How did angry birds become so popular?

Software localization is becoming an increasingly useful way to help an existing software product reach new markets. The fast moving smart phone application market is a key case in point. The ability to localize smart phone software to other languages can help to increase sales with minimal investment.

There are two aspects supporting this claim. First of all, most of us prefer using software in our own language, or if that is not available, then in English. Secondly, smart phone applications are usually very small and thus cheap and fast to translate, especially with a modern localization tool.

Unfortunately the ease of the translation and the temptation to get a share in the multi billion markets make the competition in the major language areas tough. In a situation like this, the strategy matters. Only a few have so far realized how successful sales campaigns in small language areas can be used to increase sales in bigger language markets.

The Finnish software company Rovio did this during the marketing process of its super famous Angry Birds game. The popular game was on the market for a long period of time, and did not achieve overnight success. It was only once the game was featured as Apple’s game of the week that the floodgates opened. But it was the campaign undertaken to help convince Apple to promote the application that was the key to its success.

Angry Birds’ first successes were in small, local markets such as Finland, Czech Republic, Sweden and Denmark. It was relatively easy to achieve top positions in these markets because there were fewer applications to compete with. The experience in those markets showed that Angry Birds was very profitable and had a great potential. Without this experience it would not have been possible to make a deal with Apple which got them from the 600th place to the first in the UK App Store.

Thus by localizing software for minor-language markets you can build a strategic advantage that will help you in winning the major-language markets. And at the same time you can increase your sales with minimal investment!

This article is written by localization specialists at Multilizer. Since 1996, Multilizer has been developing innovative software localization tools for all kind of localization needs. The extensive experience in the industry and the passion for localization and translation make Multilizer one of the leading localization and translation technology experts. Today its clientèle includes companies like IBM, GE, Nokia, ABB, and Intel.