5W+1H of Transcreation

We are seeing the term "transcreation" being used widely as of recent, sometimes confused with transcription and translation. As a transcreation studio, we at Kreate Transcreation have received such questions from our clients as well. What is a transcreation? When do I need transcreation as compared to a regular translation? Why do I need transcreation?

In today's post, we will talk about the what, when, where, who, why, and how of transcreation.

What is a Transcreation?

As we have discussed previously, transcreation is a translation with context. The bigger question should be: what specific contexts transform a translation into a transcreation?

In advertising field, we deal with audience with different background, such as nationality, gender, and age group. There's also the voice and tonality of the brand which we need to keep in mind while transcreating. We have to also consider the main message that we want the audience to takeaway after seeing the ad.

These are some of the contexts that differentiates transcreation from a regular translation work. With these contexts, we can ensure that our transcreation work will speak correctly to the intended target audience, while still guarding the brand voice, resulting in the advertisement achieving its objective.

When Is Transcreation Needed?

When you need to keep a message intact while translating from one language to another, you will need a transcreation work. This is because a message that works in English, may not work the same when translated word-by-word into another language.

For example, "imposter syndrome" is well understood in English, but when directly translated to Bahasa Indonesia and Thai, the audience in the countries may not understand what it means.

Most creative lines, such as tagline, hashtags, or headlines, will also require transcreation work to keep the creativity and meaning intact, no matter what the language is.

Where Is Transcreation Needed?

Transcreation is getting increasingly popular in countries where its people speak two languages or more. It is also in demand in countries with mostly English-speaking residents, but are in close proximity with other countries or regions where English is not the main language used. Singapore is a good example for both cases above.

Transcreation is also sought after by companies who create their marketing materials mostly in one language, but wanting to localise those materials into other languages.

Who Can Be Considered A Transcreator

At Kreate Transcreation, all of our transcreators have an advertising agency experience and background. This is so that we can keep up with the speed required while servicing our clients, as well as an in-depth understanding of how an advertisement should sound like, no matter the language.

A transcreator is also an avid researcher and writer. Half of a transcreation work is actually on the research, learning the brand voice, competitor's advertisement, how the target audience communicate, and avoiding words or phrases that can be potentially rejected by the legal body of the country.

Why Do I Need Transcreation

Transcreation ensures that nothing is lost in translation. A headline that you so painstakingly craft in English, a tagline that will make your target audience rush to buy your upcoming product, should provide the same effect to your audience around the world, no matter the language.

How Can I Start

Interested to find out more about what we do? Drop us an email at yan@kreatetranscreation.com and wendy@kreatetranscreation.com!