Insights

The LOTE Agency’s predictions for 2023

2022 signalled a change from previous years in that it was a year full of physical events and face-to-face meetings. Dare we say it, a sense of normality returned. Our marketing trends predictions for 2022 proved accurate, with a focus on personal engagement, word of mouth and inclusive marketing. This year we hear from different areas of The LOTE Agency with their thoughts on what 2023 will bring.

Roger Larkins – Head of Research

A key call-out from the 2021 ABS Census was the proportion of Australians who do not speak English at home. These are people who live, work and raise their families in Australia. And yet, their voice is rarely heard in research projects. Many of these people speak English with varying levels of proficiency and may take part in some research projects. However, a sizeable proportion does not have confidence in their English, or may have other cultural barriers to taking part in research.

The LOTE Agency has a focus on finding these people, engaging them, and ensuring their voices are heard in research. We do this through both standalone projects and through partnerships with PR, research, and academic organisations, providing a multicultural component to broader social and market research projects.

All indications are that the number of people who do not have English as a first language will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. In 2023, LOTE’s research focus is to continue to work with government departments, universities and private organisations to provide an avenue for reaching, hearing and understanding the needs of this growing sector of our community.

Ash Chand – Head of Sales

There has been a growing trend towards multicultural communication and engagement in recent years as organisations recognise the importance of reaching and engaging diverse audiences. This was highlighted during the early months of COVID. The lack of information provided to multicultural communities left them at risk and isolated.

This trend is set to continue as companies aim to create inclusive and culturally sensitive campaigns, programs, and engagement activities that resonate with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Clients are beginning to understand that translating materials is only one aspect of effectively communicating with multicultural communities and that more comprehensive strategies are needed to make a meaningful impact. Multicultural engagement is a journey that requires time and resources to be successful. As a result, research and engagement activity is becoming increasingly prevalent as a necessity rather than a “nice to have”. The 2021 Census also highlighted the growing multicultural population. In 2023 organisations will realise that multicultural is now mainstream.

Issa He – Translation Manager

For the translation industry, in 2023 we’ll see an increase in Machine Assisted Translations. Machine memories are more reliable and centralised than human brains and can help maintain consistency and accuracy in lengthy and ongoing projects. In this pandemic, it’s very normal for translators to drop out of projects or take time off to recover from COVID. A well-maintained glossary dedicated to that project, client or field is essential for quality control.

This also poses challenges to translators. They will need to improve their tech proficiency and learn to collaborate in new ways. LOTE has designed a series of workshops and Professional Development events this year to help translators thrive when facing new challenges.

Kwabena Ansah – Head of Communities and Strategy

The LOTE Agency professional website translation

In 2022, many organisations and community groups moved away from Zoom to face-to-face activities. Festivals were back in full swing, and overall, people were more than happy to see one another. Rolling into 2023, we will see a continuation of face-to-face events and community engagement is set to be an essential benchmark within organisations like local councils, government departments and private businesses. Private companies now know the power of engaging both internal and external stakeholders. With more people socially connected and wanting to make ‘change’ either at their workplace or externally, companies will run more workshops internally covering culture, LGBTQIA+, climate change and sustainability. Gen Z and AI will continue to make a significant impact on community engagement. Gen Z is coming into its own within CALD communities, and Gen Zers are using technology more often than not to engage with one another. AI will support how engagement activities are developed for certain generations, especially millennials and Gen Z. There are still nuances within the community that AI will never truly grasp. This is why face-to-face engagement will forever be the most positive approach to reaching CALD communities.