Marketing translation is a topic that we already mentioned in an earlier article. But today we’re going to take a more in-depth look at it since we only scratched the surface last time. It's an interesting yet hard to define specialization, which is why we thought further exploration would be helpful for business and translators alike. 

Specifically, we’re talking about the linguistic adaptation of campaigns, slogans, and advertisements of commercial interest that aim to entice viewers into hiring services or purchasing products by means of studied and carefully selected language. How’s that for a definition? It’s actually much simpler than that: how do we make something that sells here sell over there?

Creativity in Action:

Here you are, your company is flourishing and you’re ready to expand beyond your country’s borders. Maybe you already have an international presence but you’re not sure how to use this original campaign you’ve created in another country. You’re aware, of course, that just because it works well here doesn’t mean it will abroad. And that it will have an even lower impact if it is not adapted for the target audience.

Everything has to be precise, down to the last detail. The right words in the right medium expressed in the best way possible … and in a different language! Your best bet is to hire a professional.

What’s special about an expert in marketing translation? How do you differentiate them from the rest of the professional translators? Or from someone who speaks multiple languages? Or from your brother-in-law who spent Christmas vacation in Columbia (now he thinks everything can be solved by saying “plata o plomo”). Speaking of which, Netflix got pretty creative language-wise with their campaign. 

Marketing translation requires an immense amount of creativity and ingenuity. It’s an ever-changing job whose rules vary from project to project. It requires a dynamic professional that knows both the target and source culture to a T and can effortlessly bridge gaps between the two. If you want the best possible outcome for your marketing campaign abroad, you should trust the instinct of a professional and take their advice. They will know what to change and tweak and what’s best left untouched.

A tagline is a good example of this.

After Bite, the insect bite relief product, has a rather lackluster tagline in English. But by making use of the company´s bee/bunny hybrid mascot and adapting their name to the Spanish pronunciation, the brand created a wonderfully adapted campaign headed by the tagline “Te pique el insecto que te pique, ponte After Bite.”

Some taglines, however, don’t go over so well. Here’s a prime example of when a tagline should have been changed or better adapted to the target audience. In the 1980s Coors was using the phrase “Turn It Loose” for their advertisements. Unfortunately, when they took that slogan to Spain it was evocative of having loose bowels (“Suéltelo todo”). Maybe I'll just have some wine instead. Needless to say, a lot of money could have been saved by hiring a professional translator. 

So, what goes into marketing translation?

In many aspects, the work required for marketing translation is closely related to the work done by the copywriter who designs the original campaign itself. Think about it. Both need to find a simple and appealing way to express ideas and portray the product or service in question that will resonate with audiences.

However, clearly, it’s not the same job. On one hand, the copywriter has to create a campaign from practically nothing, which is no simple task. The translator, however, has to deal with the confines of the original content and the product, not to mention expressing the same ideas while respecting the carefully crafted style and render them in another language. As you can imagine, this is all a very complex process.

But like we always say, have no fear! There’s an abundance of professionals ready and willing to help you. At Exero Soluciones, we have a vast network of collaborators that are experts in all sorts of language pairs and specialties. And of course, this includes the best professionals in marketing translation that can launch your marketing campaign beyond the stars.

Are you looking to reach potential customers in new markets? Do you want to make your marketing campaigns multilingual? Contact us and we’ll make it happen. We've got the creative touch to make your company an international success.

That's all for today! We hope you found the article interesting and useful. Leave any comments or questions below, we'd love to hear from you! Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to stay up to date on future articles.  Hasta pronto!