The capacities a multilingual marketing team needs, without prescribing job titles

Multilingual social marketing team roles are better specified as decision capacities than universal job titles. One person may hold several evidenced capacities, or a buyer may use suppliers, but each approval and conflict should remain visible.

What to take away

Method and limits

Bilingualbrand.co.uk reviewed UK government and regulator records on 6 September 2026. A capacity counted if it held a distinct claim, language, access, participant or publishing decision in an England delivery route, or a distinct commercial decision there.

Recruitment advice, headcount, staffing ratios and provider rankings were excluded; order follows asset flow, not a ranking. Research was desk-only, unfunded; no employment or supplier conflict found.

1. Commissioning and source owner

This capacity defines the audience task, approved source, evidence, budget authority and withdrawal objective. It rejects inferred language or culture. CAP Section 3 supports documentary substantiation and clear qualifications, but a qualified advertising reviewer must judge the actual claim.

Example artefact: a campaign brief listing the approved source, evidence file and withdrawal trigger. Hand-off: to the language production lead.

2. Language production lead

The lead specifies translation, localisation, transcreation or original-language production, then controls the source version, terminology and hand-off. The Government Commercial Agency's Language Services agreement distinguishes several language and support services for UK public bodies. It does not define a universal role or prove individual competence.

Example artefact: a source-of-truth script with locked terminology and version number. Hand-off: to the native-level reviewer.

3. Native-level language reviewer

This reviewer examines the relevant language variety, context and naturalness after production. Their evidence should state competence, independence, asset version and unresolved points. Native-level ability is not a substitute for subject expertise, and bilingual identity alone is not a credential.

Example artefact: a review log recording language variety, asset version and unresolved wording. Hand-off: to the subject reviewer.

4. Subject and regulated-claims reviewer

The subject reviewer checks meaning, qualifications and technical accuracy. For financial promotions, a legal or compliance specialist also applies the FCA's FG24/1 social-media guidance. This capacity cannot delegate regulatory judgement to a translator or platform.

Example artefact: a claims matrix with source references and required qualifications. Hand-off: to the accessibility reviewer.

5. Accessibility and creative reviewer

Design adaptation and final-render assessment sit here, including captions, alternatives, reading order and disclosure visibility. GOV.UK's inclusive communication guidance provides a current government reference for accessible formats and channel choices. It is not an accessibility finding for a private campaign.

Example artefact: a final-render checklist for captions, alternatives and reading order. Hand-off: to the privacy custodian.

6. Privacy, PECR and research custodian

This capacity separates participant consent, audience permissions, tracking, direct messages and later marketing. GOV.UK's research-consent guide requires clear purpose, data, use, sharing and withdrawal in its public-service setting. The ICO's direct marketing guidance supplies the UK regulatory route. A DPO or privacy lawyer must resolve the facts.

Example artefact: a consent and permissions record covering purpose, data use and withdrawal. Hand-off: to the publishing controller.

7. Account security and publishing controller

The controller manages individual access, two-step verification, recovery, scheduling, live checks, pausing and evidence capture. NCSC social-media safety advice supports account protection and recovery planning. Publishing authority should not arise merely because someone created the asset.

Example artefact: an access and publishing log with verification, scheduling and pause evidence. Hand-off: to the commercial owner.

8. Commercial, records and exit owner

This capacity records supplier scope, rights, approvals, invoices, service evidence, exports, deletion and continuity. Where a supplier is a processor, ICO contract guidance identifies relevant term categories, although it is under DUAA review.

Example artefact: a supplier and rights register with approvals, invoices and deletion dates. Hand-off: to the campaign archive.

Map named people and deputies to these capacities for the actual campaign. Employment, tax, procurement, contract and finance specialists should confirm engagement and authority.

Before you act

Common questions

How were the eight capacities selected and what was excluded?

See Method and limits.

Does native-level ability alone qualify someone to review regulated claims?

No. Native-level ability is not a substitute for subject expertise, and bilingual identity alone is not a credential. The subject and regulated-claims reviewer checks meaning, qualifications and technical accuracy. For financial promotions, a legal or compliance specialist also applies the FCA's FG24/1 social-media guidance. This capacity cannot delegate regulatory judgement to a translator or platform.

What does the commercial, records and exit owner actually record?

This capacity records supplier scope, rights, approvals and invoices. It also covers service evidence, exports, deletion and continuity. Where a supplier is a processor, ICO contract guidance identifies relevant term categories, although it is under DUAA review. Employment, tax, procurement, contract and finance specialists should confirm engagement and authority before work proceeds.