Translation vs Localization vs Transcreation
Characteristics of Translation, Localization, Transcreation
Whether a brand is already established at an international level or is new to the push for globalization, in the bid to drive user engagement exorbitant sums of money are spent in the name of creating engaging, digital content. But how do you get your branded content to resonate with international audiences? An audience in China will digest content in a completely different manner to one in America. A campaign that is a resounding success in one country could cause crippling offense elsewhere. For a marketing campaign to hit the mark in a variety of locales, localization and transcreation must also play a part alongside translation when managing your digital content.
Translation: from source to target
The translation is a fairly simple concept; the act of translating from one language to another language. But as we know in practice, there is absolutely nothing simple about it. The phrase “lost in translation” may spring to mind, and below is a famous example of just that:
- During its global expansion, Mercedes sought to introduce its new vehicle to the Chinese market. All well and good, but in Chinese, Mercedes Benz was translated as Mercedes “Bensi”, which means “Rush to Die”. The company quickly re-branded the name to “Benchi”, which instead means “running quickly as if flying”. Substantially more poetic and certainly more safety inspiring!
Every translation project involves the translator adding their judgment and skill to capture the essence and meaning of the source. Generally, the more abstract the document, the more variation between two translations of it are likely to be, even though they both are considered correct. The translation of a poem will include more variations than the translation of operating instructions for a product. The poem will need more accurate interpretation to capture the emotion and the message the author was delivering, while the operating instructions are straightforward and simpler to translate.
- The content stays the same
- The language operates within the literal word-for-word translation of everything
- Images, layout, and brand vocabulary do not change
Localization: cultural product adaptation
Localization is a term we touched on when disseminating the differences in Localization vs. Globalization. By definition, localization is the process of adjusting the functional properties and characteristics of a product to accommodate not only the difference in language at a basic translation level, but also the cultural, political, and legal differences of a foreign market. Localizing a website transmits the meaning of the words in a way that is both culturally appropriate and has a much higher chance of connecting with the target audience. It goes beyond basic translation, including images, layouts, time and date formats, and even the colors in your marketing material.
Further still, when one considers and adds the considerable widespread and uniqueness of generational and geographical specific slang into the equation, localization becomes an even more relevant task. Below is a prime example of a brand missing the mark with their localization efforts:
- When Ford broached the Brazilian market for the launch of its new Pinto model, the desired response was exceptionally wide of the mark. Mainly because “Pinto” in Brazilian Portuguese is widely interpreted as a reference to a man with tiny genitalia. The model was quickly renamed to “Corcel” which translates to “stallion” – the very polar end of that particular spectrum!
Localization can be the difference between a product being widely accepted in a foreign market or flatly denounced. You can define it by three main characteristics:
- Not the content, but the meaning of the content stays the same
- Language is translated in a culturally appropriate way
- Images and layout are changed to meet local expectations and product needs
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