Avon Rubber
Languages integral to the firm's international dimension
Avon Rubber is an international manufacturer of high technology rubber and polymer products which are used for a number of different purposes in various industries that include, automotive, diary and defence. The company is headquartered in Bradford upon Avon in Wiltshire, but has twenty three factories in nine countries around the world. The company employs over 5,000 people worldwide, 730 of which are based in the UK.
Avon Rubber sell their products across the globe. As a result, language and cultural awareness are very important considerations for the company when dealing with and selling to customers. Jayne Hunt, Group Communications and PR Executive, explains, "We need languages to communicate effectively with customers, and employees with each other. They are also necessary to establish effective marketing strategies that take account of cultural variations in target markets."
Important to take heed of subtle culture differences
It is the need to take account of subtle cultural differences when marketing and selling a product in different foreign markets that can often mean the difference between success and failure. Avon Rubber recognises this and as a consequence outsources translation of documentation to professionals in the target market so subtle cultural nuances are observed.
As well as linguistic ability, Jayne is keen to stress the importance of cultural differences and the impact of operating as a company in a global environment. Beyond highlighting that sales and marketing personnel need to be fluent in the languages of the customer, she explains the need of the company to adhere to distinctive cultural differences when selling internationally. She comments, "More and more of our customers are global and expect us to be available to them anywhere in the world. The company must be able to deal with problems that can arise in multiple languages and cultures"
Apart from being able to meet the needs of its customers, languages play an integral role in the firm's internal communication strategy, which includes translation into French, Catalan, Portuguese and Czech. As Jayne explains, "It is essential to part of communicating with all our employees who encompass a number of different nationalities and spoken languages."
Enthuse young people about language
Jane hopes participating in Business Language Champions will enthuse young people about languages, who she views as future potential employees.
She stresses a commonly view saying, "Languages will become more and more important as companies become more global and the internet opens up more opportunities from all corners of the globe."
In this way, she hopes young people will be able to respond to the challenges of a globalising economy by developing skills that will ensure companies, like Avon Rubber, remain competitive in international markets.
Visit the Avon Rubber website at www.avon-rubber.com
Back to Business Language Champions case study index
