At Hemisphere, we've always known that words matter. But the more you learn about the relationship between language and culture, the more you realise there's a world of difference between saying what you mean and meaning what you say — especially in our line of work.

The difference? Saying what you mean is about clarity. Meaning what you say is about authenticity. And in a multicultural context, both require a deep understanding of how language carries culture, and vice-versa.

Bridging the gap

Think of language as a library for culture. Every word is a book. Every phrase is a shelf. Every grammar rule is the cataloguing system that helps us navigate what we know and how we know it.

But here's where it can get tricky: you can know exactly what you want to say, but if you don't understand the library you're speaking in (“shhh… quiet, please!”), your meaning might get completely lost in translation.

When you speak Samoan, you're not just using different words — you're accessing a completely different organisational system for understanding relationships, respect, and collective responsibility. The concept of “tūlou” doesn't translate neatly into English because it holds layers of meaning that English, honestly, doesn't have the shelf space for. You might use, "excuse me", thinking you're saying what you mean. But if you don't understand the deeper cultural symbolism within the fa’asamoa (Samoan culture) — the protocols, values, and interconnected responsibilities it encompasses — you might not be meaning what you say.

The same is true for any language. Te reo Māori, Hindi, Mandarin — each one is a cultural library with its own unique collection and its own way of categorising human experience.

As Galumalemana Hunkin-Tuiletufuga puts it: "The relationship between language and culture is like oxygen to human survival." Without one, the other simply cannot exist.

We think in the shape of our words

Here's where it gets interesting for those of us in the field of communication: we don't just use language to express our thoughts — our language actually shapes what we're capable of thinking.

Linguists suggest that the structure of our languages influences the structure of our thoughts. We think in the words and meanings available to us, which means our cultural framework is literally built into how we process the world.

When we're working on campaigns for diverse communities, we can't just translate words. We need to translate entire ways of thinking.

Going beyond translation

Too often, many treat language as a simple substitution game. English word goes out, language word goes in. Job done. You've said what you meant to say… Right?

Not quite. Because it's just not that straightforward. Language carries culture. When we change the language, we change the entire cultural context of the message.

This is why surface-level translation often falls flat. You end up technically saying what you mean, but not meaning what you say. It’s like trying to plant niu (a coconut) into foreign soil and wondering why it won't bloom.

Real cultural communication means understanding not just what words mean, but what they carry. What assumptions are built in. What relationships they assume. What worldview they spring from. It's the difference between parroting words and speaking with cultural integrity.

As an agency, we approach every piece of communication through different cultural lenses. We don't just ask, "What are we trying to say?" — we ask, "How do we mean what we're saying in different cultural contexts?"

When the Northland Regional Council needed to boost rangatahi Māori engagement in regional elections, we didn't start with campaign strategies. We started with listening. We worked alongside te reo Māori advisor, Kawiti Waetford, not to review our work, but to shape it. Kawiti elevated our understanding of 'mita' dialectical nuances from Te Tai Tokerau and ensuring it resonated with rangatahi hearts and minds.

We've learned that when you embrace cultural diversity in your processes, you don't just make better campaigns for specific communities — you make better campaigns, full stop. Different cultural perspectives reveal angles you never would have considered, solutions you never would have found.

Getting it right

So, how can we actually do this? And do it well? Here are a few thoughts:

Start with people, not language. Before you worry about translation, understand the cultural space you're speaking into. What are the values, relationships, and ways of understanding that matter to this community?

Invest in authentic partnerships. You can't outsource cultural competency to Google Translate. Build real relationships with cultural communities. Listen more than you talk.

Bring in experts. From tohunga to tufuga, even when there’s lived or qualified experience. This keeps the essence of the work, the communities we serve and ourselves safe.

Test early, test often. What makes sense in your head might not make sense in someone else's cultural framework. Get feedback from the communities you're trying to reach and be prepared to go back to the drawing board, if needed!

Remember that culture isn't static. Languages evolve. Communities change. What worked five years ago might not work today. Stay curious, stay connected, stay humble.

The bigger picture

As communicators, we get to be part of the conversation. And it’s a blessing to be in this space.

We get to help shape how ideas move between cultural contexts, how communities see themselves reflected (or not) in the messages around them, how language evolves to meet new realities.

It's a responsibility we don't take lightly. Because, at the end of the day, the words we choose don't just carry messages — they carry our values, our assumptions, and our understanding of who matters and who belongs.

When you strive to get language and culture right, you don't just make better advertising, you make space for more voices, more perspectives, and more ways of understanding the world.

And in our increasingly connected, increasingly diverse world, that's not just good business — it's non-negotiable.