Advertising translation services are as important as business translation and other technical translations. In advertising and marketing, the brand and company overseas are the key to striking the right chord with international clients.
Advertising translations have layers of complexity and translation of one ad from one language to another could be fun for the dedicated translators only. However, it is worth mentioning that it is far more than the text conversion from one language to another. It rather involves the cultural elements and other advertising terminology and nuances.
The complexities of the advertising translation services are not much appealing and tempting for ordinary translators. However, the translation of ads and marketing content can be fun too.
Advertising translation – Definition
The task of advertising translation has been termed as a word that covers the one whole load of multiple tasks. Adverts have multiple varieties and vary broadly. The advertising campaigns usually use big-budget TV advertisements, radio ads, and social media ads with tools of printed media, and paid ads on other websites as well. Moreover, the home website is also used as a tool.
Now the translation of such ads is not a cakewalk. The translation process rather includes the text of the advertisement and visual and audio elements. All of these require a translation that is localized and has possibly been trans-created to ensure that the final product of the advertisement is being delivered as per the preferences of the intended audience.
Broadly speaking, advertising translation covers all this content and even more. It is the textual conversion of an advert that is designed for one audience and then is changed to resonate with different target audiences as well. Languages may vary. The original language could be altogether different from the other target one.
There are multiple benefits of doing the ad translation rightly. It includes a larger customer base, increased profits, and far a widespread reputation for the products and brands.
Here is a list of the things that are important to keep in mind while integrating translation to international advertising services.
The main, broad, and important factor which is worth considering is context. It is a broad term and includes a lot more.
Context
Context is the essence of an advertising translation. The context has to be reserved and carried in the target language beautifully without affecting its beauty. Advertising a product or anything is an art in itself. The advert needs to convey the information that the brand is standing for. You need to target your consumers and the products which have their unique selling points. It is all-important to accomplish in a format that readers find not only interesting but also memorable.
Different brands use different tactics to stay in the limelight. They often use humour and pop culture references to achieve the defined goals and objectives. However, translating the advertisement and marketing content is the real deal. This is where context plays its role. A successful and effective advert has to fit within the cultural context of its audience. This can be further broken down into three parts.
1. Cultural and historical context
An advertisement that is likely to include terms and nuance which are unique and rare to the culture that has developed it. Ingrained socio-historical and cultural perceptions are apparent to those who share their culture with the creators' of ads. However, such blunt activities without actually going through the culture and society of the target audience can go wrong and it is painful too and can also offend the whole masses.
This further implies how successful translation ads for different audiences get involved in paying careful attention to cultural and historical context.
2. Rhetoric context
The advertisement language could be as persuasive as it needs to be, however it has to be well balanced against the audience's knowledge of a brand. Hence, rhetoric context is inevitable and has to be factored in for effective advertising translation services.
For instance, an oil company that comes up with an advertisement where they clean energy might provoke people. However, if a company comes openly admitting the damage an oil company makes to an environment and if they vouch to clear this pollution and initiate something better that could make consumers happy, appreciate their concerns and they are more likely to be with the owners on board and cooperating with them.
3. Linguistic context
It is extremely vital to reconsider the language and text that is being used to translate the advertising content into the target language. The wrong choice of words, slang or any clumsy phrase can ruin the whole game and shut the business without even a proper opening. Every country has a different vocabulary when it comes to slang and offensive terms. What could offend the masses in your home country could be openly accepted in the target country and vice versa. Things could also take a funny turn if not handled carefully and turn out to be the laughing stock among the target audience. Hence, it is important to take care of the linguistic content.
The makers should also consider the alternative and out-of-context meanings. The whole narrative can be changed in case of selecting rare alternatives so it is always recommended to take care of this factor too.
Conclusion
Advertising translation services are more than a simple translation. It rather tests the real patience and artistic capabilities of a translator. Translating an advert is one creative task. As it has to be translated without ruining its context and fun. This is why only competent and experienced translators can ace this domain of translation. It is also worth mentioning to take care of the linguistic, rhetorical, and cultural context of the advertisement before finally presenting it to the target audience.
