Transcreation vs Translation: Which One Do You Need?
Whether you’re taking your business global or just working with a new language in your home market, you’ve likely heard the terms’ translation’ and ‘transcreation’ before. So, what do these terms actually mean, and what are they used for? When it comes to transcreation vs translation, which one comes out on top?
Translation and transcreation are both useful tools for creating effective content in other languages. They’re often put together and sometimes used interchangeably, but the truth is that they’re actually very different things which make use of very different skill sets. There is some overlap, of course, but conflating the two could mean you don’t take full advantage of either.
In this post, we’ll explore the differences and benefits of both, and settle the transcreation vs translation debate once and for all.
What is translation?
Let’s start with the easy one, shall we?
Simply put, translation is the act of replacing words in one language with words in a different language that mean the same thing. A translated text will hold the same general meaning as the original; translations aren’t absolutely word-for-word, but changes are only made so the text makes sense in the new language.
Not all words exist in the same forms across all languages, and grammar structures can vary dramatically. The popular German loanword ‘schadenfreude’ is a compound word that basically means ‘joy at another person’s misery’; it’s a perfect example of how one language can express in a single word what another language needs an entire sentence to explain.
Translation is about matching the meaning as closely as possible, in the most accurate way possible, without trying to reinterpret or adapt anything unless absolutely necessary.
What is transcreation?
Now that we’ve explained translation, it’s time for transcreation. The two practices are sort of like a parent and a child — whilst transcreation is its own thing, translation is a fundamental part of it.
You may have already guessed this, but transcreation is a mix of two words; ‘translation’ and ‘creation’. Transcreation focuses not just on literal translation, but on reinterpreting and changing the text so that it fits a new audience and language better. It accounts for cultural differences in tone, style, word or phrase use, and emotional resonance. It’s a more creative process than translation, and requires a different kind of talent.
Every culture has its own forms of humour, politeness, day-to-day routine, and more. Transcreation focuses on adapting the original intent of the text to better fit this diversity of experience. The text still has the same effect on the new readers, it just doesn’t say exactly the same thing as the original.
The process of transcreation vs translation
Whilst translation is usually a straightforward task, transcreation tends to come with a more detailed brief.
Translation is by no means an ‘easy’ job — it requires a lot of skill, including full fluency in both the original and the target language. Learning a second language is certainly worthy of praise, but the process for translation is still straightforward; take the original content, take the target language, and transform from one to the other. It’s a careful, technical process that doesn’t often require a lot of extra details.
Transcreation, however, is much more complicated and involved. The ‘creation’ part of the word is really important here; whilst translation starts with a pre-written piece of copy, transcreation often comes with a new brief all of its own. A transcreation specialist will go through not just the words in the source content, but also the meaning, the inferences, and the way it reads. They’ll combine this with research (or pre-established knowledge) of the target culture, and endeavour to hit the same notes through different wording. It’s almost like writing the copy from scratch, but using the original piece as a base.
A transcreation brief is similar to a marketing or design brief, in that it states the audience, intent, purpose, and style/tone of the content. Transcreated content will also follow brand style guides and tone of voice documentation.
A closer look at transcreation
We’ve already given you an overview of transcreation vs translation, but the details are what really matter here.
Everything from time taken to skills required differs between the two, so learning all the ins and outs will make you better equipped when it comes to choosing which is right for your business.
So, when it comes to transcreation, what are the key takeaways?
Transcreation costs more
Transcreation is an art. It’s the perfect combination of translation and creative writing — and we already know that both of those are very valuable skills to have.
In fact, most transcreation experts are also copywriters in their native language. This is why transcreation costs more; it often takes more time than translation, as well as more work, because of the talent and creative knowledge that go into it. Not only that, but the way you pay for transcreation vs translation can also differ; translators are often paid by the word as it’s an easy, technical metric to work with, whilst transcreators are more likely to charge by the hour, page, or scope of the project.
The extra time and expertise that transcreation requires means it will always be the more expensive option, but the benefits can yield a better ROI in comparison to a simple translation. The more your content appeals to your audience, the better the chance of conversions — regardless of where they’re from or what language they speak — so the extra money upfront can lead to more profit overall.
Transcreation enhances your SEO
The fact that transcreation adapts to its audience means that the intent of the content is more likely to match the intent of the reader, making it better for SEO.
But what exactly does that mean?
A large part of SEO is about intent — what was the user trying to accomplish when they made the search? Were they looking for information, to buy something, or to compare products to see which is better?
Ensuring your content matches the user’s intent is essential for SEO, and transcreation adapts your copy to ensure that the intent is correct. Translated text may not convey the true message without transcreation due to various differences in words, sentences, and grammar between languages.
If you want to help quickly and easily boost your SEO, transcreation can do that.
Transcreation results in new messaging
Translation focuses on a very accurate interpretation of the text, but transcreation is about writing something new with the original text in mind. What this means is that your transcreation will result in more specific, targeted copy for your new audience, and this will make your marketing a lot more successful.
Even between the UK and the US, where most people speak the same language, the cultural references and tone of conversation vary greatly. For example, the British sense of humour is often considered a lot more dry, sarcastic, and self-deprecating, whilst American humour tends to feature more quick-witted protagonists and parody.
Consider just how much effort goes into appealing to British and American audiences in a more targeted way, and it’ll be easy to see how transcreation can be incredibly effective when localising content for international markets, where the cultural difference is far greater. Each time you give your copy to a transcreator, an expert is working through what you want to say or appeal to — like family values, excitement, youth culture, or a sense of humour — and finding the best way to deliver that message to a new audience.
Transcreation specialists aren’t just translators; they’re writers
Transcreators understand marketing, and they understand your new target market… but so do translators, so why not use them instead?
Copywriting is a skill all of its own (as is any other kind of creative writing!), and that’s what a transcreator brings to the table. When you use a transcreation service, you’re not just asking for help in translating your content — you’re looking for someone who can take your original message and create something new out of it.
Just like hiring an initial copywriter to create content for your website, marketing, or social media, the best part about utilising a transcreator is that you’re getting someone’s unique voice and linguistic talent; they’re going to use these talents to make your content as effective as possible for a brand new audience, all whilst keeping your business’s branding and personality consistent.
A deeper dive into translation
We’ve spent a lot of time talking about the benefits of transcreation and how much skill goes into it. It may sound like we’re playing favourites here, but we promise that’s not the case!
In fact, translation is the backbone of a lot of international business, and whilst there are benefits to both, sometimes translation really is the better option. Transcreation vs translation isn’t really about finding a ‘winner’ — it’s about learning what each does best.
So, when is translation a better fit, and how does it benefit your business and audience?
Translation focuses on accuracy
Transcreation is a great way to adapt your message, but that’s not always what you actually want to do.
A more literal and straightforward translation can often be better if you want to really knuckle down on a specific message, or if you want to try and keep your language as consistent as possible, regardless of your audience.
Whilst marketing and social media are more likely to benefit from transcreation, there’s almost no reason to use it if your content is more technical in nature. Anything that focuses on instructions, details objective information, or is made for internal or B2B circumstances would be better served by translation, because you’re getting a methodical, accurate approach.
The last thing you want when you’re trying to convey very critical information is for someone to get creative. You risk changing important messaging or vital, specific wording, and that could have disastrous consequences.
Similarly, getting someone to reinterpret an important press release you’re putting out in a foreign market could cause unnecessary issues. A more literal translation is always better when the focus is on the accuracy of your original wording.
Translation is effective for simple projects
If you’ve got a small project, or lots of little snippets (like survey questions for market research), you may want to consider translation. Of course, you should first figure out whether or not you think transcreation is better, but if you know that adapting your message isn’t a huge focus, then translation can be a better choice.
Sometimes what you’re trying to say is straightforward enough that there’s not much room for error; not all text is about connecting to your audience on a personal level. Think about everything from FAQs to the ingredients on your new ready-to-eat cookie dough; do you really need to adapt that text for individual audiences, or do you just need them to be able to read it?
It’s worth noting that all translators will do at least some reinterpretation. Since languages don’t line up word-to-word perfectly, a translator is always going to need to change the wording a little to match your original message. These minor changes are a better option if connecting to your new audience on an emotional, culture-specific level isn’t really your goal.
Translation isn’t ‘half a job’
After learning more about the benefits of transcreation, it might be tempting to jump straight into transcreation for your next localisation project. After all, if transcreation is ‘translation, and then extra’, why wouldn’t you want to go for the ‘better thing’?
It’s important to stress that translation isn’t just ‘half a job’.
The easiest way to point this out is to remind you that transcreation does take longer and will cost more. Especially for SMEs, you may not have the room to budget for that extra time and workload. But, even if you can afford it, why spend money on something that won’t bring anything new to the table? Well, it will bring something new, but not necessarily something that will help your bottom line.
Translators are just as skilled as transcreators — they simply specialise in a different field. Think of it like the difference between a paint manufacturer and a painter; one is technical, and the other is creative, but the painter wouldn’t be able to work at all if it wasn’t for the paint!
Transcreation vs translation: which one should you use?
We hope you’ve enjoyed our breakdown of transcreation vs translation. You’ve learnt all about the benefits of both, and discovered why they’re different, specialised skills. Now there’s only one question left: which one should you use? Well, as we’ve explained, it all depends on the content.
Translation can be all you need for texts such as:
Technical specifications
Internal documents
Ingredient lists
Product brochures
But transcreation is best for content such as:
Marketing copy
Advertisements
Website content
Blog posts
In short, emotion-led copy should be transcreated, and information-led content should be translated.
At ZippyLingo, we can do both. Our expert team of translation and transcreation artists work with seemingly endless language pairings, and specialise in different sectors and content types. When it comes to transcreation vs translation, we always ensure that you use the best option for your business and content, so you can maximise engagement and sales in any language.
Interested? Just give us a call or drop us an email today.
