Digital Mission Blog
The Digital Mission series is run by Chinwag to support UK-based digital companies expand into new markets and attract overseas investment.
Inside Digital Mission NYC: Lingo24
Digital Mission went to New York from 1st - 5th November, along with 19 fantastic, UK-based digital companies.
As part of the 'Inside Digital Mission NYC' series, each company was asked if they would like to go into a bit more detail and share their individual stories.
This mini-interview is with Christian Arno from Lingo24, based in Scotland.
What's your role within Lingo24?
I'm the MD here at Lingo24. Our other director, Jack Waley-Cohen, is Operations Director, so I handle more of our strategy and sales and marketing, and he makes sure we keep our promises.
What led to setting up Lingo24?
I studied languages at uni, and had always fancied setting something up. I saw no translation companies were really taking advantage of the opportunities the web was offering and, on my year abroad in Italy, set up a student translation service to fill the gap and make some beer money.
Lingo24 has since become a professional, global 24/7 translation service provider with 140 people in offices around the world. I do sometimes find it hard to believe this has happened.
We're developing beyond our core translation offering pretty rapidly - integrating more closely with clients through plug-ins with their CMSs and, increasingly, help companies make more money from their investment in translation through foreign language internet marketing or, as Sam calls it, SEO-enabled translation.
The foreign language internet is a huge opportunity for UK businesses online as it's so much easier to get to the top of the search engines in 'anything but English'. We're helping companies actually do it.
Tell us a story about the mission...
Well I've never had to do a real elevator pitch before - at least, not in an elevator!
On a visit to a very cool new incubator, I needed to find a restroom (got to get with the lingo 'n' all that). This was a bit of a wild goose chase, and I ended up asking a random, senior looking person in the elevator for help.
He asked what I was doing in his office building (understandably enough), and when he found out that Lingo24 can deliver high quality, creative adaptation in multiple languages - what we call transcreation - he asked for a card.
It turned out he was the top marketing banana for one of the leading ad agencies in New York, which occupied the whole top floor in this massive office block. Apparently the founder of the agency was the inspiration behind one of the characters in Mad Men, so I felt I had something of a brush with a legendary New York ad figure as well as a good sales lead!
What is the best thing to come out of the Digital Mission for you?
Impossible to name one thing - we're hoping to get some coverage on a major US digital site in the coming days; we've had a follow-up meeting with a major New York publisher who's looking to translate up to 40 million words into Latin American Spanish; we've seen how helpful UKTI can be (big thanks to the dynamic duo - Niall and Patricia on the ICT team in NYC); and we've made a whole host of new friends who will, I hope, be Lingo24 partners and clients within a matter of weeks. It was a tremendously productive week.
Who was your Digital Mission superstar and why?
I think the gong has to go to Patricia Young at UKTI New York. She is relentlessly thinking about how she can help UK businesses. So if everyone else could keep their hands off, I'd like her to focus on Lingo24, please.
What's in the future for Lingo24?
We're growing rapidly geographically (our Asian hub will launch early next year) so that'll complement our offices in the UK, the US, Panama and Romania well.
We're also going to develop more technology that makes it easy for our clients to manage the flow of content between languages, and to make a healthy return on that investment.
Of course it's not only technology - our service offering will broaden to help people generate revenue online in languages other than English. I'm particularly keen that we help SMEs access customers online in non English-speaking countries (and indeed within English-speaking countries, in the case of Hispanics in the US and Poles in the UK for example).
Christian's LinkedIn
Lingo 24's website // Twitter // LinkedIn
Photo (cc) Sam Michel
Join us for our Christmas Shindig with Digital Mission & Social Media Week
It’s almost Christmas, and therefore a fantastic excuse for a festive themed Chinwag Shindig.
With Social Media Week London hoving into view in February, we thought it’d be great to bring together the community that we work with, across Chinwag.com, Chinwag Jobs, Digital Mission and, of course, Social Media Week.
Nothing too formal, just a friendly knees-up on 8th December, so put the date in your diaries now. We’ll be providing a merry drink or two, so you’ll just need to bring along some festive cheer.
Some of the Social Media Week advisory group will be about and it’ll be a great chance to meet, network and share a beverage or two with an interesting bunch of folks from London’s digital scene.
Santa costumes are optional.
Space is limited (and filling up fast), so please make sure you RSVP to get in.
Interested in Sponsoring the Shindig?
Drop a line to michelle
chinwag [dot] com (Michelle Williamson) or call us on 020 7183 2923.
Photo (cc) Luz A. Villa.
Inside Digital Mission NYC: Huzutech
Digital Mission went to New York from 1st - 5th November, along with 19 fantastic, UK-based digital companies.
As part of the 'Inside Digital Mission NYC' series, each company was asked if they would like to go into a bit more detail and share their individual stories.
This mini-interview is with Craig Bedworth from Huzutech, based in Scotland.
What's your role within HuzuTech?
Business Development Manager
What led to being involved with HuzuTech?
I was head-hunted for the position and immediately accepted because of the company's start-up nature, potential for generating revenue and cutting edge technology platforms. One look at the energy within the company made this an easy decision. I don't for one second regret getting involved with the company.
Tell us a story about the mission...
Being put in the same room with some serious players and decision-makers on the NY scene was absolutely priceless. The war stories and potential opportunities alone, made the mission a success for me.
The best part of the trip was being put into touch with one of NY's best networkers and I have already been able to tap into his network and vice versa.
What is the best thing to come out of the Digital Mission for you?
A much better understanding of what it takes to break into the Big Apple and an understanding of the diversity, culture and business processes in NY.
The mission also meant that we were able to gain valuable exposure for the HuzuTech brand and products. Getting onto the right people's radars is the first critical step. The mission allowed us to achieve that.
Who was your Digital Mission superstar and why?
Sam was extremely helpful along the way and was great at introducing us to the relevant players on the NY scene.
The person I had the most time for was Christian Arno from Lingo24. All around nice guy, helpful, open and completely grounded. I look forward to staying in touch with him and seeing his business grow from strength to strength!
What's in the future for HuzuTech?
Huge expansion, from a product perspective and company perspective. Revenue generation is our core focus at the moment and building up our client base and the quality of our client base to a point that we're being contacted because of our great work and profile in the industry. All the signs are positive!
Craig's craig [dot] bedworthhuzutech [dot] com (email) // LinkedIn // Twitter.
HuzuTech's website // Twitter.
Photo (c) Lauren Cotton
Inside Digital Mission NYC: Casual Films
Digital Mission went to New York from 1st - 5th November, along with 19 leading, UK-based digital companies.
As part of the 'Inside Digital Mission NYC' series, each company was asked if they would like to go into a bit more detail and share their individual stories.
The first of these mini-interviews is with Barnaby Cook from Casual Films, based in London.
What's your role within Casual Films?
Head of Production / Co-owner
What led to setting up Casual Films?
Doing the Mongol Rally in 2006 with a friend from Uni. It's a 9000 mile dash across 18 countries in a car with an engine size of under 1 litre. We chose 1987 Mini and raised sponsorship from Expedia.co.uk in return from producing 15 video diaries, filmed, edited and uploaded on the road. We realised that we had been producing high quality content for a big client with only a camcorder and laptop. This gave us the idea to set up a company using a stripped down production model. We now have a team of 15 producing 40 films and animations primarily for online use for a wide range of clients.
Tell us a story about the mission...
Through an agency we met who saw our work we were given a lead – TMP Government in Washington, the advertising and communications agency that handles all US Government needs. I'd heard of the US Government, so thought this would be a good one to go after.
So we gave them a call and they were very polite but made it clear that it was a non-starter, their needs were already catered for and we weren’t US citizens, so thanks, but no thanks. Unwilling to take no for an answer we called back and asked for just 10 minutes of their time. I had a hunch that if they saw our films they would want to work with us.
It worked, they caved, we were in.
When you bear in mind that we’d already been told that we were barking up the wrong tree, some would consider it a foolhardy move to blow $400 on a train journey Washington DC on a hunch, but faint heart ne’er won fair maid so we splashed the cash and three hours later we were in a cab to the TMP offices. The meeting itself was a whirlwind. We showed them two films, gave them an idea of our business model and budgets.
Only twenty minutes after we had arrived we were being ushered towards the door now on their preferred suppliers list and with a brief for 15 videos and the promise of more to come. Result.
What is the best thing to come out of the Digital Mission for you?
It has to have been that meeting.
Who was your Digital Mission superstar and why?
The one and only Lauren Cotton - super-organised, wonderfully helpful and an absolute delight.
What's in the future for Casual Films?
Innovation and expansion. A New York office by Summer 2011 and from there a firm foothold in the US market, and after that... who knows?
As far as our films go we will continue to push and prod at the creative and technical boundaries. We try and make everything we create special, but we’d love to make something truly unique that gets people talking right around the world.
Barnaby's Linkedin
Casual Films website // Twitter // Linkedin
Photo (c) Andrew Fawcett-Wolf
Inside Digital Mission NYC
The third Digital Mission to New York took place between 1st and 5th November and saw 19 of the UK's leading digital firms tackle the Big Apple.
In amongst the presentations, masterclass and networking events we got to spend time with and get to know the people behind the companies. It's amazing how much you can learn about someone during a taxi ride across New York.
Having many a short converstation, and learning a little about the background of each company only increased our curiousity. Each story was unique and generally more interesting than what's included in the average company blurb.
So, we asked everyone who took part to share their individual stories, and tell us a little more about their experiences on the Digital Mission to New York. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll publish Inside Digital Mission NYC, a series of features about the individuals who took part.
First up, Barnaby Cook from Casual Films
Keep your eyes peeled for imminent news about new Digital Mission plans through the free email newsletter, @digitalmision on Twitter.
Photo (cc) Andrew Fawcett-Wolf
