Commercial and Marketing Translation (Transcreation)

Transcreation therefore sits where translation and copywriting meet. Where a translator works to stay faithful to the source, a transcreation specialist stays faithful to the underlying purpose: the effect that persuades, that lodges in the memory, that makes the reader feel something. Words may change and a sentence may be built again from scratch; the one thing that does not change is the feeling the text is meant to produce in its audience.

When is it needed?

Transcreation is needed for texts whose effect depends on the choice of words: advertising slogans, campaign headlines, brand mottos, announcements, social media copy, the calls to action printed on packaging. In these, the association carried by a single word, the rhythm of a sound or a play on words carries the whole message. Translating such a text plainly is like explaining a joke: accurate, but useless.

Not every piece of marketing copy needs transcreation, however. Product descriptions, technical specifications and straightforward informational text are strong enough with a good translation, localised for the target market under our translation services where that is called for. The expensive, creative effort of transcreation should be kept for the texts whose effect depends on the words; drawing that line is what keeps the budget well spent.

How the process works

Unlike translation, transcreation begins not with a text but with a question: what is this text supposed to do? The brief, the first step in the sequence below, settles the answer; without a good brief the work starts incomplete and even the most inventive proposal can miss its mark. The steps that follow concentrate on working out the effect of the source rather than its wording, and on rebuilding that effect in the target language. Presenting several options with the reasoning behind them, and explaining them through a back-translation, lets whoever makes the decision run the process with confidence. The steps below give shape to this creative but accountable flow.

1. Brief. The purpose of the text, its audience, the brand’s tone of voice and the associations to be avoided are all settled. Without a good brief, transcreation starts incomplete.
2. Working out the concept. The real message of the source and the reason it works are teased apart; what has to be carried across is that effect, not the words.
3. Producing options. Several different proposals are built in the target language, each presented with a short rationale.
4. Back-translation and explanation. What the proposals mean in the target language is rendered back into the source language and explained, so that the decision-maker can see it.
5. Selection and fine-tuning. A direction is chosen together with the brand team and the final wording settled together.

How it is delivered

The output of transcreation is not a single sentence; it is usually several options, a short note on the association each one is aiming for, and a back-translation showing what the proposals mean in the target language. That back-translation lets a decision-maker who does not speak the target language weigh the proposals with confidence, so the choice becomes an informed decision rather than a blind preference. The final text is delivered as a fine-tuned version of the direction chosen.

Points specific to this service

The greatest risk is a hidden negative association. A word or a play on words may carry an unwanted, comic or offensive meaning in the target culture, and accidents of that kind cost a brand dearly. This is why an assessment by someone who knows the target culture from the inside is critical in transcreation. Traps of this sort are invisible in a word-for-word translation and are caught only through cultural sensitivity.

The second point is how much rests on the brief. Transcreation does not run on a request to “write something good”; what the brand means to say, who it is speaking to and what it does not want to evoke all have to be clear. If the brief is weak, even the most inventive proposal can miss the target. The process therefore begins with the right questions rather than with the text.

Brand voice and continuity

Transcreation is often thought of as a one-off job on a slogan, yet its real value shows in continuity. Once a brand’s voice in the target market has been defined, the campaigns, advertisements and social media copy that follow are produced in keeping with it. Instead of the tone being argued out afresh with every new job, the work proceeds on an established brand language. That consistency lets the brand build a recognisable and credible identity in the target culture.

Transcreation therefore tends to run hand in hand with localisation. While a campaign’s slogan is rewritten through transcreation, the explanatory copy and product information for the same campaign are translated and adapted to the target market. The two need to share one brand voice; a slogan that stands apart from the body copy around it leaves the audience with a sense of inconsistency. Transcreation gives its best results when it is treated as part of a wider adaptation framework covering everything a brand says.

How it is priced

Transcreation is assessed by the creative effort it takes rather than by word count; a short slogan can call for far more thought than a long text. The determining factors are the number of options requested, the scope of the brief, the language pair and the number of rounds of revision. Transcreation is therefore not priced on the same measure as ordinary translation. No specific rate is given on this page; the framework is set once the scope of the work and the brief have been seen.

You can share your text, and your brief if you have one, through the quote form. The general pricing logic is on the pricing page and the languages we work in on the language pages.

Situations that come up often

• A slogan translated plainly. A text whose effect depends on its words rendered word for word; the result is accurate but lifeless.
• A weak brief. Work commissioned without the brand’s purpose and tone being passed on; even the most inventive proposal can miss the mark.
• A hidden association. A word that carries an unwanted meaning in the target culture; without a cultural check it goes unnoticed.
• Deciding without a back-translation. A manager who does not speak the target language picking a proposal without understanding it; a back-translation removes that risk.

This page gives the general framework; the details of an individual case may differ. Confirming the current requirement before you apply saves time.