“Corporate communications call for powerful writing, not translations.”
Translation, localization, transcreation, copywriting: the differences
The four terms describe how much freedom a text has from its source. The more it has to sell, persuade or carry a brand, the further it moves away from the original wording.
| Method | Goal | Tie to the source text | Typical texts | Who writes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Translation | carry the content over completely and accurately | close, sentence by sentence | contracts, patents, financial statements, technical texts | specialist translators |
| Localization | fit a text to the language and conventions of the target market | close, with adjusted formats, units and examples | product and help texts, software, websites | translators who know the target market |
| Transcreation (we call it adaptation) | achieve the same effect in the target market as the original | loose: idea and intent stay, words and images may change | slogans, headlines, print ads, brand films, customer magazines | adaptation experts and copywriters who are native speakers of the target language |
| Copywriting | write new copy for the target market | none: the starting point is a brief, not a text | campaigns, brochures, mission statements | copywriters |
The lines are blurred. As a systematic literature review from the University of Granada shows, research has no single agreed definition of transcreation. In practice, a rule of thumb does the job: if you need to know whether a text is correct, you need a translation. If you need to know whether it works, you need transcreation.
What that means line by line, from wordplay to form of address, is explained in our guide Transcreation vs. translation: what changes in advertising copy.
When transcreation pays off, and when it does not
Transcreation pays off wherever copy has to sell or carry a brand:
Corporate slogans and campaign taglines. Taglines usually don’t translate, because a handful of words has to carry the whole brand.
Headlines and print ads where wordplay and image have to work together.
Brand films whose voice-over has to match picture and cut.
Customer magazines and mission statements that convey an attitude.
Product names that may mean something unwelcome in the target market. There is a separate brand name and tagline check for that.
Magazine and image sections of annual reports. Translation is often not enough there, so we adapt them (annual report translation).
Where accuracy comes before effect, translation is the right choice: contracts, patents, mandatory disclosures. That work is part of what we do as well, in IR/PR.
Localize or internationalize?
Not every brand wants to sound local in its target markets. Some deliberately want to be seen as global players. Then a slogan is internationalized rather than localized, and sometimes it stays in its original language.
A well-known example is “Just do it.” (Wieden+Kennedy for Nike, 1987), which was never turned into German. Which strategy applies has to be settled before the adaptation starts, because it shapes every decision that follows.
How transcreation works at BMP
Taking a slogan as the example:
Brief. You send us the copy and, if possible, the same brief and background information you used to create the original.
Ideas. We brainstorm ideas on that basis, over a series of revision loops.
Team discussion. Adaptation experts, copywriters and copy editors discuss and assess the ideas together.
Assessment. We analyze message, associations and culture-specific aspects, and check whether an idea is memorable, impactful and as unique as your original. Some ideas are fresh in one market and old hat in another.
Risk check. We eliminate unintended interpretations that could harm your brand.
Competition. We look at how competitors communicate in the target market.
Test, if you wish. A microsurvey in the target market shows in advance whether the new version works.
So a slogan is not translated. It is rewritten for the target market and then tested for message, associations, cultural aspects, uniqueness and impact.
Example: “Zukunft bewegen” becomes “On track for tomorrow”
Deutsche Bahn asked us to find an English version of its corporate slogan “Zukunft bewegen”. Our answer was “On track for tomorrow”.
| Version | Text | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Original | Zukunft bewegen | corporate slogan of Deutsche Bahn |
| Literal | Moving the future | carries over the words |
| Our version | On track for tomorrow | “on track” means making good progress and comes from the railway; “for tomorrow” keeps the future |
“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 goes into a good brief
The more we know about the original, the closer the new version gets to its effect. It helps to have:
target group and target markets
brand positioning and campaign goal
tone of voice: how the brand sounds and how it addresses its customers
visuals, layout and character limits if the copy has to fit a fixed format
competitors in the target market, as far as known
mandatory terms and words that must not appear
the decision whether the brand should feel local or global
Questions such as marketability, potential demand, purchasing power or customer touchpoints are normally settled before you come to us. When it is about getting the execution right, that is where we come in.
More than words: image, color, gesture
Colors, numbers and gestures also trigger different associations from one culture to the next. In the US a smile is simply expected, in Russia it is more likely to be read as foolish (The Atlantic). So if you wish, we look at the visual execution as well. Visuals and color choices for master campaigns are part of our cultural check for brands and campaigns.
Why transcreation takes more work than translation
Transcreation involves more steps than translation: brainstorming sessions, a series of revision loops, intercultural filters and a look at the competition in the target market.
“That means we don’t help our clients by offering the lowest price. We help them by delivering the maximum communicative impact.”
What that means for your project depends mainly on how many texts and markets are involved. Get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Translation carries over the content of a text, transcreation its effect. In advertising and brand communications, the effect is what counts.
For advertising copy the two terms are mostly used interchangeably, and research has no single agreed definition. We call our work adaptation.
Yes, because there are more steps: brainstorming, revision loops, intercultural filters, a look at the competition in the target market. That’s why a spot-on adaptation isn’t a luxury. It’s an investment that gets your foot in the door.
Rarely word for word. A slogan lives on a few words, on sound and allusion, and that is exactly what a literal translation loses. We rewrite slogans for the target market and then test them as a team for message, associations, cultural aspects, uniqueness and impact.
It depends on whether your brand should feel local or deliberately global in the target market. Both are legitimate strategies. Decide at the start of the project, not in the third revision loop.
First as a team, against the criteria above. If you wish, we also test slogans and concepts with microsurveys in the target market.
We hand-pick adaptation teams of mother-tongue experts and copywriters to suit your product, medium and cultural group, and reach target groups in Europe, the UK, the Americas, Japan and China. To find out whether your language pair is covered, just ask us.
Your content and, if possible, the same brief and background information you used for the original. We handle the rest, including research, cultural filters, proofing and coordination.