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?
In the most basic definition, transcreation is a combination of translation and copywriting expertise. This means that, in addition to profound translation expertise, transcreators also need a marketing or commercial copywriting background. And the skill to be a consultant to their client, providing guidance on the process and advice on cross-cultural issues. A transcreator needs to be able to assemble a brief, interpret branding guidelines, ask all the right questions, and develop copy based on that. In addition, a transcreator needs to have the skill to decide where and when to translate and where and when to rewrite, and to what extent.
In fact, there is so much to be said about transcreation that I have written entire books about it – one in German (published in 2016) and a brand-new one in English (published in 2019). And I keep getting invited to give talks, workshops, and webinars. There is keen interest in the topic. Clients have come to realize that transcreation brings real value to their foreign-language marketing material, and language-service providers have come to appreciate transcreation as a way to become genuine full-service agencies. And transcreators, or translators with the right skills, see a growing market that won’t be replaced by machine translation and artificial intelligence any time soon.
Interested? If you would like to learn more about transcreation, my latest book may be a good start. Or perhaps I will see you in one of my workshops soon?
