You’re probably wondering what the difference is between translation and transcreation — is that right? Translation vs transcreation is a hot topic in the language services industry. They’re both language services and you probably know a lot about one, but maybe not so much about the other. Here’s everything you need to know about translation and transcreation, when to use them and how to avoid embarrassing translation gaffes for your brand. Let’s start with translation Translation is the one you’re probably familiar with — but let’s break it down a little just to be sure. The word translation first appeared around 1340 and comes from the Latin term translatio meaning ‘to bring or carry across’. Many early translations involved religious texts, transmitting their stories to another language and they were very literal or ‘word-for-word’ translations. Nowadays, translation is the general term for replacing words from one language to another and the theory behind it has evolved to favour more of a ‘sense-for-sense’ approach. This means that the message of the source text is maintained in the target language. So then, have you heard of transcreation? It’s exactly what it sounds like: a hybrid between translation and creation. Whilst the term itself is relatively new, translators have been transcreating for years just without the buzzword. Other terms are used to describe the same concept, including cultural adaptation and creative translation, but for the sake of simplicity, let’s stick with transcreation. We reach for transcreation when the limits of language and culture mean that translation alone is not enough to effectively convey the intended message of the original text to its new audience. At its core, transcreation follows a creative brief to create new messaging that will be better received by the target audience because it is adapted to their cultural norms and experiences. Isn’t it the same as localization? No. Why? Localization maintains the same message as the source text whilst adapting some aspects to meet local cultural norms. Think video games, websites and other technical texts, where features such as visuals, currency and units of measurement need to be adapted for a local audience. Another instance of localization is when the US English spelling of words is changed to UK English or vice versa. (Remember this example, you’ll see why later!) When should you opt for transcreation? A tip: if the text involves emotion. Emotion and creativity go hand in hand and as transcreation is a creative process, you can almost guarantee that emotive texts require transcreation to ensure their intended effect remains present. So, you probably guessed it — Transcreation is most commonly used in marketing and advertising. These are instances where emotion and persuasion are paramount and transcreation helps the messages of brands and products reach their intended audience in a new and original way. It’s also vital because of the nature of advertising and the fact that it is out there for everyone to see. There is little room for error otherwise you may find yourself at the centre of a public translation blunder. Transcreation helps avoid gaffes like these To truly understand the importance of transcreation, let’s look at examples of when transcreation should have been used, but clearly, was not. When Coca-Cola entered the Chinese market in 1927, the brand name was translated as 蝌蚪啃蜡, which retained the sound of the English, but meant ‘tadpole gnaws wax’. Many people believed this to mean that the drink would taste like wax, and unsurprisingly, sales were low. It wasn’t until the brand name was later transcreated as 可口可乐, meaning ‘tasteful, enjoyable’ that Coca-Cola sales in China began to increase. The American Dairy Association was also left red faced when their slogan ‘Got Milk’ was translated into Spanish as ‘Are You Lactating?’. This is a perfect example of linguistic and cultural nuances being missed. Instead, the tagline not only completely missed the mark but was offensive to their target audience, the Latino community. But don’t worry — transcreation is the antidote to these kinds of cringe worthy translation gaffes and will help you avoid being red-faced on a global stage. When transcreation gets it right Do you remember the example of localizing US English to UK English earlier? It’s important because transcreation can be necessary within the same language too. A slogan should be transcreated differently into Spanish for a European Spanish audience and a Latin American Spanish audience. Apple nailed this when they released the iPod shuffle with the slogan ‘Small Talk’. The overall message was that of amazement of how much such a small device could do and this was conveyed in two different, yet effective ways. In Latin America, the slogan became Mira quién habla, or “Look who’s talking” which is a common idiomatic expression used in the region. Meanwhile in Europe, the Spanish slogan was advertised as Ya sabe hablar, which translates to “Already knows how to talk”, a cultural phrase that a proud Spanish parent might use. Thanks to transcreation, Apple tapped into subtle cultural nuances meaning that both of these slogans were able to seamlessly blend with the target culture in a creative way, whilst maintaining the core elements of the original text. Do all translators transcreate? No. Just as not all bi-linguals can translate, not all translators transcreate. Firstly, to be effective, transcreation should be completed by a language professional working towards their mother tongue, and who ideally lives in the same country as the target audience. It is vital that they are very familiar with the target culture and its nuances so that the transcreation they produce taps into it to create effective content. Secondly, due to its creative nature, transcreation should be completed by a translator and/or copywriter who has a flair for creativity and who has preferably undertaken creative writing training. Need to adapt your content to international markets? As you can see, it’s not so much a matter of translation vs transcreation, but how the two can be used together to create original messages for new audiences when moving from one language to another language. Not sure if your project requires translation or transcreation? Or maybe you want to find out more about what transcreation would look like for your business. Ethnolink offers translation and transcreation services in over 150 languages and we ensure high-quality results every time thanks to our stringent quality assurance process. Get in touch with one of our Translation Strategists to find out more about our translation and transcreation services and how we can help you engage with international audiences.
