Transcreation vs. Translation: 4 Key Differences

Transcreation vs. Translation: 4 Key Differences

Have you been tasked to adapt an advertising campaign for a whole new market? For localised advertising campaigns to be effective, they need to reflect society’s values and needs. Connect with prospective customers by transcreating your messages, and they will convert into paying customers in no time. In this article, let’s find out what makes transcreation different from translation.

Transcreation
  1. Transcreation seeks the same emotional response

To localise advertising campaigns for your target audience, consider professional transcreation services to evoke the same attitudes and motivations among the audiences. This brings your brand to life, and helps you connect with audiences everywhere. Ensure brand consistency in each market through professional transcreation services, and let audiences respond to your brand the intended way in every language.

Target Audience Transcreation

2. Transcreation goes beyond grammar

Translation is the process of translating text from one language into another. Grammar accuracy is crucial in translation, and there should not be any errors. Transcreation, however, goes beyond mere mechanical mappings from one language to another. Transcreation involves recreating copy in a whole new language while ensuring that messages are appropriately localised.

grammar Transcreation

3. Transcreation requires translation and marketing expertise

Being fluent in a foreign language doesn’t automatically qualify someone to transcreate. Besides having a good grasp of the intended language, transcreators must possess conceptual and linguistic dexterity. These abilities are required in order to keep the ‘feel’ of the original copy while producing a suitable version for the local context.

Transcreators must therefore have a firm understanding of your desired marketing outcomes and be empowered to suggest changes or revamp the copy where necessary to create a truly localised solution for your advertising campaign.

marketing expertise Transcreation

4. Transcreation considers linguistic nuances

Instead of literal translations for your advertising campaigns, consider professional transcreation services to ensure that your messages effectively portray the cultural and linguistic nuances of the intended language. Transcreators are careful in choosing words and phrases that will be acceptable to and easily understood by native speakers.

For instance, to adapt Mcdonald’s “I’m lovin’ it” slogan for use in China, the fast food giant went with “我就喜欢” (wo jiu xi huan). Critics, however, pointed out that the second Chinese character “就” is usually used to emphatically contradict what someone else has said. Hence, it actually reads as “I like it no matter what you say!” This makes us wonder if an insult was hurled at the brand in the first place!

language Transcreation

At elionetwork, we help marketers create the greatest punch in their target

language. Whether you are looking for tips or transcreation expertise, chat

with us to get started today.

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