Localising affiliate offers rather than translating a banner

Localise what the customer will receive, pay and be able to do—not just the banner wording. For one chosen overseas market, settle the eligible product and variant, customer price and currency, delivery or service promise, and material conditions before translating the creative. The banner, publisher copy, destination page and checkout should make the same promise.

Define the market promise

Write the chosen market’s name and a plain description of who the offer serves and what they receive. Compare that promise with the destination page and checkout: check that the same product and variant are available, and that the currency displayed to the customer is the currency charged. Make delivery charges, exclusions, returns information and support clear where the customer needs them.

State the delivery area, timing and limits the business can honour. For a service, describe what is included, where it is available and any limits. Claims such as “free delivery”, “available now” and “sitewide” need defined eligibility, including excluded locations or products; a translation cannot repair a claim that conflicts with checkout.

For example, if a banner promises “free delivery” but checkout adds a delivery charge, the promise and purchase path conflict. Correct the banner or the offer before the placement runs; do not rely on translation to resolve the mismatch.

Give publishers a dated offer sheet

State the chosen market, product and variant, intended customer, eligible locations, price and currency, promotion dates and time zone, delivery or service limits, material exclusions, returns route and correction contact. Make any shopper discount clear and keep it separate from the publisher's commission. State only delivery or service terms the business can honour.

Include the exact customer-facing wording for the offer and identify which claims the publisher may use. Give evidence and qualifications for product claims. Ask the publisher which terms or examples its readers would find unclear, then have the final wording and applicable local requirements reviewed by someone competent in that market.

A translation alone does not establish that a product may be sold or advertised in the chosen market. The brief should not imply that market-specific requirements have been checked until they have been reviewed.

Critical Offer Elements to Localise

Review the placement and purchase path

Read the proposed placement in the format its audience will use. Follow it to the intended page and an eligible checkout route, checking that the offer, currency, variant, delivery or service promise and limits remain consistent. Where the offer excludes locations, check how that limit appears to a reader who may be outside the service area.

Check how the commercial relationship is presented in the placement. The ACCC provides guidance on avoiding false or misleading claims and can require businesses to back up claims about their products or services. The destination market may have additional requirements; the appropriate disclosure and sales terms depend on the actual market and format.

Record the wording, product, location and date checked. If the claim is broader than the offer, correct the copy or the offer before the placement runs.

Keep the offer current

Assign an owner to alert affected publishers when price, stock, delivery conditions or promotion dates change. Send the old and new facts, effective time and placements likely to need correction. Replacing a banner does not update a publisher's written review or scheduled newsletter.