicated process. One SKU (Stocking Unit) for two or three countries makes it easier to maintain required fill rates and competitive pricing. Also, Canada and Mexico get access to an American company's full line rather than a limited selection of best-selling products.

Retailers - Leading retailers are requiring Spanish copy of the product's text in addition to English. For example, The Home Depot has accelerated the transition to multilingual packaging in the hardware industry. On August 10, 1994 The Home Depot wrote to suppliers, "...all vendors provide Spanish and English...warning labels and instructions...Please react with a sense of urgency. Long term the overall packaging must be considered..."

The Role of Government in Determining Linguistic Identity
Package copy content, size and placement are regulated to varying degrees by the laws of countries throughout the world. According to officials at the U.S. Customs Service and Federal Trade Commission, and the Government of Canada, Industry Canada, the United States and Canadian governments leave it to the individual company marketing the product to determine one language's emphasis over another for the name of the product (or product identity declaration). Copy, in other words, can be manipulated in a manner such that a primary language stands out on a product package and additional languages are reduced in prominence. In the United States English must appear on packaging. If packaging copy appears in another language, the generic name of the product must also appear in that language.

Some companies emphasize English copy on multilingual packages. Words on their packaging are not recognized trademarks but are still emphasized in English. This is perfectly legal in the United States and Canada, except for the province of Quebec, while it is illegal in Mexico. The advantage of emphasizing English over Spanish and French, for example, is achieving targeted goal: reaching the majority of the regions' consumers under the traditional rules for product marketing -- impact, understanding and relevance.

But what about Quebec and Mexico and their own respective language-based influences? Stepping outside of the predominantly English speaking United States, the Mexican and Canadian governments place special attention on language and its relationship with product marketing. Our company, The Donaldson Group Inc., has dealt with the bilingual requirements of Quebec's Charter of the French Language since 1977. Though Quebec laws do not require equal size, it states that "no...language may be given greater prominence than that in French." "Prominence", however, has not been officially defined. Size, color, location and square inches are all possible factors.

Similarly, Mexican product label law, #NOM-050, which took effect July, 1997, states that "When the commercial information is expressed in other languages it must also appear in Spanish, at least in the same size and type and equally displayed." Again, the Spanish copy can be larger than the English text, but the English cannot be larger than the Spanish. In fact, this is the most restrictive law in North America affecting packaging graphic content. Yet, with these structured laws in place, why are we seeing so many non-compliant packages? If a product name or any other copy on a package is recognized trademark it does not have to be translated.

Attempting to Market Non-Compliant Packaging
Government and regulatory officials in the United States, Mexico, the Federal Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec have indicated that through 1997 Quebec and Mexico have enforced laws primarily in relation to packages which do not contain any French or Spanish. In 1997, Quebec re-established the Protection Commission for the French Language. New regulations took effect in January 1998 to enforce the Charter of the French Language by making it illegal for distributors and retailers in Quebec to sell packaging which is not in compliance. Thus far, enforcement has been aimed exclusively at packages which carry no French language.

Mexico is the only Spanish-speaking country in the Americas with the above stated type of packaging standards which it began to enforce more vigorously last year. According to the Standards Attach* for the US Embassy Office in Mexico City, if a company does not use a Verification Unit to review its labels in advance, customs officials will determine if they are in compliance at the point of entry. Customs' evaluations are not uniform, though, and are often more lenient along the United States border than among interior regions.

Principles for Designing Multilingual Packaging for North America
Given the efforts by both the Quebec and Mexican governments to curtail the entrance of non-compliant packaging in their respective countries, how should a company design a multilingual package that will be acceptable throughout North America? When designing a common package to be sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico, here are a few basic ideas regarding what is and is not effective:

Trademark Product Names: Product names which are recognized trademarks do not have to be translated, thus enabling the name to be emphasized. Use trademarked names which are memorable, legally strong, able to support line extensions and capable of building equity.

Do Not Repeat Trademarks: If a proprietary name is featured on a package, it should be assumed that all audiences will read it.

Translate Names That Are Not Trademarks And Present Them Equally: Product names which are not trademarks should be translated and presented equally in each language.

Group Copy In A Language: There is no communication value in putting the same copy content in different languages next to one another. Copy for each language should be grouped so that it is easy to find and avoids other languages which one cannot read.

Minimize Copy: Minimal copy means that less copy needs to be translated.

Do Not Repeat Numbers and Letters: Numbers are understandable in English, French and Spanish. Key numerical information, such as quantity and size, can appear large and be stated only once.

Use Multiple Sides: In all French or Spanish-speaking markets in the United States and Canada, there are also English-speaking consumers. A French-only or Spanish-only package will not meet the needs of all retail customers. Each side of a package with Spanish or French copy should also have English copy.

Emphasize A Primary Language: List the primary language first. For example, English is listed first on most trilingual packaging in North America. Also, consider using different colors to color code the copy content. This will facilitate people finding their own primary language. Changing typography - graphic designs, backgrounds and layout - can also be used to distinguish one language from another.

Translations In Quebec and Neutral Spanish: French-speaking Canadians are offended when the French language used on consumer packaging is not idiomatic, i.e., in the form used specifically in Quebec. French translations should be done in Quebec to be correct. On the other hand, Spanish speaking individuals in North America come from many different countries and regions. Each specific location carries with it a distinct idiom or dialect. Due to this variety, neutral Spanish is accepted by Spanish-speaking consumers.

A Package For North America
Companies are beginning to recognize the cultural imperatives that underpin Quebec and Mexico's directives toward equal prominence in the North American economic market. Both countries, as well as the United States, acknowledge the need to effectively reach every audience without bias. At the same time, however, marketing imperatives emphasize the effectiveness of talking to some people with greater emphasis. As a current solution to this paradoxical problem, companies throughout North America are essentially honoring a compromise between the spirit and intent of Mexican and Canadian economic laws and the individual company's efforts to retain marketing focus. This approach offers consumers a choice of descriptive language in English, Spanish and French, yet features the trademarked name more prominently in one language. As the world becomes even smaller in the next millennium, we are ultimately left with one fact regarding the future of multilingual packaging: both the relative size of North American markets, and a specific population's demand for a certain language will jointly continue to influence package design in the United States, Canada and Mexico.