Transcreation services are a key part of successful international marketing. They help businesses get their messages across in different languages, with the same emotional impact on the new audience.
Without transcreation services, major brands have famously missed the mark abroad, causing confusion and even offense through their campaigns.
What are transcreation services?
Transcreation is a form of translation. But while traditional translation services aim to create a faithful, highly readable, and accurate text in the new language, transcreation goes one step further.
Transcreators focus on achieving the same emotional impact in the new language. This involves using different words and ideas to capture the original intent. A transcreation agency will reimagine content, navigating cultural and linguistic differences so that a brand’s message resonates with an audience in a new locale.
For example, take the English slogan for the company Swiffer: When Swiffer’s the one, consider it done. A simple translation for the Italian market would lose the rhythm and rhyme. Instead, the company went with La polvere non dura, perché Swiffer la cattura, which roughly translates as Dust doesn’t last because Swiffer captures it.
As you can see, the Italian transcreation includes references to dust which don’t appear in the original text. Transcreation may also change the visual aspects of a campaign. This is because the same words, imagery, and even colors have different meanings in different places.
Why is transcreation the best tool for emotional content?
- Geared towards your goals
You carefully crafted your original content with a goal in mind. Your words have a specific emotional impact on your customers and readers, nudging them to act in a certain way. You might be leading them to buy, informing them, or delivering value that promotes your business.
Transcreation focuses on your aims rather than the words from the original text, so you can achieve your objectives in a new market.
- Goes beyond words
Transcreation is all-encompassing. It can deal with almost any aspect of marketing content and campaigns, including visuals. This is because images and layouts are received differently in different countries and regions, and cultural references have different implications.
- Great for brand identity
Your brand identity differentiates you from the competition. It communicates your values, makes you memorable, and creates a sense of unity across your products and services. Without careful transcreation, brands risk losing a key part of their identity as messages fail to make an impact.
How to work with transcreation agencies:
When you work with transcreation services the first time, it can be difficult to know what to expect. But the individual or team working on your project will work to your brief, so it’s important to be clear about what you’re looking for.
Below, you can find examples of what to include. But if you’re unsure, ask your transcreation agency for advice.
Context –Where does the content fit into your project?
Distribution channels – Where will it be published?
Language requirements – Which variant of the language do you need?
Aims – What do you want the content to achieve?
Target audience – Who will read this content?
Brand identity – What are your values and USP?
Reference texts – Can you provide examples of similar content?
The tone of voice – How would you like it to read?
Deadlines – Be clear and realistic about your timeframes
Choosing a transcreation agency
When working with a language agency, the first and most important thing is to make sure they’re experts. Transcreators usually work in their native languages, where they have a deep insight into language and culture.
They also need to know the ins and outs of your industry, so they understand your audience and can create the highest quality content.
At Future Trans, we help brands around the world deliver their content to MENA audiences. We work to ISO 17100 translation standards and have a multilingual customer service team ready to help. For more information, please see our transcreation page.
