Translation copywriting can be a landmine
Skilled translators are worth their weight in gold. In the wrong hands, translation copywriting can be fraught with mistranslations.
Most important are the words. Just as important is the tone of the message. In translation copywriting, this can easily be lost. So along with being conscious that translation may not only impact the technical accuracy of the original message, but a skilled translator must also be careful to not alter the tone. Therefore, translating sales pitch and marketing lingo can be tricky. There have been countless examples of gaffes made abroad. So what might seem to be a translation job can actually morph into copywriting in another language. So if you ever wonder why the same product is marketed under different monikers, this may explain why. An example is Buick's LaCrosse car. Not only is the word LaCrosse melodic to the ears, but it carries a strong and positive connotation among U.S. consumers. Cross the border and another tale is told. In Quebec, Canada, La Crosse is slang for self-gratification. Naturally, the car was rechristened the Allure for the Canadian market.
Ideally, companies need to work closely with professional translation services to craft a localized message. You can't just translate creative marketing material. A message copy written for a specific market will often contain cultural references, puns and popular slang. Strung together, these things create a unique "voice". Any alteration will change the pitch. Thus, marketing translation requires collaboration because what works for one country will fall flat in another, both to the ears and also to eyes. A skilled translator can provide important feedback on an advertising layout or marketing campaign for his native country.
In regards to visual translation, consider the color white. In the United States, white is perceived as pure, innocent, elegant and refined. This is why brides wear white. In a number of Asian cultures, however, white is associated with death. Red is preferred instead. "Some colors are associated with certain things", said president Claudia Waitman of Junction International, a multilingual translation provider and cross-cultural communication expert. "Red for example is associated with politics in Japan. Yellow is another example. In some countries, the color yellow is associated with the food industry. So an all yellow-colored ad might strike a wrong cord if your ad has nothing to do with food".
Find out more about using professional language translation services and help your message to cross the culture divide.
