Slack, founded in 2014, is a messaging app focused particularly on communication with teams. First, the company focused on serving the US market but soon realized the common need for its services and decided to extend its business to other countries.
Slack localized its app and website into different languages and applied local currencies and time zones, now serving in English, French, Japanese, German, and Spanish. In addition, it created country-specific versions of its website for users in different countries to see local information (e.g., contact and address information for local sales teams).
Slack really understands the nature and dynamics of localization, adopting certain values and cultural considerations that guide their attempts for global accessibility. The company employs a dedicated localization team tasked with making witty remarks, adapting anecdotes, and translating references to idioms specific and familiar to each and every culture they are serving.
A good example of Slack’s localization efforts is the way they communicate to the users, respecting their cultural expectations and preferences in business life. Here is how politeness and professionalism are combined to make Japanese users feel like they are talking to a colleague:
It reads: “Good job! Looking at the scenery is good for your fatigued eyes.” Such expressions and notifications are customized for each country, taking a more official and formal tone in German, for instance.
Consequently, paying special attention to the importance of localization and working with a professional localization team, Slack could expand its user base significantly in various markets with over 12 million daily active users from all over the world.