Transcreation: Pride and Prejudice I

By Delfina Morganti Hernández✍️

Transcreation is in vogue❤️ And so are a few myths around this creative translation service oftentimes mixed with marketing translation, copywriting and other similar services.

So I've decided to try and demystify some key prejudices and stereotypes around transcreation and transcreators. For the purpose of denaturalising such misconceptions, I will exaggerate them a little and present them as universal truths.

L​et's start with one of my favourites:

#1: Transcreation is basically going beyond the source text without fear, without limits, without restraint.

Well, no. Not really. Let me give you an example drawn straight from real life: today, I happen to be working on two high visibility, super-exciting transcreation projects that have this one key thing in common: the final transcreated content will run on branded apps.

Just how challenging do you think it is to transcreate content (whether it be from English into Spanish, as in my case, or in any other language pair) when the target media is an app?

I’ll sum it up in one key strategy that I know I must struggle to apply: Stick to the same (or almost) number of characters with spaces as used in the source WHILE reflecting all key, value-added product features in target.

This means that if I manage to stick to character limits but that implies omitting a key product feature, I’ll have to conjure up a new, different, better version into Spanish so that my transcreation does not only fit target media layout but also includes all those reasons why the product in question is a must-have.

Vice versa, if my transcreation is stellar from the point of view of style, fluidity, creativity, etc., but is way too long or too short, I'll have to give up on that version, no matter how great I think it is, and come up with a new one that sort of strikes a balance and achieves the best of both worlds.

So, (un)fortunately, transcreation is not about giving absolutely free reign to your drive for creativity. There's much more to this specific translation service than meets the eye.

READ PART 2

CHECK THE PODCAST

Want to learn more about transcreation as a service? Think you could use it for your brand's messaging?

Listen to the first episode of Founded in Transcreation, the first ever podcast on transcreation where I delve into how brands cross borders. You can follow all episodes on Anchor or Spotify as well.

​Or tell me about your project, the languages you need to transcreate into and let's see how I can help or assemble a creative language team for you.

Delfina
​#orangepowerDMH

Delfina Morganti Hernández is a writer, marketer and English-Spanish (LATAM, Argentina) transcreator and reviewer. Her purpose is to help fellow brands and people with a true entrepreneurial spirit shine through their communication strategy in English and in Spanish.

She provides marketing consultancy, brand assessment and cross-cultural services for high-end brands in Digital Advertising, Human Resources, Corporate Communications and Video Games.

Delfina is a self-published author of an essay on literary translation in Spanish and of a collection of poems in English, Spanish and French, and has been delivering training on literary translation and marketing for translators for 8 years now.

In 2018, she was invited to work as social media strategist and co-host of Traductores al Aire, the first online radio show and podcast by and for translators in Spanish.

In 2020, her branded hashtag #HablemosDeMarketing made it to YouTube, where she hosts her own podcast to discuss marketing and branding for freelance translators and budding entrepreneurs in Spanish.

You can learn more about her at en.traduccionescreativas.com or by searching her hashtags #orangepowerDMH and #BrandingBrain on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.