The best translation is no translation.
It’s a transcreation.
Transcreation is all about the difference between storks and peaches.
In the 1970s, Procter & Gamble tried to crack Japan’s notoriously difficult market with Pampers disposable diapers. But Japanese parents were perplexed by the ads showing a stork delivering diapers.
P&G later learned that storks do not deliver babies in Japanese folklore. Instead, the famous legend of Momotaro tells a tale of a baby floating down the river in a giant peach.
Sometimes translating words is just not good enough.
How we transform your Quarter Pounder into a Royale with cheese.
There is no secret ingredient. It’s all about the people.
Translators who can actually write
Most translators are driven by a desire to help people understand each other. They are passionate about foreign languages and have mastered one or two themselves. Very few also have outstanding writing skills in their own language. And these are the ones we work with.
Copywriters who speak another language
There’s another thing your casual translator doesn't get: marketing. You don’t translate your campaigns for the greater good – you want to get more clicks, generate leads and sell your product. That’s when local copywriters with a background in marketing flourish.
Multilingual project managers
All of our project managers speak at least one foreign language and are able to help you find the best language talent to crack international markets. They build bridges between you, our writers and your global target audience.
When should you transcreate instead of translate?
When you don’t want your translation to be as close to the source text as possible. Probably not for legal docs, financial reports, or your doctor’s notes.
Global branding campaigns
Taglines, slogans, headlines
Movie titles, shows, scripts, synopsis
Digital marketing content and ads
Brochures, mailings, newsletters
Any marketing-focused copy
How much does transcreation cost?
It depends. On the scope of the project, source and target languages, deadline and how we approach the transcreation.
Headlines, taglines, slogans, ads, etc.
Creative adaptations of important slogans are billed on a per-hour basis.
Copy, descriptions, articles, etc.
When transcreating longer texts, we use set per-word rates.
We’d be happy to create an individual quote for you.
Use our contact form or call us on +49 30 201 696 100.
Marketing translation and creative adaptations in more than 100 languages.
We localize your content for the whole wide world. And for Hollywood, sometimes even beyond.
Transcreation relies on creativity. But technology can help beef up quality and reduce costs.
You don’t want your slogan translated differently each time.
Terminology tools for consistent wording
We make sure your marketing messages, taglines and product names all comply with your corporate language.
Translation memories save time and money
We store every sentence we translate for you. And call it up whenever it’s needed again. You pay us to be creative, not repetitive.
Reference projects
Any industry, any target market – we have the expertise to have it all covered. Here are just a few examples of our work.
What makes Supertext the best choice for transcreation?
We’ve been storytellers from chapter one.
Supertext was originally founded as a copywriting agency. When our clients started asking for our super texts in other languages, we used our experience in copywriting to create multilingual content. We understand that the key to super translations is not only a deep understanding of the source language, but creativity and outstanding writing skills in the target language.
Want to learn how it works?
Our white paper will give you the answers you’re looking for about transcreation.
- What factors contribute to the success of a transcreation
- When you need one
- Specific examples and use cases
- Tips and strategies for finding a provider
Find out more about transcreation. With the Supertext newsletter.
We’ll regularly provide you with exciting bites about creative marketing translations.
Or take a look at the Supertext magazine.
For the latest stories from the world of transcreations.