Transcreation

TRANSCREATION & TRANSLATION… 

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Simply put. 

When we transcreate a message, we consider culture, language, and phrases that are sensitive to the group we are targeting. This approach adapts the content, and while we keep the main messages’ voice, tone, and purpose, it better resonates with different ethnic groups.

Transcreation goes way beyond replacing images or language… is about re-creating messages that capture the essence of the brand in an entirely new language/culture.

When we translate, we mainly replace words from one language with corresponding words in another language. The main goal here is to make the content understandable to people who don't speak the original language. 

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Here's a quick example to illustrate the above:

FUNNY “Intimacy Policy” STORY…

In her former job, our CEO was redesigning her company’s website and updating the content. She partnered with a great translating company to help with the Spanish version. Luckily, she's a native Spanish speaker, so she was able to look at the translations to make sure everything was correct. 

Her attention went straight to the words: “Política de Intimidad” or “Intimacy Policy”.  When she went back to look at what they were translating, the words were “Privacy Policy”. Don’t get it wrong, the translating company did NOT do anything wrong. The literal translation of those words can be Intimacy Policy, but of course, that’s not where you want people to go to read your company’s Privacy Policy.

So, if you or your company is in need of some transcreation support to avoid an embarrassing Intimacy Policy situation, make sure you partner with a company (hint, hint, Grace + Jay) who knows what they’re doing.