Transcreation Applications

Transcreation delivers engaging advertising, marketing, promotional, or brand-related communication within the context of the local market. Effectively, as your preferred transcreation agency, we rewrite your original copy to make it fit for your local target readership.

Transcreation can be a great alternative to translation for:

  • Advertising campaigns
  • Branding campaigns
  • Web copy
  • Corporate communications

Advantages of transcreation

Transcreation allows your brand to belong to every country, to every language. It helps you avoid marketing blunders, cultural snafus or causing offence.

Transcreation ensures your original content resonates with your target readers and packs a punch, no matter what language they speak.

Dialogue Translation Estimator

Economy Class

Machine translation with proofing & editing by a human translator. For getting the gist and for internal use only. Recommended as a quick and cheap way to get key information, but not for external use as unpolished. Find out more

Business Class

Full translation, plus proof check e.g. reviewing numbers and formatting but not proofing the accuracy of the translated word. Project managed to ISO 17100:2015 standards. Recommended for internal documents. Find out more

First Class

Full translation, plus in-depth proof by 2nd translator, and final proof check by 3rd linguist. Project managed to ISO 17100:2015 standards. Recommended for external use (websites, contracts etc). Find out more

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How do I translate advertising copy? 

There are three options when you are looking for services in this field.  

Translation converts a text word-for-word into the target language, leaving cultural references, names or metaphors relatively unchanged. 

Localisation translates into the target language but making idioms, names or local references culturally relevant and appropriate for the target audience. This may mean the translation is not necessarily word-for-word but is completely fit for purpose, audience and culture. 

Transcreation takes the overall message of the source text and transfers it into the target text whilst maintaining the purpose, style and tone, but not necessarily sticking strictly to the English source text.  

Transcreation evokes the same emotions and reactions from the reader of the target text as from the reader of the original. The transcreator may stray from the English source text to convey the message more appropriately in the target language. It’s a far more creative process by definition and is more liberal in its content. It focuses on the response you’re aiming for and finding the best way to recreate it in another language and culture. Slogans and puns require some kind of transcreation.  

Levels of Translation

Look at this text from an article from the web. Then look at the different options available for translating it. Hover over or click the coloured words to see explanation on what is good or bad about this translation method.

Text to be translated:


Is it just another fashion accessory or statement to bring Fido, Freddie and Fluffy into work? Scientific studies suggest otherwise, which support the belief that the presence of a dog at work is anything but fanciful.

Automated Translation
- by Machine

Est-il d'un

This opening to the sentence is not grammatically correct because it has been translated word for word.
autre accessoire de mode ou l'énoncé d'amener Fido, Freddie et de

moelleux

The name of the dog has been translated here (and wrongly, as an adjective, not a name). Names should not be translated at all, unless they are being adapted to the target audience.
dans le travail ?

Des études scientifiques

suggèrent autrement

This part is not grammatically correct because it has been translated word-for-word and therefore doesn’t make sense in French.
, qui appuient l'idée que la présence d'un chien au travail est tout sauf

raffiné

The machine translation has misunderstood 'fanciful' so has used 'raffiné' instead, which means 'fancy'. This does not fit the context correctly.
.

Please note...

Machine translation intelligence is improving at a rapid speed and the ability of machine translation engines is developing every day. Therefore, when machine translating this particular source text, different MT solutions or wordings may now be available since the above machine translation was carried out in 2018.
Basic Translation
– by Human Linguist
Est-ce que ramener

Fido, Freddie et Fluffy

The names of the dogs have been left in English, meaning that a French speaker may not understand right away that this article is about dogs since they are not immediately recognisable dog names.
au bureau est juste une question mode ?

Des études scientifiques indiquent qu’au contraire, la présence d’un chien au bureau est tout sauf

fantasque.

This is a slightly better option than the machine translation because the meaning is closer to 'fanciful'. 'Fantasque' means 'whimsical', 'unique' but still does not completely capture the idea of the source.
Localisation
- by Human Linguist
Est-ce que ramener

Rex, Snoopy et Max

The names of the dogs have been localised in order to match popular dog names in France. The French reader therefore knows straight away that this article is about dogs.
au bureau est juste une mode ?

Des études scientifiques indiquent qu’au contraire, la présence d’un chien au bureau est tout sauf

fantaisiste.

'Fantaisiste' is the best translation because it captures the 'eccentric' and also 'unrealistic' meaning of 'fanciful', which is the main idea portrayed by the source.
Transcreation
– by Human Linguist

Est-ce que ramener Rex, Snoopy et Max au bureau est comparable à s’acheter un sac, une robe ou des chaussures à la mode ?

Instead of translating 'fashion accessory or statement' literally, this has been translated with examples (bag, dress and shoes) to make the image more vivid. This section strays further from the source but still translates the idea of it. This is the essence of transcreation.
La réponse est non.

En effet, des études scientifiques ont démontré que c’est tout sauf fantaisiste!

ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION

Est-ce que certains employés amènent Rex, Snoopy et Max au bureau juste pour avoir du chien ? (‘avoir du chien’ means ‘to be stylish’)

And it doesn’t stop there…!

Where creativity is allowed, our linguists can often offer different versions of transcreation depending on your requirements and stylistic preferences. As the client, it is entirely up to you to select the requirements that are best suited to your brand. If you do not speak the language, our linguists will be more than happy to select an option for you, keeping in mind your products and target audience.

Transcreation FAQs

We recommend transcreation for heavily creative content; e.g. if you need to adapt an advertising slogan, image or brand to work effectively in new markets then this is the way to go. It is the adaptation of text and images not just into another language but for another culture. 

Transcreation is charged on an hourly basis (from £60 an hour) as adapting branding/slogans/creative content will depend on the complexity of the brief. You will be given guidance on costing at the briefing stage.

Transcreation involves the adaptation of creative content for a different country and culture while copywriting is the generation of new creative content from scratch. 

We use Dialogue as a much needed back up and overflow service. Dialogue have been nothing but helpful, projects delivered well within time, and any last minute adjustments made without a fuss. Reliable and cost effective, a set of services that VoiceBox very much relies on.
I used the services of Dialogue to help us in the transcreation of bespoke social copy (not an easy task to get right!), as part of an international online content series between a major rights holder and one of their principal sponsors. The nature of the task required swift cooperation and turnaround. Dialogue were brilliant in advising me on timings for each stage of the process, from the initial briefing right through to final delivery of the transcreated copy!
Everything looks great, thank you for the fab, speedy work! Everything went smoothly and quickly and the team worked around our company’s awkward budget policy! 10/10 would recommend!
We have used Dialogue Language Services for several years & would highly recommend them. They are always very helpful and I was kept informed at every step of the translation of our documents. They offer a very quick and professional service.
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