Translation vs. Localization vs. Transcreation: What’s The Difference?

Making your brand successful in the international market is not an easy nut to crack. The global competition is becoming intense, making global business expansion even more challenging. When it comes to launching your brand to the international market, you must adapt your product or service to the cultural values and interests of the native audiences. Now the question here is, how do we make it happen? And how can you make your brand seem relevant to foreign audiences?

The best advice you might receive in this matter is to translate business content into native languages and localize your brand to meet international standards. If you have been thinking that translation, localization, and transcreation are the same thing, you must read this article till the end. There are some similarities between these terms, but they are totally different when it comes to implementation. 

This article will talk about the differences between translation, transcreation, and localization and how they can be helpful in bringing your business to global markets.

What Is Translation? Why Do Brands Use It?

As the name suggests, translation is the process of translating your content from a source language to a targeted language. There are many ways to undertake content translations. Some businesses hire professional human translators to do the job, and others use machine translation systems to generate translations automatically. Of course, there is a huge difference between how these two methods of translation would work. Most businesses now prefer using professional TMS tools for translating a large number of contents in the fastest turnaround time.

Businesses now translate their content for every new market they want to target. The reason is that your audiences will feel more connected with brands that look local and speak their language. According to the research, it is proven that your potential customers are more likely to buy from a brand that is in their native language. Translation allows the business to increase its return on investment and better connect with its targeted audiences.

Translations are used for:

1. Medical documents
2. Business documents
3. Technical pages
4. User manuals
5. Journal publications.

What is Localization? Why Do Brands Use It?

The localization of a brand is a broader concept than translation and transcreation. Localization does include language adaptations, but there are a lot of other things involved. In localization, you must adapt each element of your brand to the preferences of your target audiences, including translations and transcreations. In the localization process, you have to change the overall look and feel of your brand to make it blend in with the local culture. If a business wants to take its place in the local market, localization is not something that you should ignore. From the selection of the right colors and designs to the technical formatting, you have to modify each element of your brand to suit the interests of the desired population. Businesses can use reliable localization management systems to effortlessly handle their localization processes.

When the audience knows the product is created for them and it fulfills their demands, they will not just buy from you but also stay loyal to your brand. It is a good way of increasing your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness in the foreign market.

It is widely used for:

1. Software
2. Mobile apps
3. Video games
4. Websites

What Is Transcreation? Why Do Brands Use It?

Transcreation is the process of adapting a message from one language to another by making it culturally relevant and appropriate. Transcreation conveys the intent of the original message and adapts it for local audiences. It is the merger of two words, i.e., translation and creation. It is an offshoot of translating that preserves the original content, internet, and tone. It is seen in the entertainment field, mainly in TV commercials. 

Transcreated versions of commercials fully recast the ads and followed adjustments to the story for the local audience. Like localization, minor flaws in the transcreation process can give the content a totally wrong meaning. It is important to transcreate the results into quality content that will allow a business to smoothly operate in a market.

Transcreation is mainly used for:

1. Website ads
2. Banner advertisement
3. Print advertisements
4. TV commercials

Differences Between Translation, Localization, and Transcreation

As you have an idea about what translation, transcreations, and localization really are, let’s get into the in-detail comparison between them. Below are some major differences between translation, localization, and transcreation that you must know.

1. Transcreation and Translation are Linguistic Aspects of Localization

Both transcreation and translation fall under the localization umbrella. There are a lot of other things you have to consider while localizing the content. For instance, the time and date formatting, display of prices in the right currency, and payment methods used on your digital business assets. In localization, you have to pay attention to the tiniest details of your brand to make it culturally appropriate and easily fit in the foreign market. Similarly, translations and transcreation are also critical aspects of the localization process that take care of the context and make sure that the intent and concepts are clearly translated into the other language.

2. Localization Deals with Formatting and Designs 

Localization requires the transformation of the overall design and layout of your website, mobile app, software, etc. You may need to modify the designs more often than you think. For instance, if a business wants to translate its content from English to Hebrew, knowing that Hebrew is a right-to-left language, they have to flip their designs and layouts accordingly. Otherwise, the whole design will turn into a disaster.

Similarly, some languages use more words and phrases than English to translate a text. On the other side, some languages use fewer words than English. You have to adjust your designs to every new translation, which is also done under the localization process. So, your translated content might shrink or expand depending on which language you are translating.

3. Translations and Transcreations Deals with Language Part

When it comes to launching your brand in international markets, breaking the language barrier is critical. Not everyone understands English, so you have to make sure that your brand is accessible to everyone, regardless of their understanding of English. When you translate or transcreate the content into the native languages of your customers, they feel like insiders and more likely to buy from you. Translation and transcreations only focus on the linguistics and the delivery of the message to foreign audiences. 

So, in translation, you are just transforming written words from one language to another. Whereas, transcreations also focused on the actual meaning of the content, so the context of your message wouldn’t get lost in translations.

4. Localization Deals with Visual Elements 

When it comes to localizing your brand, the adaptation of visual elements to your audiences’ interests is also critical. Visual content has more impact on your customers than textual content. Images and visuals have a huge impact on your customers’ psychologies, which also influence their buying decisions. So, just translating the text won’t be enough; you have to adapt the images in a way that resonates with your target audiences. For example, if you are changing the text in a particular ad banner and adapting it to the new audience, you also have to change the image of that banner so that it blends with the textual message and effectively targets the desired audience.

5. Localization and Transcreations Make Your Brand Culture Appropriate 

Translation only deals with the language part, whereas localization has to deal with the rest to make your brand components. Transcreation also provides language translations, keeping the cultural context intact. The purpose is to transform your brand in a way that can easily blend with the culture of targeted markets. From the textual message delivery to the use of the right colors, everything has to be carefully modified to make your product connect with the audience. For this, you localize your brand and transcreate its content that fulfills your business expansion needs and increases your sales globally.

6. Localization Is More Technical

For localization purposes, you would need qualified and well-experienced developers who know the technical aspect of localization and are familiar with Unicode. In the case of technical products and software, you should do code internationalization, which saves you a lot of time and makes the localization process effortless. Instead of hard coding, your developers should write Unicode. So, you don’t have to waste time extracting elements to be localized from the code each time you want to enter a new market.

What Tools Are Required for Localization, Translations, and Transcreations?

Traditionally, companies would use manual processes to manage their translation, localization, and transcreation tasks. These processes were not just complicated and time-consuming but also more prone to errors. Fortunately, now we have advanced localization project management tools available that have made our brand localization super easy. You can use an AI-powered translation management system to generate volumes of content quickly. For transcreations, these tools can assist human translation to effectively manage their brand glossaries and be more consistent in their approach while converting a message to another language. The localization management system can streamline your operation and automate the workflow of your everyday localization tasks.

These tools have integrated smart features to make your localization tasks hassle-free and optimize your overall localization journey. When buying the right translation or localization management system, make sure it contains the tools and features your business requires. Moreover, it is also important to choose a TMS tool that is compatible with your business growth. This means you can upgrade it anytime based on your changing business needs.

Final Words!

Translation, localization, and transcreation are three important aspects of business globalization. It is significant to localize your brand so it resonates with foreign audiences and allows them to connect with your business. You must have all the required tools and equipment to efficiently do the localization, translation, and transcreation processes. Moreover, you should get professional employees on board to help you build your business’s global expansion strategy efficiently.

Now, you have a clear understanding of translation, localization, and transcreation and what are the differences between them. This knowledge can be helpful for you to make the right business expansion decisions. If you are still unsure whether your business needs a complete localization plan or just translations, you better get an expert consultation from a localization service provider.