In order to compete, marketers now have to evaluate the cultural dimensions of their target markets, understand the consumers’ attitudes, behaviour and beliefs and tailor their marketing campaigns to create an impact in these markets.
Therefore, in order to succeed in new markets and appeal new customers, the use of creative translations – Transcreation – has become a necessity.
What Is Transcreation And Why Is It Important?
Transcreation is much more than translation. It takes the original message and conveys it in another language, making sure that the text in the target language keeps the original style, vocal tone, intent, and emotional salience. It is a combination of discipline and art, translation and interpretation. It is the process that re-evaluates the marketing material produced for a local market and re-configures it in order to appeal to an audience with a very different culture. The process of transcreation involves understanding the target market and carefully tailoring the message using suitable language, style imagery and tone for optimal appeal and effective messaging.
This is the main reason why the process requires not only a good translator with linguistic skills but a translator with expertise in marketing and a firm grasp of the target audience’s culture.
When you invest large sums of money in hiring professionals to do your copywriting, you not only pay for texts that will inform the readers; you pay for the ability these professionals have to relate to the target audience and motivate them to action. Unfortunately, these two qualities are lost in translation when trying to get the brand’s message across by only translating “word for word”. This is why we at Language Reach believe transcreation is paramount for a global marketing campaign, because it minimizes the risk of brand erosion or miscommunication and preserves your investment.
Source: www.Freepik.com
Transcreation And Translation – What Are The Differences?
This is probably the first question you will be asking yourself when trying to decide which service you need for your marketing campaign. Although both processes involve the conversion of a text in one language into another, the translation process is a much simpler and more linear process than transcreation. Here are some of the differences between these two processes.
- When working on a translation, the translator will replicate the text given into the target language, without adding or re-interpreting any part of it. Their mission is to deliver a new document with perfect spelling and grammar and the correct use of terminology within the context. With transcreation however, the professional will be more creative, bolder and original. The process goes beyond translation and includes attitudinal customer research.
- In many cases, the professionals that work on transcreation projects are copywriters as well.
- A translation project starts with a source text whereas a transcreation project will start with a creative brief from the client in which they will provide all the information they can about the creative concept and the kind of response from the audience that they are looking for.
- With transcreation, the end result is most of the times a complete new message. Usually, the message that was originally written for an audience in one country or region will not resonate with other kind of audience. Therefore, transcreation creates a new message, with new words in the target language but keeping the “spirit” of the source text.
Important Things to Consider When Hiring Transcreation Services
The main goal of transcreation is to maintain the original style, intent, emotion and tone of the source texts when translating it into the target language. We at Language Reach want to bring to your attention some important things to consider when thinking of hiring transcreation services for your marketing campaign.
- Extensive copywriting expertise
The transcreation provider you decide to hire must also be an expert copywriter, as good quality transcreation involves expertise in writing. What is the point of using the best professionals to write your message in your original language if the same quality will not be reflected on the message when written in the target language? By choosing professionals with extensive writing and marketing expertise, as well as the linguistic skills required, you are protecting your brand and ensuring that your message is properly tailored to reach local customers.
- Use only native language speakers
Transcreation services must be carried out only by people whose mother tongue is the target audience’s language. No matter how good a person’s second language is, the communication will not be as natural as if communicating in their native language. Therefore, it makes sense to only hire professionals that are native speakers of your target language, as this will maximise success.
- Understanding of the target market
It is crucial that the transcreation provider has a clear understanding and knowledge of the target market. When looking for transcreation services you are not looking for just a translation of your text. You are looking for someone to reach the hearts and minds of your new market, and that can only be achieved if the transcreator understands perfectly well this audience. A service provider that has a very clear understanding of the market will know the local regulations for advertising, commercial and media codes and will not make embarrassing mistakes at the time of introducing the marketing campaign to the new audience.
- Content Expert
The transcreation provider you choose must be an expert on the information that is going to be localized. If the language service provider doesn’t understand the content they have to work on, how can you expect it to be translated and localized successfully? Unfortunately, an excellent knowledge of the target language is not enough when it comes to transcreation.
- Location of your provider
The transcreation provider you choose for your campaign or texts should be located in the same country or region of your target audience. It is not enough to share the same language as your target audience; the provider needs to live, share and breathe the target language, understand and experience the trends, humour and timeliness of what is relevant to the audience you are targeting.
Going Beyond the Language and Cultural Boundaries
With the globalisation and the continuous widening of the markets, more and more challenges are appearing for advertisers. In order to have an effective marketing campaign, companies must create ads that not only reach the minds of their target consumers but also their hearts. This is not simple and requires the ability to transcend language and cultural barriers if they want to have a successful global marketing strategy.
The marketing material for the new target audience must be translated correctly and the translation must consider other factors such as culture, dialects, idiom, humour and context. If for some reason the marketing campaign shows, even though unintentionally, a lack of respect for their local culture, values, heritage or beliefs, it can have a very negative impact on the target market. This is the main reason why transcreation is one of the most important tools for businesses that market their products internationally.
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