The difference at a glance
| What changes | Translation | Transcreation |
|---|---|---|
| Measured against | the source text | the brief and the effect of the original |
| Wording | follows the original as closely as the target language allows | rewritten: the idea stays, words and images may change |
| Wordplay and idioms | explained or lost | replaced by something that does the same job in the target language |
| Length and rhythm | follow the source | follow the format: a slogan stays short, a headline fits its layout |
| Cultural references | carried over as they are | checked, explained or replaced |
| Who writes | specialist translators | mother-tongue adaptation experts and copywriters |
The Deutsche Bahn slogan
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn asked us to find an English version of its corporate slogan “Zukunft bewegen”. Translated literally, it reads “Moving the future”.
There is nothing wrong with that translation. Every word is accounted for, and a reviewer comparing source and target would find no mistake. But the line has no connection to trains and could sit under almost any company logo.
Our version is “On track for tomorrow”. “On track” means heading in the right direction, and the image comes straight from the railway. “For tomorrow” picks up the future. The message is the same as in German.
“Our English rendition ‘On track for tomorrow’ illustrates why it is so challenging to describe our work: Translation? Transcreation? Adaptation? Whatever you call it, it says what DB wanted to convey and was well received by their English-speaking audience.”
What changes in the copy
Wordplay and idioms
Puns rarely survive the crossing. A transcreation looks for a new one that does the same job in the target language, the way “on track” does for a railway.
Associations
Products carry different meanings in different markets. In the US, cars are often seen as a symbol of freedom, in Germany as a carefully considered investment, in China mainly as a status symbol. Copy that leans on one of these meanings has to be checked against the others.
Freshness
Some ideas are fresh in one market but old hat or overused in another. A translation carries them over regardless; in a transcreation, checking for this is part of the job.
Context
Readers abroad may never have heard of the TV personality or the bit of history a German text takes for granted. We add little details that help them feel at home, such as a short description of the person or some local historical context.
Form of address
English has one “you”. German has two, formal Sie and informal du, and which one a brand uses is a strategic decision rather than a translation detail. More in Adapting global campaigns for Germany.
Images, colors and gestures
In the US a smile is simply expected, in Russia it is more likely to be read as foolish (The Atlantic). Visuals and color choices for master campaigns are part of our cultural check.
What stays the same
The brief stays the same. Brand positioning, campaign goal and the strategy behind them do not change from market to market, only the way they are expressed.
Facts stay facts as well. Names, figures, mandatory information and legal text are translated, not transcreated, even when they appear in the middle of an ad.
Which one does your text need?
Translation for contracts, patents, financial statements, technical texts and anything where every statement has to match the source.
Transcreation for slogans and taglines, headlines and print ads, brand films, customer magazines and mission statements.
A name check for product names that might mean something unwanted in the target market: Brand name and tagline check.
As a rule of thumb, text that readers will check against the facts should be translated. Text that is meant to win them over should be transcreated.
How to judge a transcreation
Laying it next to the source and comparing word for word does not help much, because a good transcreation departs from the source on purpose.
Judge it against the brief instead. Our team assesses every proposal for message, associations, culture-specific aspects, uniqueness and impact, and rules out unintended interpretations that could harm the brand. If you want more certainty before launch, a microsurvey in the target market tests whether the new version works.
It also helps to send us the brief the original was written from. Knowing the thinking behind a slogan makes it much easier to match its effect. Talk to us.
Frequently asked questions
No. A translation carries over what a text says. A transcreation is written to have the same effect as the original, which is why slogans get one and contracts do not.
Slogans live on a few words, on sound and allusion. A literal translation keeps the words and loses the rest, as “Moving the future” shows next to “On track for tomorrow”.
It should not. It changes the wording so that the message survives. Brand positioning and campaign goal stay the same; words, images and references may change.
Not quite. Localization fits a text to the language and conventions of a market: formats, units, examples. Transcreation goes further and rewrites the copy to achieve the effect of the original.
Someone who writes for a living in the target language. Our adaptation teams are made up of mother-tongue experts and copywriters, chosen to suit the product, medium and cultural group.