We already discussed transcreation in our intro post. Transcreation is the process of adapting content from one language to another while preserving the original meaning, tone and intent, but also tailoring it to the cultural nuances, idioms and expectations of the target audience.
Transcription goes beyond simple translation because it requires a creative interpretation of the original message to ensure it resonates effectively in the new language and culture.
Key aspects of transcreation
Cultural sensitivity: Transcreation often involves adjusting elements of the content to make sure it aligns with the values, humor, references and sensitivities of the target culture. It’s not just about linguistic conversion – it’s about cultural relevance.
Tone and emotion: The emotional impact of the message must remain the same. Whether the original message is humorous, serious, formal or casual, the transcreator has to ensure that the tone aligns with what the target audience expects.
Creativity: Because transcreation involves adaptation rather than direct translation, it requires a creative approach to find equivalent expressions, phrases and even humor that work in the new language.
Marketing and branding: In the case of advertising, transcreation is used to ensure the brand message is consistent but appropriately localized. It helps maintain brand identity across markets while considering the cultural context.
How transcreation works
The process typically involves several steps, starting with understanding the source content – just like in translation. However, if your company has the advantage of local marketing teams in targeted regions and countries, you will likely involve them in adapting and transforming your marketing materials for their respective markets, especially for key slogans.
If, like many small and mid-sized companies, you don’t have a large team spread across different countries, you will likely collaborate with translation agencies. Be sure to ask if they have translators who specialize in marketing content. As mentioned before, it can sometimes be worthwhile to reach out to local marketing agencies that can help refine your key marketing content.
Here is an overview of the important aspects of transcreation:
Understanding the source content: The transcreator must fully grasp the message, purpose and context of the original content, including the emotions it aims to evoke, its tone and any specific references.
Cultural research: The transcreator needs to have an in-depth understanding of the target culture to ensure the translated content is culturally relevant and does not inadvertently offend or confuse the audience.
Rewriting: The transcreator rewrites the content in the target language, maintaining the original message’s intent and tone, while adapting to the cultural preferences of the target audience. This can involve rephrasing, substituting idioms or even altering content to better fit the new market.
Research and feedback: Sometimes, the transcreated content is tested with a sample of the target audience to see if it resonates as intended, making adjustments where necessary.
Here are some examples of transcreation in action:
Example 1: Advertising taglines
Imagine an advertising campaign for Coca-Cola. The iconic tagline in the U.S. was:
Open Happiness
When translating this for a global audience, a direct translation might not have the same emotional impact. In fact, in some cultures, the idea of “happiness” may be linked to different concepts or may sound overly simplistic. So, the transcreated tagline might read something like:
Enjoy the Feeling of Joy (in a culture where joy and celebration are more emphasized)
OR
Taste the Joy (in a market where the sensory experience of drinking Coca-Cola is highlighted).
The goal here is to keep the same core message of evoking positive emotions but adapt it to a more culturally fitting form.
Example 2: Humor
Who doesn’t love using humor to make their audience smile? Humor is another area where transcreation is essential. The following joke might work in English:
Why don’t skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts!
Besides being a dad joke, a direct translation in French might not make much sense or be as funny because the cultural context for skeleton jokes could be different. The transcreator may opt for something like:
Why don’t skeletons ever argue? They can’t get to the bones of the matter!
The revised version plays with an idiomatic expression (getting to the bottom of the matter) in a way that would make sense in the French cultural context. I’m sure some transcreators out there have better ideas for this dad joke!
Example 3: Product names
Your company has invested so much time and money into engineering and designing a product – don’t overlook international markets now! The marketing team should collaborate closely with the product team to prioritize and assess which product names and key features should be considered for transcreation. There should always be an open communication channel between the marketing and product teams to ensure consistency within and outside the company in messaging, content and terminology. Product names often undergo transcreation to ensure they are both catchy and culturally appropriate. A well-known example comes from the car industry:
Chevrolet’s Nova: The car model’s name in English sounds fine, but in Spanish-speaking markets, “no va” means “doesn’t go” which would be a major turnoff for potential buyers. Therefore, Chevrolet changed the name of the car to Caribe in these regions.
Example 4: Promo codes
Promo codes need to be tailored to each market. What works with one audience may not be meaningful to another. Here is an example
GOBBLEGIFT
For any US American, it’s clear that GOBBLE goes with Thanksgiving. However, a direct translation wouldn’t resonate with a German audience. You have two options: either skip the campaign in Germany or create an entirely different one. Since Thanksgiving falls at the end of November, you could launch a St. Nikolaus campaign around December 6th. Alternatively, to be more inclusive, you could start a general winter campaign that appeals to everyone, regardless of whether they celebrate Nikolaus:
WINTER453
And yes, the word “winter” is spelled the same in German as in English.
Enough with the examples. For digital content such as websites, social media posts or mobile apps, transcreation may involve more than just text. Visual elements, color choices, symbols and user interface elements may also need to be adapted for the local audience.
For instance, a brand logo may be altered to fit the cultural significance of colors (red might signify luck in Chinese cultures, but danger in others) and certain images might need to be replaced to avoid unintended cultural associations.
For best results in transcreation (translation and localization) provide the translation agency with all the information you can provide like URLs to the web content, email body of the campaign, imagery that supports the content and perhaps a description of the campaign mission.
That was a lot about transcreation! The quintessence is that transcreation is essential for global communication because it ensures that content is not only linguistically correct but also culturally appropriate. By blending translation with creativity and cultural understanding, transcreation allows brands and messages to truly connect with diverse audiences across the globe.
Overview of the “Marketing and …” series:
Marketing and the globalization factor
Marketing and transcreation
Marketing and the importance of international markets
Marketing and the extra steps to take to embrace other markets
Marketing and achieving the best results for international markets
Marketing and the factors to measure international success