Transcreation gaining momentum

The term "transcreation" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but it is getting used increasingly by a new wave of firms seeking to distance themselves from translation firms.

This article profiles an ad agency that is marketing transcreation as a value-added service. Here's an excerpt:

[Agency], whose clients include [Client] and larger ad agencies working for such multinationals as furniture giant [Client], has some 20 staffers on contract from Los Angeles, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina. It's a virtual office of collaborators connected by Web cameras and keyboards, and helps reduce overhead, [Director] said.

The firm charges 24 cents per word compared with 30 cents to 40 cents per word from larger agencies, and guarantees more authentic copy.

"Many advertising agencies are charging too much for clients," he said. "They're paying too much for meeting rooms so they can watch people scratch their heads in meetings."

In defense of the translation industry, a good translator also transcreates. That's just part of the job. But savvy executives see an opportunity to offer translation-like services at a better rate. I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of transcreation in the months ahead. Why? Because translation sounds like a commodity; transcreation sounds like a service.

By John Yunker - President - Byte Level Research LLC - www.bytelevel.com

Note: “Transcreation” refers to the demanding process of adapting sales copy from the language it was written in (the source language) into another (the target language). Contrary to what you might think, you can’t just “translate” copy – a lively, witty headline in English may be a complete turnoff in French. In many ways, transcreation is akin to literary translation – the same search for equivalent idioms and concepts, the same striving to find equivalent registers and resonances – with one significant difference: the result must be capable of selling a brand, product, service or idea powerfully and effectively to the target audience in the target market (culture).

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