For global businesses, reaching customers across cultures and languages is now more important than ever. You may have a fantastic Your Business product your-business or service, but if your message isn’t relevant or accurate to your audience, you could be missing out on valuable opportunities.
This is where transcreation comes into play.
Understanding and implementing transcreation can be a game-changer for your global marketing strategy. Below, we’ll explore how it can drive growth for your business, from improving customer engagement to boosting your brand’s multilingual campaigns.
What are transcreation services?
Transcreation is about giving your message a new, creative twist for different cultures and languages. Unlike traditional translation , which focuses solely on converting words from one language to another, transcreation goes a step further and captures the essence of the original content: its tone, style, and emotional impact. This process also involves adapting the content so that it resonates more effectively with your target audience.
A clever marketing slogan that works perfectly in English may fall flat in another language if translated literally. However, Your Business transcreation ensures that your message sounds natural and engaging, making it more likely to connect with potential customers.
For example, when Apple launched the iPhone 14 Pro globally, it didn’t simply translate its slogan, “Pro. Beyond.” In Spanish, Apple changed it to “Pro. Muy Pro,” which means “Pro. Very professional.” This change maintained the professional tone of the original slogan, was grammatically correct, and resonated well with Spanish audiences—a win-win! That’s the power of transcreation.
iPhone 14 pro in EnglishApple iPhone 14 Pro slogan in English ( Source )
iPhone 14 Pro in Spanish
Apple iPhone 14 Pro slogan transcreated in Spanish (Source)
Typically, a transcreation team includes native speakers who have a deep understanding of the target market’s cultural context, idioms, and emotional triggers. This process may also involve linguists, copywriters, and local market experts who collaborate to ensure that the adapted content maintains the intent of the original while remaining engaging and culturally relevant. Project managers often play a crucial role in coordinating these efforts, overseeing the transcreation process so that it runs smoothly and meets deadlines.
Transcreation in action
Let’s take a look at some great (and some not so great) examples of how well-known companies have leveraged transcreation for their international marketing campaigns:
Successful transcreation examples
Successful brands understand cultural nuances and pay attention to the subtleties of their target market’s language. As a result, they adapt their marketing messages to suit local customs, values, and preferences.
Here are some examples of companies that have done this well:
Coca-cola
For a Marvel-themed promotion , Coca-Cola used the slogan “The multiverse awaits” in English. In Spanish, it became “Sumérgete cyprus whatsapp number data 5 million en otro universo,” which translates to “Dive into another universe.” This transcreated slogan captured the excitement of the campaign more effectively for a Spanish-speaking audience than a direct translation. Coca-Cola Marvel themed promotionCoca-Cola transcreated its Marvel campaign slogan in Spanish. ( Source )
McDonald’s
McDonald ’s has changed its iconic slogan , “I’m loving it,” to “Me encanta” in Spanish, which translates to “I like it.” This change avoids the strong connotations of romantic love that a more direct translation would convey, making creditors’ interests it more culturally appropriate for a restaurant.
Haribo
Haribo’s German slogan, “Haribo macht Kinder froh, und Erwachsene ebenso,” translates to “Haribo makes children happy and adults Your Business happy too” in English. In French, it became “ Haribo c’est beau la vie, pour les grands et les petits,” meaning “Life at Haribo is beautiful, for adults and children alike,” which effectively captures the brand’s playful essence.
Examples of failed transcreation
Literal translations can lead to embarrassing and sometimes offensive results. That’s why it’s crucial to have a thorough understanding taiwan data of the target language and culture, including local slang and taboos.
Here are some examples of transcreation gone wrong:
Pepsi
A direct translation of Pepsi’s slogan, “Come alive with the Pepsi generation,” into Chinese read, “ Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave,” which was not only incorrect but also culturally insensitive.
Parker Pens
Parker mistranslated his slogan , “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you” into Spanish as “It won’t leak in your pocket and get you pregnant”, due to confusion between the English word “embarrasar” and the Spanish word embarazar (to get pregnant).
Why transcreation is a growth strategy
With only 16.5% of the world’s population speaking English, there’s significant potential to expand your business and engage with new audiences. As of 2021, nearly 68 million of the approximately 333 million people living in the United States do not speak English as their first language.
This linguistic diversity presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses. If they fail to cater to non-English speaking audiences, companies may not be able to connect with over 80% of the global population and about 20% of the U.S. market.
Transcreation can help businesses bridge this gap by adapting content to suit different cultural and linguistic groups. When you invest in transcreation, you’re not only adapting your content for a new market, but you’re also opening the door to deeper connections with potential customers.
Speaking directly to the heart of your audience’s needs increases your brand appeal and increases the chances of converting interest into sales. Transcreation as a growth strategy helps your business stand out and thrive in a variety of environments.
When to use transcreation vs. translation vs. localization
Definition Creating new content inspired by the source, tailored to a specific audience Converting source text from one language to another while preserving the original meaning Adapt content to suit a specific location, considering cultural and linguistic factors
Focus The emotional impact and cultural resonance of the original message Accuracy and fidelity to the original text Cultural relevance and suitability of content
Process It starts with a creative brief and usually involves copywriters rather than translators. Involves direct word-for-word language conversion Starts with translation, but includes adjustments for cultural, visual, and contextual differences
Common uses Advertising campaigns, slogans and brand messages Technical documents, legal texts and factual content Websites and marketing materials
When deciding whether to use transcreation, translation, or localization for your company’s content, keep the following in mind:
Translation alone is best for informative, straightforward content that you need to convey accurately in another language, such as instruction manuals, product descriptions, or FAQs. The goal is to preserve the original meaning while adapting the content to the grammar and style of the target language.
Localization , on the other hand, takes this a step further by adapting content to a specific culture and location. This process is ideal for websites, software, or marketing materials that need to resonate with local audiences. Localization usually involves translating text, but it can also focus on adjusting visuals, layout, currencies, and more. For example, Nike has a unique look and feel for each country’s website.
How to implement transcreation into your content creation workflow
When creating content for international audiences, it’s crucial to consider transcreation from the start. By incorporating transcreation into your workflow from the start, you can ensure that all of your content, old and new, is engaging and relevant to your target audience, no matter where they are in the world.
Let’s look at some specific strategies you can use to successfully implement transcreation:
Clearly define your goals and target audience
It’s essential to clearly define your goals for your target market. Think about the specific emotions or actions you want to evoke with your brand message. This will guide your efforts and ensure that the transcreated content matches the original message and effectively connects with your audience.
Then, do thorough market research to understand your target audience’s preferences, values, and cultural nuances so you can tailor your approach to meet their needs.
Market research may include:
Demographic information such as age ranges, gender distribution, income levels, educational background, and geographic locations
Psychographic perceptions, such as values Your Business and beliefs (such as sustainability and innovation) or lifestyle choices (such as health consciousness or technology knowledge)
Once you have a solid understanding of your audience’s preferences, create detailed buyer personas. These personas will help you align your marketing strategies with your audience’s wants and expectations.
Collaborate with qualified transcreators
When it comes to reaching new audiences, partnering with transcreation experts can make all the difference. These professionals are not only fluent in the target language, but they also understand the culture and nuances that shape how audiences receive your brand’s messages. Look for transcreators who have experience in your industry and understand the terminology and trends that matter. This will help you maintain your brand’s voice and integrity.
To make the process easier, you can also use a professional transcreation tool like Smartling. With Smartling, you also get access to a network of industry-specific native translators who are skilled not only in language translation but also in transcreation.