Key takeaways
- Translation is judged on accuracy; transcreation is judged on whether the copy has the same effect on the target audience.
- The ITI defines transcreation of advertising and marketing content as a practice that combines translation, copywriting and intercultural consultancy.
- Most brands need both: transcreation for slogans, headlines and campaigns, and accurate translation for product data, terms and checkout pages.
- Transcreation is priced like copywriting, by the project, hour or day, while translation is commonly priced per word.
- CSA Research found that 76% of online shoppers prefer to buy products with information in their native language.
This guide is for marketing, brand and e-commerce teams taking products or campaigns into other languages. It explains the difference between translation and transcreation, how to decide which one each piece of content needs, and how the work is briefed, priced and measured.
It is also the starting point for our series on transcreation, marketing and e-commerce. Each section below summarises a detailed guide on slogans, brand names, campaigns, product pages, Amazon listings, legal pages, pricing and return on investment.
What is the difference between transcreation and translation?
Translation conveys the meaning of a source text accurately in another language, while transcreation recreates the intended effect of the text for a new audience, even if the words change completely. One is measured against the source; the other is measured against the reaction of the target audience.
Translation is the right approach when accuracy and consistency matter most: specifications, instructions, contracts and policies. Localisation goes further, adapting formats, units, currencies and cultural details so a product or website feels local. Transcreation is the most creative of the three.
The Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) defines it in its Transcreation Code of Practice:
"Transcreation of advertising/marketing content ... is the professional practice that combines translation, copywriting and intercultural consultancy; it usually, but not always, involves adaptation." (ITI, Transcreation Code of Practice)
| Aspect | Translation | Localisation | Transcreation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Accurate meaning | Content that works locally | The same effect and emotion |
| Freedom with the source | Low | Moderate | High; can be a complete rewrite |
| Typical content | Specifications, manuals, terms, contracts | Websites, apps, shops, software | Slogans, headlines, campaigns, packaging |
| Skills needed | Language and subject expertise | Language, cultural and technical skills | Language, copywriting and marketing skills |
| Starting point | The source text | Source text plus locale requirements | A creative brief |
| Deliverable | One accurate version | One adapted version | Several options with back translations and rationales |
| Usual pricing | Per word or per page | Per word plus engineering | Per project, per hour or per day |
The boundaries between localisation, translation and internationalisation are explained further in our guide to translation vs localisation vs internationalisation.
When does marketing copy need transcreation instead of translation?
Marketing copy needs transcreation when its success depends on how it makes people feel, not just on what it says. If a literal translation would be accurate but flat, confusing or risky, the copy should be transcreated.
Use transcreation when the copy:
- relies on wordplay, rhyme, alliteration or idiom;
- uses humour, irony or a distinctive brand voice;
- must fit a tight space, such as an ad headline, a button or a packaging panel;
- refers to local culture, sport, celebrities or holidays;
- introduces a brand, product name or campaign concept for the first time in a market;
- involves imagery or video that may need changing for the target culture.
Use accurate translation when the copy is mainly informative or legal: technical specifications, safety warnings, size charts, terms of sale, returns policies, privacy notices and order emails. In these texts, creative changes are a risk. In the EU, for instance, an order button must be labelled "order with obligation to pay" or an unambiguous equivalent under Article 8(2) of the Consumer Rights Directive, which leaves no room for creative copy.
Most real projects are mixed. A product launch might need a transcreated tagline and hero banner, localised product pages and accurately translated terms. Deciding the approach element by element is the single most effective way to spend a budget well.
How does the transcreation process work?
Transcreation works from a creative brief and produces options for the client to choose from, rather than a single "correct" version. The ITI Code states that "No transcreation can be started without" a clear and detailed brief.
- Brief. The client shares the source copy, visuals, objectives, audience, tone of voice and constraints.
- Cultural audit. The transcreator checks whether the concept and visuals will work in the market and flags risks.
- Creation. The transcreator brainstorms, shortlists and refines options.
- Explanation. Each option comes with a back translation and a rationale.
- Feedback. The client comments; the ITI Code notes that two rounds is common practice.
- Sign-off and records. The final version is approved and stored for future campaigns.
A back translation is a literal rendering of the new copy into the source language, so reviewers who do not speak the target language can see what it says. It is a review tool, not a piece of copy.
Who should do transcreation?
Transcreation should be done by native speakers of the target language who also write marketing copy. The ITI Code warns that "Not all translators can provide transcreation services, because the attributes of being a copywriter and knowledge of advertising (on top of knowing both cultures, like all translators) are also required."
When you assess a provider, ask who will write each language, whether they live in or work closely with the target market, and whether they have written for your sector before. Ask, too, how they present options and handle feedback. A provider that returns a single version with no explanation is offering translation, whatever the service is called.
Why does language quality affect marketing and sales results?
Language quality affects results because most shoppers prefer to buy in their own language, and many will not buy otherwise. In a survey of 8,709 consumers in 29 countries, CSA Research found that 76% of online shoppers prefer to buy products with information in their native language and 40% will never buy from websites in other languages.
The online audience is large. Eurostat reports that 78% of EU internet users aged 16 to 74 bought or ordered goods or services online in 2025. For brands selling into Europe, translated and transcreated content is therefore part of the shop itself, not an optional extra.
Claims must stay accurate. In the UK, rule 3.1 of the CAP Code states: "Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so." Creative adaptation can change tone, but it must not change what a product does or what an offer is.
How do you adapt slogans, brand names and campaigns?
Slogans, brand names and campaigns are the core of transcreation, because they are short, creative and highly visible. Each has its own checks.
Slogans and taglines
A slogan rarely survives literal translation because rhyme, puns and idioms do not carry over. Our guide to translating marketing slogans and taglines covers the step-by-step process, why you should ask for bolder and safer options, and the legal and length checks to run before launch.
Brand and product names
A name that works in English may sound comic or offensive elsewhere, or be descriptive and therefore hard to register. Our guide to checking a brand name across languages explains linguistic screening, EU and UK trade mark searches, and why one problematic EU language can block an EU trade mark.
Email and advertising campaigns
Campaigns combine creative hooks with offers, dates and legal lines that must be exact. Our guide to localising email and ad copy shows which elements to transcreate or translate, how platform character limits affect each language, and how to test results market by market.
How do you translate e-commerce content for other markets?
E-commerce content needs a mix of creative and accurate translation: persuasive copy for product benefits, precise wording for specifications, safety information and legal pages.
Product descriptions in your own shop
Product pages must adapt titles, benefits, units, sizes and keywords, not just sentences. Our guide to product description translation for online shops explains how to tier a large catalogue between human and machine workflows, and which safety and labelling information must be exact.
Amazon and marketplace listings
Amazon tells sellers that it "requires your product detail pages to be translated into the local language". Our guide to translating Amazon listings for European marketplaces covers which stores need which language, why automatic listing translations often miss local keywords, and a workflow for titles, bullets, search terms and image text.
Checkout, terms and returns pages
Legal pages must be adapted to local law and translated exactly. Our guide to translating checkout, terms and returns pages covers EU language requirements, order and withdrawal button wording, EU and UK cancellation periods, and a safe workflow with local legal review.
How much does transcreation cost and how do you measure the return?
Transcreation is priced differently from translation, and its value should be measured per market rather than assumed.
Pricing
The ITI Code says transcreation is priced "like that of copywriting" and is paid by the project, the hour or the day, while "transcreation is never paid per word". Our guide to how transcreation is priced explains the pricing models, what drives cost, which related costs to budget for, and how to brief for an accurate quote.
Return on investment
Measuring the return requires a baseline, separate tracking for each language version and metrics beyond revenue. Our guide to measuring the ROI of translation and localisation gives the formula, the costs and KPIs to include, and a method for running a fair test in one market before expanding.
Can machine translation or AI do transcreation?
Machine translation and generative AI can produce fluent drafts of informative text, but they are not a substitute for human transcreation of brand-critical copy. Transcreation depends on a brief, cultural judgement, copywriting skill and accountability for the choices made.
The ITI Code takes a firm position, listing reasons it considers generative AI "not useful for transcreation work", including confidentiality, unreliability and the lack of the human skills involved. It also notes that clients have increasingly used AI platforms for creative content and then asked human transcreators to review the output.
For high-volume, factual content, machine translation with full human post-editing can be appropriate. Publishing unreviewed machine output at scale carries its own risk: Google's spam policies list scraping content to generate pages "including through automated transformations like synonymizing, translating, or other obfuscation techniques" as an example of scaled content abuse where little value is provided. Our guide to whether DeepL and ChatGPT are good enough for business translation looks at where these tools fit.
What are the common mistakes when choosing between translation and transcreation?
The most common mistake is treating all marketing content the same way, either translating everything literally or transcreating text that needed precision. Other frequent problems include:
- No brief. Sending copy without objectives, audience or visuals guarantees a literal result.
- Judging by the back translation. The option closest to the English is not always the strongest locally.
- Creative licence in legal text. Buttons, returns information and safety warnings must be exact.
- Per-word quotes for creative work. They push providers towards translation, not transcreation.
- Ignoring regional variants. Spain and Latin America, or France and Canada, need different copy.
- Launching without measurement. Without per-language tracking, there is no way to tell what worked.
How TranslationWorks can help with transcreation and translation
TranslationWorks is a UK-based translation agency that provides both transcreation and translation of marketing and e-commerce content, using native-speaking linguists in more than 150 languages. Our transcreation services cover slogans, taglines, campaigns, website copy and packaging, while our e-commerce translation services cover product descriptions, marketplace listings, checkout and policy pages, and customer messages. We can review a project element by element and recommend where creative adaptation is needed and where accurate translation is enough. TranslationWorks is ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 registered, Cyber Essentials certified, and has served more than 300 companies. Request a free quote within 24 hours.