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he Revolution of Cross-Cultural Marketing: What is “Transcreation” and How Can It Help You Enter the Global Market?
In today's globalized market environment, companies are facing increasingly diverse consumer demands. The convergence of multiple languages and cultures has necessitated an urgent transformation in marketing strategies. At this time, the concept of "transcreation" gradually gained attention. Transcreation combines the elements of "translation" and "creation". It is not only about converting text from one language to another, but also about recreating between languages to ensure that the original text's intention, style, tone and context are preserved. still exists in the target language.
A successful transcreation evokes the same emotions and conveys the same meaning as the source language.
The concept of transcreation emerged in the mid-20th century. It was first proposed in the context of literary translation and was later gradually applied to the fields of global marketing and advertising. This method is now also widely used in the translation of video games and mobile applications. In the marketing environment, professional translators involved in transcreation are often called "copywriters" or "copy editors", or even "transcreators".
Background and development of transcreation
The origins of transcreation can be traced back to India and Brazil in the 20th century. In 1964, Indian scholar Purushottama Lal pointed out that the work of a translator has in many ways become a kind of transcreation, emphasizing the creativity of translation. Brazilian translator Haroldo de Campos compared transcreation to blood transfusion, emphasizing the richness of translation and its ability to adapt to culture. In China, this term is gradually becoming known, and the concept of transcreation was first mentioned in Modern Advertising magazine in 2010.
Transcreation emphasizes the independent creative role of the translator.
Real-world examples
The term "transcreation" is used quite prominently in popular culture. For example, the American adaptation of the Japanese anime "Doraemon" shows obvious transcreation characteristics. In this version, the original Japanese-style scenes were replaced with elements more suitable for American audiences. In addition, the comic "Spider-Man: India" has also undergone significant adaptations in its setting, moving the story background from New York to Mumbai, and reshaping the protagonist as Spider-Man with an Indian identity. His story settings and opponents have become elements that fit in with Indian culture.
The relationship between transcreation and translation
Historically, translation can be divided into three types: literal translation, paraphrase and imitation. Transcreation is considered a variation of imitative or adaptive translation. Although transcreation has been widely recognized, there are still doubts in the field of professional translation. Some translators believe that transcreation should not be an independent form of translation, but should be regarded as a method in the translation process.
Commercial Applications
After entering the 21st century, many translation agencies have begun to promote themselves as transcreation agencies. This approach allows marketers in local markets to localize the essence of global advertising messages while still maintaining a global strategy. This shift is closely related to the principle of "think globally, act locally" which has been increasingly emphasized in recent years.
As advertisers expand into international markets, they face a unique challenge: ads must reach listeners' hearts, not just their heads.
Through transcreation, brands can not only observe consumer needs, but also establish connections on an emotional level, significantly improving effectiveness. As the global market continues to expand, the significance and application of transcreation will only become more profound. Are you also thinking about how to use this technology to enhance the global competitiveness of your products?
