For those who are not familiar with the Translation industry, the term Localization might not mean much, but, for creative copy that requires cultural knowledge, localization is essential because it adapts cultural references, expressions, idioms… They all differ depending on the country, and we cannot translate them literally. Think about this, Americans have the habit of buying coffee to go, but in Brazil we mainly drink coffee at home or at work. And this is just the start.

It is also important to take in consideration other aspects like class and race, if you want your copy to resonate well in the target market. Recently, we have been working on a job that, in a few instances, sounded ‘too white’? Even if the social angle has not been taken into consideration during the creation of the source copy, the transcreator must have this in mind while adapting the text, especially in a continental country like Brazil, full of intricacies and social issues.

More than a linguist, a transcreator should be a cultural expert, someone able to recognize when something sounds off.

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