Three reasons you need a transcreator, not a translator

Respecting all social and cultural sensitivities, as well as fashion and religious factors, they craft content that is faithful to original creative masters. If needed, our in-house resources also creatively amplify localized brand assets to encompass specific market differences or to address a strong local client need. As for brand activation programs, our in-market event managers and planners facilitate superior local implementation of brand activation initiatives.

Three reasons you need a transcreator, not a translator

So before you take your catchy new campaign or your slick professional manual across borders, ask yourself a few simple questions about who is handling your copy.

1. Is your copy communicating what is intended, not just what is written?

Even with the most straightforward copy, you will want a qualified native speaker. They will know the linguistic and cultural nuances of the language. Grammatical correctness is essential, but a native speaker with a flair for the written word will be able to find the right feel within their language. That is the difference between translation and transcreation. Transcreation is not just about saying the same thing in another language; a good trancreator knows when it is not possible to say exactly the same thing and looks for a linguistic and cultural solution. Transcreation aims at intent. What is the reaction a piece of copy intends to elicit? A skilled transcreator can think from the perspective of the receiver in their mother tongue and avoid the pitfalls of word-for-word translation.

2. Is your marketing message in the hands of a marketer?

In any language, there is a skill in crafting a marketing message. Does your transcreator specialize in marketing? Does she or he know how to take a zingy tagline and find just the right equivalent in another language? Some languages have more characters per word; can your transcreator fit your message on a billboard in another country? The effectiveness of advertising copy can hinge on striking just the right tone or humorous note, but humor can be tricky. Does that clever line travel well from language to language? A transcreator with a marketing background will know.

3. Is your complex message in the hands of an expert?

Whether it is a hefty professional manual or a short summary, if your copy is intended for a specific and highly trained audience, you will want a transcreator who knows the subject matter. Accuracy is essential, and the skills required to take complex copy into another language can go beyond language fluency. This is why Hercules works with an extensive network of highly qualified specialized copywriters in both marketing and technical transcreation. They are masters in both their language and their field.

At Hercules, we do not translate, we transcreate. We ensure our clients’ messages travel with precision, intent and impact, and that transcreated content carries as much weight as its original message.