Winning German customers’ hearts is no easy feat. You have post-Brexit customs and trade barriers, compliance regulations (think GDPR) and, last but not least, language localisation to deal with.
While English is widely used in business and spoken very well by most Germans, you still need high-quality German content to inspire trust before making a sale.
In this blog post, we’ll look at how transcreation (translation + recreation) might be the missing piece of your German marketing strategy puzzle.
What is transcreation?
Transcreation is a professional service that blends translation and copywriting.
On one end of the spectrum, you have straightforward translation. This gives you grammatically correct and linguistically accurate output. This approach works best for content where precision takes priority, such as legal documents, user manuals or academic texts.
On the other end, you have transcreation. This service is all about straying from the original content as much as necessary to make a product or service feel local to a new audience in their native language. The goal is to make it feel as if it were created specifically for them.
Transcreation provides added value for businesses looking to adapt their marketing materials to their target market’s language and culture. Common use cases include advertisements (digital, print, TV, radio), email campaigns, slogans and web copy.
What can transcreation help you achieve?
From an ROI perspective, transcreation can save you time and money. That’s because working with a transcreator means you only need one person who masters the art of translation, marketing and copywriting, combining all these skills in one service – as opposed to hiring several people for each part of the process (translator, marketing strategist, copywriter).
By going the extra mile and choosing transcreation over direct translation, you’re a big step closer to truly connecting with your new audience. You’re allowing for enough time and budget to not only translate the words you use, but also adapt them to the local culture and consumer expectations.
Imagine all the things that could go wrong if you were to ignore cultural nuances in your new marketplace, from a joke falling flat to accidentally offending someone. To give you a few examples of businesses this has happened to, here are five transcreation examples that will make you smile or cringe.
When is transcreation the right choice for you?
Transcreation is rooted in empathy for your ideal customers. Once you prove that you understand and respect them, they’re far more likely to keep coming back and recommend you to others. The best way to do that is by putting the necessary effort into your communications and meeting them where they are, in their own language.
Whether transcreation is right for your brand depends on several factors. Let’s go through four crucial questions to guide your decision-making process:
- Are you dealing with marketing content intended for publication?
- If there is a place for auto-translations, AI tools and mediocre translation agencies, then highly visible, emotional marketing copy is not one of them. Thinking you can cut costs by publishing half-baked localised versions of your content will do your brand’s reputation more harm than good. Instead, look for a professional transcreator who works with your desired language combination. They’ll guide you through this tricky terrain and answer all your language- and culture-related questions along the way.
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- Do you know your target audience?
- Which demographic are you targeting? What do your German-speaking customers need to see and hear from you to feel confident enough to hit the Buy button? Once you’ve done your research, you’ll have a much clearer idea of how to win their hearts. It starts with seemingly simple decisions, such as the Sie vs. du form of address, and extends to deeply understanding shopping patterns.
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- Tip: Statista is a great resource for learning more about German buyer behaviour.
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- Do you have the marketing budget in place?
- Transcreation is a smart investment for brands operating on an international scale. As with any service you buy for your business, make sure your team has allocated enough time and budget. Think about how much you pay your English copywriters to create a blog post or ad campaign, and remember that transcreation isn’t all that different. As such, it should never be overlooked during the budget-planning stage.
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- Is your English content polished and final?
- Make sure your English original files have been double-checked, as they will serve as the source for your transcreator to work their magic. Taking a little extra time to do this before giving the green light on your transcreation project will only improve the end product.
If you answered “Yes” to the questions above, then transcreation is a safe bet for your brand.
Keep in mind that the more persuasive power a message has, the more it makes sense to opt for transcreation over translation.
Still undecided if transcreation is the right choice for your business?
I’m happy to walk you through it in real time!
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