Why use The Arabists?
To fully appreciate
the advantages of working with The Arabists,
allow us to take you through some interesting
observations of the market out there, then
take you through our strengths one at a
time so you can see how we compare.
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Wanted:
drama queen with a Scottish accent
We're not being dramatic
when we say this, but many clients are being
taken for a ride! Because of a severe shortage
of professional Arabic copywriters and skilled
translators, many clients find themselves compelled
to use self-proclaimed writers/translators who
are getting away with murder (best uttered in
a Scottish accent for more dramatic effect).
The
copywriter shortage
Fact: career translators
and Arabic copywriters are hard to find in the
Middle East. Not because there isn't enough
writing talent, but because whatever talent
the region produces is quickly snapped up by
the ever-expanding mass media sector, both broadcast
and print.
 To
illustrate: as of 2006, some 250 Arabic TV stations
were already on the air, and some 190 more were
awaiting their licences. Each would need at
least one translator, and umpteen script writers.
For figures on the print media, just multiply
everything by at least 10!
It's a jungle out there
Left to compete over a
limited pool of talent, and faced with tight
deadlines, many market communication industries
(such as Advertising, PR, commercial publishing
and translation) often "make do" with whatever
comes their way. This is especially true of
smaller agencies.
It's
a jumble out there
More often than not, this
make-do "talent" wouldn't know the
first thing about marcomm. Some don't have Arabic
language skills to start with. Others don't
have English language skills, and can't understand
what they're translating. Some write advertising
copy the same way they used to write compositions
back at school, drowning messages in a sea of
never-ending rhymes and clichés.
The worst offenders are
those who have no respect for what they do (the
type that says "no one's going to read
this anyway"), and those who have no respect
for clients or Arabic audiences (their line: "no
one can tell anyway"). Both types produce
senseless drivel that sounds like words were
jumbled at random.
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