Technical and marketing localisation for high-impact automotive events, broadcasts and product launches
The challenge
Ford Motor Company is a leading manufacturer of cars and commercial vehicles. As part of our work for Imagination, we provided large-scale multilingual support across a series of high-profile automotive events that wowed audiences.
Ford programmes delivered through Imagination required large-scale multilingual support across a series of high-profile automotive events.
These included:
- Virtual and hybrid broadcast events
- Product launches and strategic presentations
- Fleet and commercial vehicle showcases
- Experiential installations and exhibitions
The content itself was fast-moving and varied, shifting between the polished language of keynote scripts, the immediacy of live transcription, the precision of technical product information and the broader storytelling required for marketing and broadcast materials.
We also worked with a range of vehicles, from passenger cars (like the Mustang Mach-E) to commercial vehicles (like the E-Transit), as well as a range of drive technologies – including fully electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), hybrid vehicles to vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICEs). This called for technical expertise and an understanding of the nuances between the different technologies on offer.
In practice, this meant handling material where live event content had to be processed at scale and prepared for multilingual use. We took care of the operational complexity behind the scenes: large content streams, multiple formats and a need for accuracy even when timelines were dictated by the pace of the event itself.
Each project also had to balance speed with control. Delivery windows were often tight, with real-time expectations around event content, while multilingual rollouts needed to work across markets without compromising consistency. At the same time, much of the material related to unreleased vehicle information, launch strategy and internal messaging, so confidentiality was built into our workflows from the outset – and our linguists had to be bound by separate NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) in addition to our own confidentiality requirements.
Our approach
Keeping complex event content moving without losing consistency
Our role was to make sure high-volume, time-critical content could move smoothly from source material to multilingual delivery. That meant supporting the transcription and translation of full broadcast content, preparing scripts, subtitles and event materials for multiple markets, and preserving a consistent tone across keynote speeches, technical explanations and marketing messaging.
Building scalable workflows for multilingual rollout
To support rollout across European markets, we coordinated multiple language streams, including French, German, Spanish, Dutch and Italian. Content was managed in batches and through localisation pipelines so that grouped deliverables, segmented files and evolving updates could be handled efficiently without losing sight of the wider event narrative.
Turning technical detail into clear, market-ready communication
A key outcome was ensuring that technical and commercial content remained accurate while still being accessible to event audiences. This included detailed engineering and product materials such as E-Transit presentations, fleet strategy messaging, Ford Cube analysis and ballast summary reporting, where terminology, product detail and commercial messaging all had to align. For this, we worked with specialist automative translators, and called upon our years of experience in e-mobility and the shift to electrification.
Creating a feedback loop between central and in-country teams
We worked closely with the London-based teams as well as the in-country teams responsible for verifying translations. This created an active feedback loop: once changes were reviewed or approved locally, we built them back into the workflow so the translation team remained fully aware of updates and applied them consistently across subsequent materials. We were often dealing with vehicles that hadn’t been released yet, so terminology was always checked in advance with the in-country teams.
To support this, we used client-specific secure translation memory systems, with a bespoke setup for each client, so approved content could be mined and reused intelligently. We also maintained terminology databases to protect key product names, technical terms and market-specific wording across fast-changing event content. We also worked directly in the client’s native XML file format for seamless translation delivery and immediate roll out of translated content.
This structure was particularly important when turnarounds were compressed by complex local sign-off processes in the countries or venues where events were held. These pressures were external to Imagination and the end client, but they still affected delivery windows, making proactive coordination and controlled updates essential.
Protecting sensitive launch and strategy content
Because many materials related to embargoed launches, unreleased product information and internal strategy communications, confidentiality was treated as part of the delivery process rather than a separate requirement. Sensitive material was handled securely under NDA controls.
The result
- Seamless multilingual delivery for live and virtual automotive events
- Consistent messaging across broadcast, technical and marketing outputs
- Tech-enabled workflows that streamlined complex XML processing
- Reliable turnaround aligned with event timelines
- Scalable support across multiple concurrent event programmes
- Full compliance with confidentiality and embargo requirements
The result was a dependable multilingual delivery model that could support live and virtual automotive events at speed, while keeping messaging consistent across broadcast, technical and marketing outputs. Ford’s event communications could also be adapted for multiple markets without losing accuracy, brand alignment or control over sensitive information.
This gave the teams involved a scalable way to manage concurrent event programmes, respond to late-stage updates and maintain continuity from live broadcasts through to post-event documentation. In-country feedback and terminology management also helped ensure that approved changes were carried forward, strengthening consistency across markets and formats over time.
And most importantly: audiences were delighted by Ford experiences and shows.
