localize

Blog Localize, Cultural Deep-Adaptation

Takes a translated blog post and performs cultural adaptation so the result feels like it was written for the target market, not translated into it. Run AFTER /smart-blog-skills:translate completes.

When to Use

• Right after translate produces a base translation.
• When existing translated content reads like "translated from English".
• When targeting a specific market, not just a language.

Workflow

Phase 1: Locale Understanding

1. Parse the locale code. Accept full codes (de-DE, fr-CA, es-MX, pt-BR, zh-TW) or plain language codes.
2. Identify the cultural profile for the locale.
3. Read the translated post and identify adaptation targets.

Phase 2: Cultural Audit

Scan for elements that signal foreign origin:

Element	What to look for
Brand examples	US or UK brands with no relevance locally
Statistics sources	US-only studies and surveys
CTAs	American-style aggressive calls-to-action
Idioms	Literally translated English expressions
Legal references	Foreign laws (CCPA, FTC) where local law applies (DSGVO, RGPD)
Currency and pricing	USD without conversion or context
Tone	Too casual or too formal for the target market
Address form	Inconsistent Sie/du, tu/vous, formal/informal

Phase 3: Adaptation

3a. Example Substitution

• Use WebSearch to find local case studies, brands, or scenarios.
• Replace inline, preserving the same argument and structure.

3b. Statistics Localization

• Search for equivalent local statistics ([topic] statistik [country] 2025 2026).
• If local data exists, swap the source and the figure together.
• If not, keep the original stat but mark its geographic scope ("In the US, ...").
• Never strip source attribution.

3c. CTA Adaptation

• Adjust aggressiveness level (DACH and JA prefer informational, US prefers imperative).
• Use culturally appropriate action verbs.

3d. Tone Calibration

• Match formality per profile (DACH defaults to Sie for B2B, du for B2C lifestyle).
• Ensure consistent formal or informal address throughout the entire document.

3e. Legal and Regulatory Context

• Replace references to foreign laws with local equivalents (CCPA becomes DSGVO in DE, RGPD in FR).

3f. Brand Example Swaps

Source (US)	DACH	FR	ES (Spain)	JA
Walmart	MediaMarkt	Carrefour	El Corte Ingles	Aeon
FTC	Bundeskartellamt	DGCCRF	CNMC	JFTC
CCPA	DSGVO	RGPD	RGPD	APPI

Phase 4: Quality Verification

• All critical adaptation targets addressed.
• Tone is consistent throughout.
• No remaining foreign-origin markers.
• Statistics have valid sources.
• Content still supports the same argument as the original.

Phase 5: Save and Report

## Localization complete: [Title]

### Target locale: [locale-code] ([locale-name])

### Adaptations made
| Type | Count | Examples |
|------|-------|----------|
| Brand examples | [N] | Walmart -> MediaMarkt |
| Statistics | [N] | US survey -> DACH survey |
| CTAs | [N] | "Buy now" -> "Jetzt entdecken" |
| Tone adjustments | [N] | Casual -> Sie |
| Legal references | [N] | CCPA -> DSGVO |

### Cultural fit score
- Naturalness: [1-10]
- Market relevance: [1-10]
- Tone match: [1-10]
- Overall: [N]/30

Error Handling

Scenario	Action
No cultural profile for the locale	Build a minimal profile from the custom-locale template, proceed
File is not in the expected language	Warn the user, offer to translate first
No local statistics available	Keep the original stat with a geographic-scope note
Locale code ambiguous (e.g., pt)	Ask: "Did you mean pt-BR (Brazil) or pt-PT (Portugal)?"

Cross-References

• Pre-step (translation): /smart-blog-skills:translate <file> --to <code>
• QA across language versions: /smart-blog-skills:locale-audit <directory>
• One-command pipeline: /smart-blog-skills:multilingual <topic> --languages <codes>