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Written by Eva Mascolino
Translated by Angela Labellarte
Revised and edited by Amélie Houdet
What is transcreation
Transcreation is an increasingly relevant term in the field of international translation – it refers to a practice that merges translation with a creative process, hence the name "transcreation."
In an increasingly globalised and interconnected world, transcreation is essential for adapting content – especially in advertising and marketing – to ensure it resonates with and engages the target audience.
But what exactly does it entail, and how does it differ from translation and localisation?
The characteristics of transcreation
Transcreation consists in rendering an advertising or marketing message from one language to another in order to maintain its intent, style, tone and context, but granting a wide linguistic and conceptual freedom to whoever is in charge of it, in order to better meet the expectations of the audience.
Its main features therefore include:
- creativity 🡪 transcreating means knowing how to reinterpret the source message, finding linguistic and cultural solutions that resonate with the new audience even at the cost of radically altering a phrase, image or concept to maintain the desired effect;
- culturality 🡪 possessing a deep understanding of the target culture is essential to identify the traditions, sensitivity and preferences of the audience, so as to avoid misperceptions or incorrect connotations, while at the same time creating authentic and relevant content;
- intentionality 🡪 preserving the intent of the original message is essential in transcreation, as the goal is to evoke the same actions and reactions in the target audience while achieving this through seemingly different communicative tools.
An example? The original slogan for Swiffer, marketed by Procter & Gamble, was: ‘When Swiffer's the one, consider it done!’. To maintain the impact of the rhyme in Italian while describing how the product works, Marco Leali transformed it into: ‘La polvere non dura, perché Swiffer la cattura!’ (‘Dust doesn't last, because Swiffer catches it!’).
Differences among transcreation, translation, and localisation
As we know, translation in the narrow sense focuses on staying faithful to the source text in terms of meaning and form, while localisation ensures that the sense of the text reaches its destination while adjusting the form to the target audience.
Transcreation, on the other hand, modifies both content and form with the goal of evoking the same emotions in the target audience, prioritizing the impact of the message over its exact form or content.
In this process, what primarily changes is the approach to the message being delivered. The focus shifts from accuracy to persuasion, employing copywriting strategies to craft captivating texts that leave a lasting impression.
The benefits of transcreation
Transcreation is an activity that requires a combination of linguistic skills, originality and deep cultural understanding, which are important to create marketing campaigns aimed at an international audience.
Avoiding the risk of a literal translation – which might sound forced or inappropriate – is therefore indispensable at every stage of the creative process, and requires a certain mental elasticity to explore different out-of-the-box solutions before settling on the most suitable one.
After all, devising a compelling text that is recognisable in more than one market allows a brand to build an authentic and lasting connection with its customers, enhancing engagement and fostering the success of a commercial operation.
