Transcreation is when translation meets creativity, cultural adaptation & copywriting to properly and effectively convey your message to your foreign target audience.
I have never liked this term very much because basically any translation task involves a certain amount of creativity and adaptation. So, we have been transcreating for decades without knowing it, when we translated for advertising, literature, cinema & TV, videogames, etc.
Transcreation has apparently become standard terminology in the translation industry via the influence of marketing professionals, so let’s roll with it.
Wikipedia defines ‘transcreation’ as:
Transcreation is a term used chiefly by advertising and marketing professionals to refer to the process of adapting a message from one language to another, while maintaining its intent, style, tone and context* . A successfully transcreated message evokes the same emotions and carries the same implications in the target language as it does in the source language. Increasingly, transcreation is used in global marketing and advertising campaigns as advertisers seek to transcend the boundaries of culture and language. It also takes account of images which are used within a creative message, ensuring that they are suitable for the target local market.
* Emphasis is mine
Therefore, unlike technical or legal translations, where the adherence to the source material is stricter and the language is a bit ‘dry’, and there is not enough room for freedom and expressiveness, transcreation leaves the translator free to rework the text and choose the best expressive tools to effectively convey the message intended by the original creator and evoke the same emotional response evoked in the original audience.
Having more freedom does not make the task any easier than translating a user guide or a contract. On the contrary, it means more responsibility, and being more knowledgeable about the dos and don’ts of the specific industry and culture.
Each time you need to target the Italian market with your ad campaign (either online or offline), sell and promote your products or service on an e-commerce platform (Amazon, eBay, Shopify or your own website), localise a website, application or videogame. You need transcreaton when you want to add subtitles to your videos. Trancreation is necessary for promotional material for tourism, or to translate a press release or other B2B or B2C publication with a high dosage of promotional content.
I will do my best to carefully tailor your content to ensure it has an excellent cultural fit with the Italian market so that it resonates with your intended audience.
If your promotional or educational content is in a video format and you need Italian subtitles, please click here to learn more.