What is Transcreation? Transcreation happens when a highly specialized translator recreates the text in question for a specific audience. The key word here is “recreates,” which otherwise means to reproduce, give new life to, create again, reinvent. It doesn’t refer to creating the content completely from scratch but often changing the source content significantly in the process.
The process of transcreation typically applies to product names, advertisement copy, slogans and taglines, that is, highly branded marketing material. Transcreation can also be used to translate brand and style guidelines as well as creative briefs.
Transcreation, həm də marka və stil qaydalarını, həm də yaradıcı qısa məlumatları tərcümə etmək üçün istifadə edilə bilər. Transcreators are exceptionally creative translators: seasoned and experienced people who aim to create a text in the target language that triggers the same emotions and nail the same marketing objectives as the original content.
Spider Man India
For example, Wikipedia offers a compelling example regarding Spiderman, the comic book character. The creators understood the American Spiderman would not be suitable for the Indian market. So they transcreated a version of the character that is of Indian origin whose secret identity is Pavitr Prabhakar.
Sporting a dhoti, he battles the demon Rahshasa in notable Indian landmarks like the Taj Mahal and has no real connection to New York City. The point of the transcreated character and comic book story line is to have readers identify with Spiderman India so they would purchase more comic books. In other words, transcreators remade and adapted the Spiderman character for the Indian market.
As frequently happens with many transcreation projects, in this example, not much was preserved from the source material. The “essence” of the character was respected, but in many aspects, the character is understood to be a native Indian battling evil in his home country.
Transcreation is often carried out by two, or more, translators and involves a reconciliation process. Constant review and input by the creators of the content are a part of the process.