Where translation becomes an art form

Marketing translation is a creative art – so much more than merely transferring words from one language into another. More than any other translation discipline, marketing translation (or transcreation) must consider the cultural nuances and the linguistic idioms of the target audience. This is because marketing is usually based on storytelling, and in order to tell a story really well, you have to know your audience inside out too!

There is so much choice out there for consumers these days that every business has to stand out to be successful. The way in which you use language and imagery is key to how you are perceived by your audience, and they all help your business to stand out from the pack. But you also need to be careful about how you stand out, especially when you’re translating into another languages or languages. When localising a brand to appeal to international customers, you will even need to alter your brand image slightly across the spectrum of the different audiences you are trying to sell your products or services to – and this requires real care.

If you want to translate marketing communications or campaigns, it helps to understand the difference between translation (the act of transferring meaning from one language into another), localisation (translation that takes consumer preferences and cultural norms into account to bring the translated content closer to the client) and transcreation (which borders on an art form) and in which the tone, style, context and intent of a message are all considered simultaneously during the process of adapting it from the source language into the target language. A transcreator is a cross between a translator and a copywriter, and we hire them to produce inspired (and inspiring) content to propel our brand to success in the target market.

Social media is a great way of building rapport with your target audience overseas, but you need to do some research to find out which the right platform for your business is. While tech giants like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are used all around the world, local preferences do add to the mix. Facebook, for example, is banned in China and there are local alternatives to many of the most popular platforms in many countries. This is where using a translations partner comes into play – you can take advantage of our local knowledge to ensure that you never fall foul of local dislikes or miss out on opportunities for promoting your business.

We cover the localisation or transcreation of all the elements of your marketing campaigns, from straplines to video subtitles. Other marketing translation projects might include localising whole websites, localising TV adverts for a new audience overseas and transcreating straplines, slogans and brand names. Whether you want to localise a whole marketing campaign or a series of video shorts for social media, we can support you with in country expertise.

As with any translation project, the convenience of the end user should always be in mind and the aim is to create as natural and familiar an experience as possible. The aim of all marketing translation projects is to bring the audience closer, engaging their interest, informing them about the brand and earning their loyalty; and it is with all this in mind that our marketing translation experts work on the texts entrusted to their care!

Want to find out more? Give us a call today to discuss localisation and transcreation for marketing and social media.