Transcreation: when do you need it?

Transcreation refers to a service that allows for translation and recreation of original content into a new language, whilst ensuring that the context, meaning and tone are appropriate in the resulting text. The majority of transcreation projects are carried out for marketing purposes and allow businesses to penetrate international markets without compromising the style, formality and information contained in their original marketing material.  In order for transcreation to be successful, the person who completes the task must fully understand the required outcome and have the ability to adapt and change original content to ensure that the translated finish reflects the initial material.

Standard translation does not always allow for successful reinterpretation of material and for a business to succeed in foreign markets, creative marketing demands that translated material is carried out to the highest standards. The best quality can be assured through transcreation, where precise and thorough understanding of original content is mirrored in the resulting material. This means that international customer bases benefit from the expert and rewarding marketing content that has benefitted a business in a domestic setting previously.

As standard translation services, even when coupled with localisation considerations, cannot guarantee to preserve the tone, emotion and creativity of the original content, any business who wants to be assured of the most beneficial internationalisation of their material can gain confidence from using transcreation methods. Transcreation ensures that cultural nuances, emotional importance and international regulatory influences are absorbed without compromising the aim and effectiveness of the original material. This promotes the potential of transcreated marketing material to be successful in a number of other countries. If your firm relies on the voice, style, tone and relevance of marketing copy to be clearly communicated in other languages, transcreation is likely to be the ideal translation system for you. What’s more, transcreation assured a business of the most beneficial and thorough result from its investment into translation services.

Experts in international marketing translation services are able to take source material, interpret the concepts and tones and precisely recreate this content for an international customer base without losing any of the original approach. With in-country expertise, the cultural and legal considerations will be applied through the transcreation process and this means that the marketing material will be as creative and as relevant from one country to another.

Experts in this field will study the original content to determine whether transcreation is appropriate based on the target country and will then work closely with their clients to ensure that the direction of the material is established. As part of the interactions between the client and the transcreator, a creative brief will be set to cement the interpretation and ambition of the project. Once these points have been established, the transcreation expert will begin analysing the original text and converting it into the target language, ensuring that localised and national cultures, behaviours and appropriateness is observed. The aim of this work will be to ensure that the resulting marketing material bears the same reaction and response as the original content. Through transcreation, a business’ marketing plan benefits from the expert’s local knowledge and cultural insights, which is not always available through standard translation services.

Any company that wants to expand into an international market or to target specific foreign consumer bases will likely benefit significantly from heightening their interpretation investment to a transcreation plan. By committing to offering the same quality marketing material to international customers as that used in their home country, a business immediately establishes itself as a reliable, professional and empathetic firm. Customers respond far more favourably to content that speaks to them directly and does not appear to be an ‘afterthought’ approach, which basic translation can result in. By acknowledging a foreign consumer market’s cultures, habits, preferences, language and customs, any business sets itself firm foundations that promises greater returns and customer loyalty and confidence.