Se habla español – Part 5
Now that you’ve decided you should advertise to Hispanics in Spanish, you just need to get someone to translate your English-language campaign, right?
Maybe you’re considering that Cuban guy in accounting or the new receptionist from the Dominican Republic.
Hmm? Oh, you’re smarter than that? You are planning to use a professional translation service?
Well, that’s a huge step in the right direction. And that may be all you need if you’re dealing with fairly straightforward documents such as manuals and contracts and the like.
But if you’re dealing with creative materials — the stuff that will determine how effectively your sales message is communicated to your target market — I have three vitally important words for you.
Don’t translate — transcreate.
What’s the difference?
Translation is the process of rendering text from a source language (in this case English) into text in a target language (in this case Spanish).
That’s what a professional translation service does. And that can work pretty well if what you need is a Spanish-language version of your employee handbook or a set of contest rules or an instruction manual.
Transcreation is the process of creating a text in the target language that is equivalent to the original, using culturally appropriate idioms and concepts.
Equivalent, but not necessarily identical.
That’s what we at HM&P do. And that is what you absolutely need when you’re working with print materials and radio spots and television commercials et al.
The goal of transcreation is to create a text in the target language that captures not merely the meaning, but also the essence and impact of the original — a text that sounds as though it was originally written in the target language.
Why should you transcreate, rather than merely translate?
Because poor translations can make an advertiser sound ignorant, incoherent, or even idiotic.
Make the mistake of translating the famous “Got Milk?” slogan literally and you get “¿Tienes leche?” — which actually means: “Are you lactating?”
Oops. Not exactly the question the California Milk Processor Board wanted jumping off their billboards and print ads.
Nor did Braniff Airways realize the faux pas they were committing in 1978 when they re-upholstered the seats in their fleet and decided to make the proud announcement to Hispanics that ”Braniff te vuela en cuero” – a literal translation of their “Braniff Flies You in Leather” slogan which in Spanish came out as: “Braniff Flies You Buck Naked.”
Good ad copy uses word play and symbolism that works on more than one level and appeals to the consumer’s emotions.
That’s why a real feel for what you want to say is crucial for the target-language version to turn out right.
And that’s why transcreation work requires someone with a special skill-set that goes beyond being simply a native-speaker, even one who may also be a professional writer and/or translator.
The transcreator should be both an accomplished translator and a trained copywriter who understands how to write effective marketing copy.
We’ve got such people ready to work for you.
Next time we’ll talk about just where U.S. Hispanics live.
You may think you already know.
But you might be surprised.
Stay tuned.
