Marketing Translation and Transcreation

Successful marketing campaigns are an essential part of many business models. We can all recall an advert or promotion that stuck around in our head forever! If you’re looking to expand your business to engage with audiences in new languages and cultures, marketing translation is sure to be an important piece of the puzzle.

Marketing in the modern world

The huge benefits of exciting and effective marketing make it a key strategy for businesses all over the world. Plenty of time, effort, and resources go into creating marketing schemes that aim to impress and persuade potential customers.

However, what works in one part of the world may not translate as easily to another area. Cultural differences can lead to some embarrassing marketing gaffes when left ignored. So, how can you avoid these awkward missteps? Well, that’s where we at Atlas can help!

The power of transcreation

When we translate a brand from one language and culture to another, it’s never as simple as looking up each phrase in a bilingual dictionary. This is where transcreation comes in – using the original material from one language to create an equivalent that makes sense for a new audience.

Transcreation maintains the style and meaning of your message while making sure that the new branding speaks to the target audience. As a certified translation agency, we can ensure that every part of your marketing campaign and brand is persuasive to your new audience.

Tricky translations

When it comes to marketing, skipping steps in the translation process can have awkward consequences! There are countless stories of brands failing to properly contend with the challenges of translation. For example, in 2009 the multinational bank HSBC had to embark on an embarrassing (and costly!) revamp when their English-language slogan “Assume Nothing” was wrongly translated as “Do Nothing” in many countries.

It’s not just words that can trip up multicultural marketing, either. Numbers, images, and even photographs can have vastly different interpretations in different places. In many English-speaking countries, we’re used to seeing the number 13 skipped over for hotel rooms or plane rows. In Japan, however, it’s the number 9 that is seen as unlucky, due to a similar pronunciation as the Japanese word for ‘suffering’.

Translating the right way

Many of these small cultural differences won’t be picked up on by a free online translation service or a bilingual dictionary. With a professional translation agency such as Atlas, you’ll be working with an experienced team of translators operating in their native tongue. Our project managers use their knowledge of the language and culture to ensure a successful transcreation of your brand.

We offer a wide range of transcreation services, with a full brand and marketing message audit available to ensure your brand makes an effective first impression with your new audience. To find out more about the services we offer and how we can help you, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today!

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If you’d rather have a casual chat about upcoming projects, give us a call on 01727 812725 or talk to us in the livechat!