JUST HIRED A TRANSCREATOR? WHAT ABOUT YOUR VISUALS?

Because if your visuals don’t match your target market, forget it. Your transcreator, or translator, can always do a good job with your copy; if the visuals still betray where it originates from, they haven’t. It’s been a waste of your time and money. And the vast majority of them won’t even see the issue.

What you really need is a consultant in French advertising.

Sorry, Ken, but barbecues with burgers? The French eat merguez and lamb kebabs (and yes, even though France is the second most profitable market for McDonald’s). Photo albums about holidays on Skye? The French go to Brittany if they want some Celtic holidays. Ventilators advertised with African-Americans? They definitely don’t live in France; North Africans would be more appropriate.

I just had a meeting with a client who duly took notes when I pointed out that their imagery didn’t speak to their French audience. They admitted they never thought about it. The following day, they informed me they’ll stick with a transcreator they already knew. They’ll probably stick to the wrong imagery too.

If you’re serious about advertising globally, you have to question everything about your advertising and marketing output.

Imagery is incredibly important, and most of the time it is totally ignored by the client. And don’t count on so-called transcreators, or worse, translators. If they’re not creative professionals and have never created advertising campaigns and worked in an advertising agency, they won’t be able to point out those issues.

Transcreation is not only a question of adapting copy. It’s also adapting visuals to the local market if you want to appear genuine.

Food, architecture, ethnic minorities, culture, and habits are all very different from the UK or the USA. You just cannot advertise a brand if it was obviously made for a different audience.

And most of the time, you will not detect the issue. Because you are not French. And despite the dominance of the Anglo-Saxon culture, France still retains its differences. So don’t insist on trying to impose your vision if it won’t fit.

I have found a lot of arrogance and ignorance when I pointed out issues with visuals in marketing material. And most of the time, I have been ignored. Then, the agency loses the account because “it’s not French enough” from the local marketing team’s point of view.

So the best way to retain your global account is to brief your transcreator properly, asking to adapt the copy, but asking if imagery is appropriate too.

If you want more examples about these issues, please request my mini guide here: transcreatorsunited@gmail.com, and visit my website: transcreatorsunited.com

#frenchcopywriting #frenchcopywriter #transcreation #globaladvertising #emea #artdirection