Language Translation: Test Product Names before Entering New Countries The above article shows other reasons why translators need to be human... As I said on my previous post, translators need to experience a feeling about the source and target culture and avoid word by word literal translations that sometimes sound weird in the target market... This article about localization and product names illustrates how literal translations have a negative effect on marketing and the importance of considering factors such as the sound of words, different meanings associated with the same word, and cultural differences when translating or developing a new brand name in a specific country. It is obvious that machine translation would not be able to make this process possible. If you attempt to translate your brand name or image using free software or google translator, beware... your potential customers may have a laugh at what you are offering!