Transcreation and Adaptation Services

Translation converts the words of the source language into the target language. It works well for objective and factual information with no idiomatic or literary expressions, such as technical manuals and news reports. The content, graphics, layout, and brand names remain the same. For example, with automotive materials, translation works well for service manuals and spec sheets.

Adaptation, which is also known as “localization,” not only translates from source to target but also adjusts content so it becomes meaningful to the audience. The culture, politics, and laws of the intended audience become important to ensure that the adaptation is appropriate. Everything can change during adaptation, including text, graphics, layout, and brand names, to meet local expectations of the target market. However, adaptation preserves the meaning of the content as much as possible.

Adaptation works best for literary works, multimedia, and materials targeted to the general consumer, who may use more colloquial speech, dialect, and slang. Examples include owner’s manuals or product names. When Ford introduced the Pinto into Brazil, it changed the language reference from a man with tiny private parts, to Corcel, which means “stallion.”

Transcreation goes beyond adaptation by encouraging creativity. It uses the original as a launching point: the intent of the message becomes more important than the message itself. As we create a specific effect for an audience to meet a particular business objective, even the strategy for distributing and marketing the product or service may change from the source.

Transcreated content is often developed in the local language with new terms and ideas that affect the target audience on an emotional level. This process works best for advertising campaigns and marketing brochures. For example, multimedia commercials that sell cars demand transcreation.