If you haven’t read our article on Transcreation Services: Key to Global Marketing Success, don’t forget to take a look at it.
The term “transcreation” isn’t as widely used as compared to “translation”. But it is done and shown almost everywhere! From billboards to individual product packaging design, transcreation can be involved in all those marketing campaigns.
Translation or Transcreation? Which service should I take?
Words from English can be changed to Chinese, for example, when the product is to be sold in Chinese-speaking countries.
You might be wondering what is the difference between transcreation and translation then?
In this article, we will teach you the 5 key ways of how transcreation differs from translation.
5 Differences Between Transcreation and Translation
1. Creative aspect in marketing
Translation:
You can find translators who specialise in marketing translation. It is a fusion of both translation and localisation. You’ll still get the words translated from the source to target language but it will not cover the creative side of marketing. Texts such as idioms, slang, reference, and cultural quirks will be considered in marketing translation.
Transcreation:
Transcreation, also known as creative translation or international adaptation, allows you to do one step more than marketing translation.
On top of translating texts, transcreation also takes into account the visual advertising materials. It recreates the marketing materials from one culture to another.
2. Scope of work
Translation:
Marketing translation only translates the copy of the content. Images and visual representations will not be covered. It changes the text within them, making them understandable and relatable for the target audience.
Transcreation:
On the other hand, transcreation works with all the elements of your materials — text, design, artwork, marketing angle, etc.
Transcreation’s scope of work is more complete for marketing campaigns as compared to translation.
For example, if you plan to transform a website landing page for a new target audience or market, marketing translation would only help you with the main text portion. Whereas, transcreation would make sure all the taglines, puns, images, colours, design, and even logo are culturally suitable for your intended audience.
3. Skills involved
Translation:
There’s a difference between translating ordinary texts and translating marketing copy. Since the scope of transcreating is greater than showcasing interpretation, the skills required for it are unique and more demanding in terms of creativity.
Transcreation:
A transcreator should be a highly creative professional with perfect language and marketing skills. They should have a good grasp of the skills of a translator, copywriter, and marketer.
4. Impact of the message
Translation:
For marketing translation, the translator’s goal is to make sure that the message is well-suited for the target audience so that they can understand the meaning of the text. Directly translating a sentence word for word may not be good enough for locals to understand what you are trying to get across.
Thus, translators will have to adapt the text with the goal of helping the target audience understand in mind.
Transcreation:
In transcreation, the goal of the transcreator will be to make the message speak naturally to your target audience. It also aims to stir up the same emotions and reactions as the original message on top of simply understanding the meaning of the words.
In short, marketing translation generates a, “Oh, I see what you mean! Totally get what you are saying,” reaction and transcreation generates a, “oh my gosh! I get it and how is it that I want to reconnect with my childhood friends again?” reaction.
5. Creating the content from scratch
Translation:
As discussed in the four points previously, the intention, skills, and scope are rather different for translation and transcreation. With their differences, it’ll mean that the creation process will vary as well.
The process of translation starts with the original content in text format and ends with the content in the target language in text format as well.
Transcreation:
On the other hand, transcreation needs to start from scratch. It needs to be thought with an entirely new local perspective. At times, it is even necessary to reevaluate the whole project or campaign and start all over again.
Conclusion: Transcreation or Translation?
To sum it all up, translation — or marketing translation — is simply a text-based translation of one language to another language.
Transcription is taking into account every part of marketing and re-creating the original content into something powerful and suitable for the target audience’s culture.
Contact us today for both transcreation and translation services.
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