If you are a buyer of translations, and want those translations to be the best fit for your purposes, there is one thing in particular that you should be aware of: Translations aren’t a one-way street. The better you communicate your needs and expectations, the better you will be served.
Falls Sie als Profi den Asterix-Effekt noch nicht kennen: Keine Bange, das ist keine Wissenslücke. Ich habe die Bezeichnung erfunden, weil sie mir so anschaulich erscheint und eine perfekte Ergänzung meiner Ausführungen zur Bild-Text-Kongruenz in meinem Buch darstellt.
A transcreator needs deep expertise in translation and deep expertise in strategic copywriting. Expertise in both of these fields is indispensable.
I bet that you have read somewhere that transcreation is a kind of “creative translation.” In fact, judging by Google results, “creative translation” appears to be the most commonly used term to describe transcreation.
Yet “creative translation” is a misnomer. Misleading at best.
What exactly do I mean when I refer to transcreation? What makes it so different from translation? I define transcreation as a unique type of service in the field of multilingual communication.
If you want corporate communication, public relations, or advertising material to make a (positive!) impact in other languages, a translation is most likely not the best solution. Better get a transcreation instead.
Why? What’s the difference?
It is important to stress that there may be situations in which transcreations are necessary, but won’t be possible. That is the case when: