Translation is extremely important when it comes to reaching customers in other countries and cultures. Properly translated websites and marketing material will make the difference between success and failure when expanding your business abroad. Badly translated copy makes a negative impression and will damage your brand. Good translation is so important in marketing that a whole new discipline has developed around it called transcreation. In this article we’ll be taking a look at what marketing transcreation is and when your company might need it.
What is marketing transcreation?
The term transcreation is an amalgamation of the words ‘translation’ and ‘recreation’. It is a creative process that involves a translator rewriting copy to ensure that the message is just as strong in a new language as it was in the original. Often, a literal translation from one language to another makes a message confusing or ridiculous. Transcreation takes the spirit of a brand message and ensures that keeps its meaning and impact across borders.
How does transcreation work?
Transcreation maintains the intent, style, context and tone of the original material but makes it suitable for another audience. As well as changing copy, this can involve changing images and design. Advertising and marketing campaigns tend to appeal to people’s feelings and emotions, so look and feel of the source material must be maintained. This means that the source material may be completely altered to convey the same impression in a different language or culture. Transcreation is also used when translating website copy, especially if your company works within the arts or culture.
Transcreators must fully understand the culture they are transcreating for. Different cultures have different quirks and wordplay that make a difference to how a message is received. They also have different taboos that should be dealt with sensitively. For example, in Western culture the colour yellow signifies warmth and cheeriness. However, in China it is associated with pornography. If you didn’t know that and used a lot of yellow in the design of a marketing campaign for China, you will at best confuse your messaging and at worst cause offense.
When do I need transcreation services?
If you are running an advertising or marketing campaign in another country, you should use transcreation. If you are translating something like a legal document or technical instructions, it isn\’t necessary, and straighforward translation can be used. However, as marketing campaigns appeal to emotions, they are subjective and must be tailored accordingly. Transcreation allows the translator to be creative, reimagining the original material and turning it into a message that will appeal in a different language. Transcreation is usually more expensive than straightforward translation, but it is well worth the expense to be able to crack international markets and enable your business to grow bigger than ever.
