How to Determine If Your Project Needs Transcreation

When looking for translation for your business, you may stumble across the phrase “transcreation”. Transcreation is the art of ‘creating’ an artistic interpretation of a text rather than translating it as directly as possible. So, what are the differences between translation and transcreation?

The goal of translation is to convey the exact same message over two or more languages. Translators do their best to stick as closely to the source material as they can. In contrast, transcreators are often given artistic liberties that translators aren’t. Transcreators are known for their writing ability and are masters at the craft of writing in the target language.

Translators are often just given the original content and maybe translation memory to work with. Transcreators require a creative brief. Transcreation is more of an art than a science, so their work often requires altering the original content without needing to ask permission. A great deal of trust needs to be placed in the transcreator, as they are often changing the source material to match the target audience. Translators are often trusted to be able to translate the content without much guidance as well, but they may have questions for you about how you want to convey your message rather than taking the lead themselves.

Translation is suited for a wide range of content. It’s important in high precision topics like legal and medical to translate as directly as possible without creative interpretation. In contrast, transcreation is used in artistic fields and areas where the audience is especially important. This means they’re often working with marketing copy and works of art, like books. People who work in this field do their best to retain the original message while creatively editing the original to still evoke emotion and maintain cultural tact.

Because of the extra work and time transcreation takes, it’s often more costly than translation. It’s not unusual to have a translator retain a small part of the royalties for books because the translation is their creative writing as well. It also typically takes longer to get a completed product back because the process is more involved.

To determine whether you need transcreation, first determine the subject matter. Translators still pay close attention to cultural nuances and adapting your message appropriately and will be a good choice for a large majority of projects besides a few niche fields. However, if the subject matter is art or marketing related, transcreation will likely be necessary to alter the original to get your message across while still staying appropriate. Although they can be costly, it is not recommended to penny pinch when the art field is involved.

Whatever you choose, you’ll want a good Language Service Provider managing your project for you. If you need a translator or a transcreator, contact TLC for a free quote.