Poll: Do you work for brands which are big competitors? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you work for brands which are big competitors?".
View the poll results »
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Yes, and why wouldn't I? I do not have an affiliation with any of my clients, nor am I really invested in any of their brands. The biggest reaction they get out of me is a slightly raised eyebrow when they do "American-style" marketing by lambasting each other's products.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 19:05
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
I have only one direct client, so this question doesn't directly apply to me. But indirectly I've been working for 2 swimming pool manufacturers, so I guess they are probably competitors.
On an agency level a few years ago I've had the funny experience of being asked the same external translation test by 2 of my long-standing clients for a large job. One of the 2 got the job and assigned it to me. I had told the other one that I was already been asked to do the same translation test... See more I have only one direct client, so this question doesn't directly apply to me. But indirectly I've been working for 2 swimming pool manufacturers, so I guess they are probably competitors.
On an agency level a few years ago I've had the funny experience of being asked the same external translation test by 2 of my long-standing clients for a large job. One of the 2 got the job and assigned it to me. I had told the other one that I was already been asked to do the same translation test, after which that client asked if I wanted to share which agency that was. I obviously refused. It did learn me a couple of things about my clients. 😊 ▲ Collapse
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Lieven Malaise wrote:
I have only one direct client, so this question doesn't directly apply to me. But indirectly I've been working for 2 swimming pool manufacturers, so I guess they are probably competitors.
On an agency level a few years ago I've had the funny experience of being asked the same external translation test by 2 of my long-standing clients for a large job. One of the 2 got the job and assigned it to me. I had told the other one that I was already been asked to do the same translation test, after which that client asked if I wanted to share which agency that was. I obviously refused. It did learn me a couple of things about my clients. 😊
I was also thinking about that. Agencies are also competing among each other, aren't they? So, assuming I'm working for RWS and Lionbridge (no, I do not and never would; those are awful), wouldn't that mean that I'm working for two direct competitors?
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:05
Member (2008)
Italian to English
ProZ.com Staff wrote:
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you work for brands which are big competitors?". View the poll results »
I don't understand the question. Competitors of whom, or of what?
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 19:05
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
Alex Lichanow wrote:
I was also thinking about that. Agencies are also competing among each other, aren't they?
They absolutely are. It's one of the reasons why it doesn't make sense to consider agencies as "the filthy rich bad guys" who constantly try to rip off the "poor translators" we are. It's a competitive environment, for us but also for agencies and what we have in common is that we do everything to survive or thrive in this business.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 19:05
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
Tom in London wrote:
I don't understand the question. Competitors of whom, or of what?
I'm sure you can take the right guess here.
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Lieven Malaise wrote:
They absolutely are. It's one of the reasons why it doesn't make sense to consider agencies as "the filthy rich bad guys" who constantly try to rip off the "poor translators" we are. It's a competitive environment, for us but also for agencies and what we have in common is that we do everything to survive or thrive in this business.
Some agencies manage to thrive while treating their suppliers fairly.
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| Yes (a special case) | Feb 28 |
I have been translating EN/PT and FR/PT user instructions for two brands, which while they are competitors in the market, they belong exactly to the same group…
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Some years ago I found myself working both directly and indirectly, through two different agencies, for different parts of a big auto manufacturer in Italy. This doesn't really answer the question but what I'm doing now does: I work through an advertising agency for the biggest competitor of another company I also work for, through another advertising agency.
Another case that doesn't answer the question but that is a curious twenty-year story: many years ago an Italian agency gave ... See more Some years ago I found myself working both directly and indirectly, through two different agencies, for different parts of a big auto manufacturer in Italy. This doesn't really answer the question but what I'm doing now does: I work through an advertising agency for the biggest competitor of another company I also work for, through another advertising agency.
Another case that doesn't answer the question but that is a curious twenty-year story: many years ago an Italian agency gave me work for two parts of the same multinational corporation - their museum and their foundation. They then lost the museum to a UK translation agency, but the museum didn't like the work they got from it, so they looked around for another solution. My name was given to them by a direct client of mine and I started working for them, while continuing to work for the foundation through the Italian agency. Then I lost the museum and my agency lost the foundation, both of us to the UK agency, so I ended up with neither. However, the museum had given my name to the foundation, which then left the UK agency and came to me. The museum then left the UK agency and went back to my agency, which gave the job to me. So I now work directly with the foundation and, indirectly, with the museum through the Italian agency. Since I took neither the museum nor the foundation from the Italian agency, they gave their blessing, just as I had no problem with them taking the client that had been mine. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I don't understand the question either | Feb 28 |
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| | | | Kay Denney 
France
Local time: 19:05
French to English
Once I was interviewing for a part-time salaried position as a translator. I asked whether there would be a non-compete clause, because I was considering freelancing in my spare time. The interviewer didn't understand the point of my question, so I spelled out, suppose I were to translate stuff as a freelancer for a competitor, would that be OK? She laughed and said I should absolutely go ahead, that way I could give them all sorts of information about their competitors' products.
I kind ... See more Once I was interviewing for a part-time salaried position as a translator. I asked whether there would be a non-compete clause, because I was considering freelancing in my spare time. The interviewer didn't understand the point of my question, so I spelled out, suppose I were to translate stuff as a freelancer for a competitor, would that be OK? She laughed and said I should absolutely go ahead, that way I could give them all sorts of information about their competitors' products.
I kind of did a double take and said, actually, confidentiality would work both ways, she laughed again and went on to the next question.
I didn't get the job...
[Edited at 2024-03-01 08:30 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:05
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Kay Denney wrote:
Just reminding you
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