blog-localize

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. This is the layer above blog-translate: it replaces examples, adjusts tone, swaps references, and localizes the entire reading experience.

Key References

• ../blog-translate/references/cultural-adaptation.md, the shared cultural profiles file with substitution tables for DACH, Francophone, Hispanic, Japanese, and a custom template. Do not duplicate this file.

When to Use

• Right after blog-translate produces a base translation.
• When existing translated content reads like "translated from English".
• When targeting a specific market, not just a language.
• When content needs local statistics, examples, and brand references.

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 (de, fr).
2. Load the cultural profile from ../blog-translate/references/cultural-adaptation.md.
   • If the locale has a profile, use it.
   • If not, follow the "Custom-locale template" section in that reference to build a minimal profile inline.
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)
Cultural references	Foreign holidays, events, customs
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

Output an audit report listing every target with severity (critical, recommended, optional).

Phase 3: Adaptation

3a. Example Substitution

Swap foreign examples for local equivalents:

• Use WebSearch to find local case studies, brands, or scenarios.
• Replace inline, preserving the same argument and structure.
• If no local equivalent exists, keep the original but add local context ("In the German market, the equivalent dynamic is X").

3b. Statistics Localization

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

3c. CTA Adaptation

Rewrite calls-to-action per the cultural profile:

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

3d. Tone Calibration

• Match formality per profile (DACH defaults to Sie for B2B, du for B2C lifestyle; FR defaults to vous; JA shifts register sharply by audience).
• Ensure consistent formal or informal address throughout the entire document.
• Match local content-style conventions.

3e. Legal and Regulatory Context

• Replace references to foreign laws with local equivalents (CCPA becomes DSGVO in DE, RGPD in FR, LGPD in BR).
• Add local compliance notes where they help the reader.
• Remove irrelevant foreign regulatory references.

3f. Brand Example Swaps (Quick Map)

Profiles in ../blog-translate/references/cultural-adaptation.md provide substitution tables. Common examples:

Source (US)	DACH	FR	ES (Spain)	LATAM	JA
Walmart	MediaMarkt	Carrefour	El Corte Ingles	Walmart MX	Aeon
Target	Saturn	Auchan	Hipercor	Liverpool	Ito-Yokado
FTC	Bundeskartellamt	DGCCRF	CNMC	Profeco (MX)	JFTC
CCPA	DSGVO	RGPD	RGPD	LGPD (BR)	APPI

Phase 4: Quality Verification

• All critical adaptation targets addressed.
• Tone is consistent throughout.
• No remaining foreign-origin markers.
• Statistics have valid sources (original or localized).
• CTAs match cultural expectations.
• Formal or informal address is consistent end to end.
• Content still supports the same argument as the original.
• SEO elements remain optimized (keywords, meta, headings).
• Word count is within the expected ratio for the language pair.

Phase 5: Save and Report

1. Save the localized version. Default: overwrite the translated file. Optional: save as {slug}-localized.{ext} if the user wants to keep the pre-localization version.

2. Present the summary:

   ## 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 references | [N] | Thanksgiving -> Weihnachtsgeschaeft |
   
   ### Cultural fit score
   - Naturalness: [1-10]
   - Market relevance: [1-10]
   - Tone match: [1-10]
   - Overall: [N]/30
   
   ### Remaining recommendations
   - [Optional adaptations not applied]
   

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