More than translation: crafting a message that resonates

A diluted marketing concept. A weakened sensory promise. A catchline losing its impact. This is what happens when a simple translation is used in place of transcreation.

Like a fragrance whose top notes evaporate too quickly, your message loses its subtle nuances and compelling power for a French audience.

Transcreation

Transcreation: capturing the essence, not just the words

Transcreation is to content what supercritical CO₂ extraction is to a plant: it captures the subtlest and most precious components of your original message.

While translation accurately transposes words, PEPS trancreation strategically adapts your message for the French public. The first one preserves the form, the latter provides the effect. The difference lies in staying true to a text or staying true to the impact on your target.

”Carole has very good skills in transcreation and proofreading, especially for marketing-oriented contents.”

- Emmanuelle Chenu

My PEPS method for successful transcreation

1. In-depth creative brief

– PASSION

I start with a detailed analysis of your brand, your message and your goals. This key stage allows me to understand not only what you are communicating about, but also why you are doing it and the precise effect you want to have on your French audience.

2. Creating a number of proposals

– EXPERTISE

For each key element, I develop several creative options specifically tailored to the French market. Each proposal is meticulously structured to preserve the original intent while smoothly fitting in with French cultural and linguistic norms.

3. Strategic justification

– PRECISION

Each proposal is accompanied by a detailed explanation of my creative choices: why I have picked specific wording, how it preserves the original intent, and why it will be successful with your French audience. This transparency gives you a clear understanding of my approach.

4. Analytical retranslation

– STRATEGY

I provide you with a retranslation in English (analytical inverse translation) of each proposal to give you an exact idea of how the content has been adapted. This stage guarantees strategic compliance with your initial intent while showing the nuances added for the French market.

A concrete example of PEPS transcreation

Original (EN): "Unleash the power of nature with our revolutionary botanical extract, where science meets wilderness."

Proposal 1:

« Libérez toute la quintessence de la nature grâce à notre extrait botanique d'exception, alliance sophistiquée entre science de pointe et richesses sauvages. »

Justification: The term « quintessence » evokes both the extraction process and the concentration of active principles, a double meaning particularly relevant for French audiences. The expression « alliance sophistiquée » advantageously replaces "meets" by suggesting an elaborate synergy rather than a simple encounter. « Richesses sauvages » in the plural suggests biodiversity particularly valued by French consumers.

Analytical retranslation: "Release the complete quintessence of nature through our exceptional botanical extract, a sophisticated alliance between cutting-edge science and wild riches."

Proposal 2:

« Notre extrait botanique révolutionnaire capture les vertus les plus précieuses du règne végétal, magnifiées par notre savoir-faire scientifique d'exception. »

Justification: The verb « capture » evokes advanced extraction techniques without explicitly naming them. The expression « vertus » directly echoes traditional French phytotherapy vocabulary, creating a bridge between innovation and heritage. « Magnifiées par notre savoir-faire » positions science at the service of nature rather than the reverse, a positioning preferred by French consumers.

Analytical retranslation: "Our revolutionary botanical extract captures the most precious virtues of the plant kingdom, magnified by our exceptional scientific expertise."

Proposal 3:

« À la confluence de la science avancée et de la nature indomptée, notre extrait botanique libère le génie inégalé du monde végétal. »

Justification: The hydraulic metaphor of « confluence » corresponds better to French imagery of natural actives than that of a boundary or encounter. « Science avancée » and « nature indomptée » maintain the creative tension of the original while avoiding clichés. « Génie inégalé du monde végétal » suggests the adaptive intelligence of plants, a concept that finds particular resonance in French natural ingredients culture.

Analytical retranslation: "At the confluence of advanced science and untamed nature, our botanical extract releases the unequaled genius of the plant world."

Proposal 4:

« Dans un dialogue inédit entre la rigueur du laboratoire et les secrets millénaires de la nature sauvage, notre extrait botanique révèle des propriétés transformatrices jamais explorées. »

Justification: « Dialogue inédit » transforms a simple juxtaposition into a dynamic relationship. « Rigueur du laboratoire » values the scientific process without technical coldness. « Secrets millénaires » fits into French natural cosmetics lexicon that values ancestrality. « Propriétés transformatrices » evokes both efficacy (results) and innovation (discovery), a dual promise particularly convincing in the French market.

Analytical retranslation: "In an unprecedented dialogue between laboratory rigor and the age-old secrets of wild nature, our botanical extract reveals transformative properties never before explored."

Transcreation beyond the cosmetics sector

This approach applies with equal effectiveness to all your sectors::

• Innovative technologies: transforming complex technical concepts into tangible benefits, adapting vocabulary to French sector conventions

• Sustainable solutions: adjusting your environmental communication considering the French regulatory framework and certifications recognised in France

• Digital tools: adapting your message to meet specific expectations of the French market, particularly regarding personal data protection, French documentation and local technical support

How to choose the ideal proposal?

These proposals illustrate different facets of your message. Your final choice will depend on precise criteria:

• Your specific brand positioning

• The particular profile of your French clientele

• The communication medium concerned

• Harmony with your other French content

PEPS transcreation never leaves you alone with these choices: each proposal comes with clear strategic analysis that guides you toward the ideal formulation to maximise the impact of your communication in France.