KPIs to Monitor Creativity: Is There a Way to Measure Quality Objectively?

The other day, a video that went viral popped up on my Instagram feed, showing Badbunny's reaction when Adele won the award at the 2023 Grammys. In the video, there was a mix of Adele, showcasing her incredible voice singing acapella, and Badbunny with a serious and perplexed expression, probably amazed by Adele's powerful voice. Adele is truly a spectacle; her voice is phenomenal, and in a time when autotune is so popular, her talent stands out. Of course, everyone has their preferences, and while Adele may have more vocal prowess than Badbunny, Badbunny is doing quite well for himself. He has won several awards at the Billboards, Apple Music Awards et , and has amassed a fortune of millions of dollars. So, he must be doing something right. The quality of creative content is always tricky to evaluate, whether in music, movies, or, closer to home, in the localization industry.

Quality in the Localization Industry

Measuring quality in localization has always been challenging, not for lack of trying. Over the years, various standards, like ISO, LISA, DQF, etc., have been attempted, but challenges persist due to the unique nature of language, cultural differences, and project complexity.

Three factors, from my perspective, make quality measurement complicated:

1.     Subjectivity of Language: Language is inherently subjective, with nuances, idioms, and cultural references varying widely. Achieving consistency in conveying meaning across languages is tough due to varied interpretations.

2.     Lack of Standardization: Unlike some industries with standardized metrics, the localization industry lacks consistent and universally accepted criteria for quality assessment. This absence makes it challenging to compare quality across different projects and providers.

3.     Continuous Evolution of Languages: Languages evolve, introducing new words, expressions, and cultural references. Keeping up poses a challenge, as static quality measures may become outdated, requiring constant adaptation.

Despite these challenges, the localization industry is making efforts to measure quality. One challenge stands out, and it's the central theme of this post:

KPIs to Monitor Creativity: Is There a Way to Measure Quality Objectively?

Measuring quality is hard, and when it comes to creativity, the challenge is enormous. Whether in the music of Adele or Badbunny or the creativity needed to transcreate content across different markets, it's not easy but not impossible.

"One challenge we've traditionally faced is connecting how the quality of the creative content we create impacts company results. We can't ignore that conversation; we must learn to measure the impact of quality and creativity."

KPIs come to the rescue to help measure efficiency in our creative localization efforts. Writing, reading, and talking about metrics excite me because, traditionally, it has been the weakest link in our roles as localizers. We're used to "words," and "numbers" are a bit more challenging. With posts like these, I hope to contribute to losing our fear of numbers and getting used to measuring the impact of what we do. If we want to progress in our careers, "talking numbers" will be crucial for taking on roles with more responsibilities. Here's a list of KPIs that can help us monitor creativity in an objective way.

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 1.     Engagement Metrics:

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Measure the percentage of people who clicked on a creative piece, such as an ad or content. Higher CTR may indicate that the creative is capturing attention.

• Time on Page/Post: Assess the amount of time users spend engaging with the creative content. Longer times may indicate higher interest and quality.

2.     Conversion Metrics:

• Conversion Rate: Track the percentage of users who completed a desired action, such as purchasing or filling out a form. A high conversion rate suggests that the creative is effectively driving desired outcomes.

• Return on Investment (ROI): Calculate the financial return relative to the cost of the creative effort. Positive ROI indicates that the creative work is contributing to business goals.

3.     Brand Metrics:

• Brand Recall and Recognition: Measure how well the creative contributes to brand recall and recognition. Surveys or brand tracking studies can help assess brand impact.

• Brand Sentiment: Evaluate the sentiment around the brand by analyzing social media mentions, reviews, and comments related to the creative content.

4.     Social Media Metrics:

• Likes, Shares, and Comments: Assess the level of engagement and interaction on social media platforms. Higher numbers indicate that the creative is resonating with the audience.

• Social Reach: Measure the number of people who have been exposed to the creative through social media channels.

5.     User Feedback and Surveys:

• Customer Surveys: Collect feedback from customers regarding their perception of the creative work. This can provide qualitative insights into its impact and quality.

• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Assess how likely customers are to recommend the brand or product based on the creative.

6.     A/B Testing Results:

• A/B Test Conversions: Conduct A/B testing with variations of creative elements to see which performs better in terms of desired outcomes.

• A/B Test Engagement Metrics: Compare user engagement metrics for different creative variations to identify the most effective elements.

7.     Innovation Metrics:

• New Ideas Generated: Track the number of new creative ideas generated by the Localization team over a specific period.

• Implementation of Innovative Ideas: Measure the successful implementation of innovative ideas into practical solutions or creative assets.

 In summary

It’s really important to check how well our creative work is doing. Even though measuring the quality and efficiency of our localized content isn't easy, that doesn't mean we should give up! We use KPIs to see how our content is performing—whether it's catching people's attention, encouraging them to do something, or influencing how they see our brand. Each KPI tells us something different, and when we look at them all together, it helps us figure out what's working well and what needs a little tweaking.

And before saying goodbye for this week, I leave you with a video from what is my favorite Adele concert. Enjoy!