Three different tasks, three different skill sets, three different price points.
One of the things I notice most often when speaking to new clients is that translation, localisation and transcreation are used interchangeably. It’s completely understandable, from the outside, they can all look like “getting text into another language.” But they are three very different processes, and understanding the distinction can save both budget and time. Translation is the accurate conversion of text from one language to another. It prioritises precision and is the right approach for technical, legal or informational content where the meaning must be preserved exactly.
Localisation goes further. It adapts the content for a specific cultural and contextual audience — adjusting tone, references, formatting and any elements that might not land correctly in the target market. This is what most marketing content actually needs.
Transcreation is the most creative of the three. It involves rewriting content from scratch to preserve the emotional impact and intent of the original, even if the words are completely different. It’s the right approach for slogans, campaigns and any content where feeling matters as much as meaning.
Depending on the project, we can recommend the most appropriate approach, apply a combination of all three, or work through each stage in sequence. Knowing the difference helps marketing teams brief more effectively, set realistic timelines, and allocate budget where it matters most.