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BEYOND TRANSLATION ...
LOCALlZATION
TRANSCREATION
Localizing means adapting content from one language to another by focusing more on the differences between the source culture and the target culture, in order to obtain an authentic communication, which appears to be designed ad hoc for a specific culture/region.
We could say that this is a process in which cultural respect is even more important than linguistic respect. A process by which the translator, always keeping in mind the initial message, must be able to identify the cultural aspects and evaluate if and how to adapt them, modifying, if necessary, those aspects that could appear inadequate, or simply '' distant '' ' for the target culture.
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Localizing therefore means adapting content from one language to another, modifying not only the textual parts, but also the graphic parts such as fonts, images, audio tracks.
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What text types require localization?
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Any text can be localized, from the information booklet to the movie script, but clearly there are some text types most often associated with localization. A brilliant example is represented by marketing-related texts
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Although any translation process requires an adaptation of the initial message, in order to make it usable and pleasant for the target audience, there are some textual types for which a significant "manipulation" of the message is necessary not to lose the purpose of that given message. This is the case of advertising messages, whose main purpose is to generate a reaction in the public (eg: the purchase of a product / service).
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So, is marketing untranslatable?
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Absolutely NOT , but you have to broaden your horizons and go beyond literal translation, to enter the world of Transcreation.
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I know, you must be wondering transcre-what? No, that's not a bad word!
Trans-Creation is a compound word, born from the fusion between " Translation and Creation that is Creative Translation, an adaptation to the nth degree, in which particular attention is not paid to the tone and style of the source message, andd to the intrinsic purpose of that message, of course.
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An example:
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The Haribo Payoff, in its original German version reads: " HARIBO macht Kinder froh, und Erwachsene ebenso", literally "Haribo makes children happy, and adults too".
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Well, clearly this message is intended to imply that haribo products are designed not only for children, but also for an adult audience. However, in its literal translation, despite the message being the same, the poetry given by the rhyming verses is lacking, which perform 2 very important functions:
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1. Make the text easy to remember
2. They evoke in the audience feelings related to childhood, a stage in life generally linked to feelings of happiness and lightheartedness.
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Both of these aspects serve to guide the customer towards the choice of the advertised product, therefore eliminating said aspects would mean losing the effectiveness of the message.
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That's why Haribo opted for Transcreation for the international versions of its marketing content. In fact, the advertisements aimed at the English and French markets respectively read:
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"Kids and grown-ups love it so – the happy world of Haribo"
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"Haribo, c'est beau la vie - pour les grands et les petits" (lit. "Haribo, life is beautiful, both for adults and children.")
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