Some organizations think it’s easy to reach audiences who speak other languages; they simply use translation software for their “multicultural efforts.” But literal translations don’t always convey the right message – like when Volkswagen’s “Drivers wanted” became “Chauffeurs wanted” in Spanish. (Business Insider has several far worse examples.) Clearly, this can be detrimental to your brand and its reputation.

As Dealer Marketing Magazine puts it, “although translation technology’s shortcomings in handling nuance and cultural difference may not be immediately apparent to a non-Spanish speaker, to someone who speaks the language fluently, they will be glaringly obvious.”

Marketers must do more than click “translate”; they must be conscious of adapting the message, not just reaching a diverse audience, but connecting to them as well. This involves a process called transcreation.

What Is Transcreation?

Transcreation is the process of adapting a message from one language to another, while maintaining its intent, style, tone and context. Marketers must consider the motives and the desired outcome of the original copy, then set about achieving that for a new audience.

Do you need to transcreate if you’re only targeting people in the U.S.?

Short answer: Yes.

In 2016, Facebook released its “Facebook IQ” study which conducted in-depth interviews with 500 Hispanics in the U.S. from different language usage backgrounds: predominantly English, bilingual and predominantly Spanish. The study revealed some interesting insights, including that more than 80 percent of respondents felt the Spanish language helps them remain connected to their culture and more than 80 percent of predominantly Spanish-speaking American Hispanics use Spanish at least half of the time when they consume content online.

The study also showed that 79 percent of Spanish-dominant and 60 percent of English-dominant Hispanics believe that brands should communicate to consumers in both English and Spanish.