Multilingual Distributor Turned Tangled Spreadsheets to Seamless Workflows with Describely

El Puente, a fair trade product distributor, has been sourcing ethical food and interior goods since the 1970s. Over the years, the company expanded from B2B into a thriving B2C operation, selling 5,000 products—and introducing 1,700 more annually. This rapid growth amplified the need for accurate, compelling product descriptions that could keep pace with their extensive catalog.

“Our biggest challenge was handling so many products without losing authenticity,” says Jasmin, who leads product content efforts at El Puente. “We just can’t handle all these items manually anymore.” 

Before discovering Describely, El Puente’s team relied on Excel spreadsheets, physically inspected items to document their features and attributes, and even tried ChatGPT to help draft copy. But ChatGPT often produced inaccuracies that made the process time-consuming and chaotic.

75% Decrease in Turnaround Time

Seeking a more reliable solution, Jasmin found Describely and was immediately drawn to its intuitive interface, flexible pricing, and the content review and edit workflow. 

“The biggest ‘aha’ moment was being able to edit descriptions in the platform before downloading them,” she explains. Instead of juggling multiple systems in different languages, Describely offered a unified approach to writing product titles, bullet points, and descriptions for various markets all in one place.

Once implemented, Describely made an immediate impact. What used to take half a year—gathering data, writing descriptions, and proofreading them across multiple teams—now takes only about one month. 

“At first, we spent time setting up content rules so the output would match our style and messaging,” Jasmin says. “But once that was done, it’s much quicker.” 

With Describely’s bulk-processing capabilities, Jasmin can upload batches of 200 products at a time, saving her team roughly 75% of the usual turnaround time. “Before, descriptions went through different teams, and it was hard to see if a product was finished. Now it’s just one person responsible. It’s much easier to track the progress.”

Maintaining Authenticity at Scale

Describely’s ability to generate consistent, high-quality copy in multiple languages was pivotal for El Puente, which caters primarily to German-speaking customers but also sells in French and English. 

When evaluating Describely’s output in various languages, Jasmin notes: “English is almost perfect right away. Other languages are trickier, so we proofread every product. But it’s still far easier than starting from scratch.”

Additionally, with Describely’s Content Rules, Jasmin can define how to approach tone and key details based on product type, further preserving El Puente’s brand voice across diverse categories. She has created rulesets for food items that emphasize ingredients and origin, while home goods focus on design and craftsmanship. This refined targeting helps El Puente uphold the transparency and personal touch that matter so much in fair trade products.

Faster Updates, Better Focus

Describely’s ability to generate content directly from images proved to be a game-changer, especially since Jasmin works remotely. “I never see the products in person,” she explains. “Generating accurate descriptions from photos is huge.” In her current workflow, one colleague provides product photos and basic notes, from there Jasmin uses Describely to generate complete descriptions and fill in the rest of the content gap. This streamlined method eliminates guesswork and supports more accurate product listings.

To prioritize content updates for existing products, Jasmin looks at bestsellers and items with high profit margins, ensuring impactful listings receive the most attention. El Puente also integrates Describely with their CMS and PIM using Describely’s file import and export feature, which is a much simpler workflow than manual data transfer using giant spreadsheets.

Building a Sustainable Future with Describely

For mission-driven brands balancing authenticity with efficiency, Jasmin advises combining clear AI guidelines with Describely’s robust features. Doing so allowed El Puente to continue honoring the personal stories behind its ethically sourced products without sacrificing productivity.

Moving forward, El Puente plans to rely on Describely for all major product updates and releases. For a brand so deeply committed to fair trade, it’s the blend of efficiency and transparency they need to keep growing—and keep making a difference.

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