We are back with a new What’s in a Brand? interview. This time, I have invited David Miralles Pérez to tell us more about the brand of his business, Circa Lingua. David is an English to Spanish sworn translator, specializing in law, economy and business/marketing. On top of sharing the genesis of his brand, he is also sharing tips and tricks on how to create a brand that will resonate with your clients. Let’s hear it from David!
Hello, David! It’s a pleasure to have you join the series. Could you first tell our readers a little more about yourself and Circa Lingua?
Hello, Emeline! My pleasure! Well, my name is David Miralles Pérez and I am sworn translator (EN – ES) specialised in law, economy, business and marketing. I got my degree in Translation and Interpreting at the University of Alicante and now I am studying part-time a Master of Science in Translating and Interpreting at Herriot Watt University in Edinburgh, where I am based. I have been working as a full-time freelance translator for almost two years now.
A year ago, I decided to boost my business and founded Circa Lingua. Circa Lingua’s aim is to boost SMEs and entrepreneur businesses and expand their services by targeting at new markets and audiences through linguistic services.
When visiting your website, I found it interesting how you managed to mix this professional look (with the colors you have chosen for example) with a more “homey”/start-up touch given by the pictures displayed. Was that intentional and if so, why did you go down that road instead of going corporate, which seems to be a more popular choice for translators specializing in business and economics?
Yes, it was completely intentional. Every single aspect of a website must have been designed with a purpose in mind, and this purpose in my case was my audience.
Due to my specialisations, I work with business that we can say that are more “serious” like law firms and corporate legal departments. That is why I decided to go for a professional look, as I want them to feel identified with my brand.
On the other hand, I also specialise in marketing and the creative industry, and of course I can’t forget this part of my business. I also work with marketing agencies and online businesses and that’s why I have used a more familiar and approachable copy on my website.
At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself what you think your clients are expecting from you and convey that through the different elements on your website. Our clients must feel that we understand them and their businesses.
I find the copy of your website very convincing and creative. Did you write it yourself? Was there a particular client that came up in your mind when you sat down to write it?
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it. The truth is that I wrote it myself. Obviously, I got the English copy proofread by native copywriters, but apart from that, it all came from my mind.
Before starting to write it, I studied my Ideal Customer Avatars in the different fields that I target my business. I did a market research and tried to get to know my clients as much as I could – although this is an ongoing task for me - so I could adapt the language used on my website to them.
I can say that I bore in mind all my clients back then, but also researched potential clients that may be interested in my services.
How did you decide on naming your business Circa Lingua and what’s the story behind your logo?
Well, the story behind my logo is my own story. I started as a freelancer two years ago as I mentioned, back in Spain. Then I decided to go to France and spend a year there, working on my business and improving my French. After that year I went back to Spain for three months, and now I am based in Edinburgh.
I can say that I’ve got itchy feet and love travelling around the world and living in different places. That’s how the Latin preposition came to my mind – Circa which means around – and also the round shape of my logo, which reflects the world.
Besides, I also wanted something language-oriented. So I kept the Latin root of the preposition I had already in mind and went for Lingua.
The last touch was the arrows that I added to symbolise a world that goes around languages.
And now for the traditional questions! We all know that branding is more than a name and a logo. If you had to choose three words to represent your brand, which ones would they be?
Trust-worthy, innovative and client-focused.
Finally, how do you manage to convey these aspects to your customers?
I take an innovative approach when it comes to do business. At this point, there are so many businesses out there that you should stand out so yours can become a success. That is why I have always opted for being creative from when I shaped and defined my business to the moment I started to contact clients.
When it comes to undertaking translation assignments, one of the things I pay more attention to is my clients’ needs and I focus my services on them.
I also pay special attention to the customer experience and all my clients notice it!
