Marketing and communications departments are the most demanding customers. It is assumed that 80% of all translation claims worldwide are initiated by representatives of marketing and PR. The reason is that this is deemed to be the most subjective type of business translation. When performing marketing translation (localization) of product brochures, websites, presentations, etc., there are a lot of disputes arising around the replacement of a certain word or wording with a synonym. The only more difficult and subjective translation to perform is that of fiction books. At Task Force, we provide services to business. Although we rarely handle fiction, we constantly cooperate with PR and marketing departments and are aware of how to translate a website or a promo not in a literal manner but literary one. We also know how to use technical means to perform proper localization.
Who is the target customer of marketing translation and proofreading?
We should point out that we label “marketing” any translation ordered by the communication and PR departments. However, to be honest, marketing translation in its classical meaning – research, reports, figures – will better be called Economic translation.
People searching for “marketing translation” and “marketing proofreading” on the internet are usually PR and communications staff. So, any foreign business or organization dealing with a Ukrainian audience needs creative adaptation of their texts written by foreign colleagues according to the local requirements and audience mentality. Some may call it localization, some – adaptation; however, the term does not change the issue. Owners and employees of Ukrainian companies require a high-quality translation of advertising and promotional materials or a website for their foreign audience, especially if a business is export-oriented.
Let’s be honest: making the translation readable and literary is not a common task. Marketing translations usually contain concepts that do not exist in the culture of the target audience, untranslatable wordplay, references to unfamiliar movies and series, strange humor, and much more. Sometimes, even the text is unclear until you address the customer for clarification. In rare cases, you will have a perfect two-word slogan that takes a whole day to translate.
Thus, for simpler texts, we usually perform a translation followed by marketing proofreading (by the editor with experience in communications and understanding the adaptation (localization) rules for certain foreign concepts, as well as in ways to arrange words to make a “lovely symphony”.
Texts packed with concepts unknown to the local audience require not only translation and proofreading by a marketing expert but also active cooperation with the customer – if they answer questions and explain concepts, for example, inherent only to their company, the marketing translation is most likely a success.
Translation that verges upon copywriting
Lately, companies ask that their texts undergo a more in-depth processing. Such translation that verges upon copywriting is called transcreation. Apart from Task Force, several companies and PR agencies provide similar services in Kyiv. Transcreation services require the contractor to study the company mission, vision, and tone of voice with consumers and partners, and only then proceed to the translation, during which they introduce quite a lot of changes and generally adapt the text (rewrite it) for the target audience. This is called deep localization. The Task Force team is happy to help with both marketing translation and proofreading, as well as with text transcreation for almost any industry.