rainday/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>