| Service | Primary aim | Freedom from source wording | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Translation | Transfer meaning accurately | Limited | Documentation, reports and factual content |
| Localisation | Make content work in a market | Moderate | Websites, software, apps and e-commerce |
| Transcreation | Recreate the intended effect | High | Taglines, campaigns and brand messaging |
Translation
Translation transfers meaning accurately and naturally. Sentence structure and expression change, but the source message remains the controlling reference. The quotation should state the market and any revision, terminology or formatting work.
Localisation
Localisation adds market and product context: dates, currency, units, addresses, examples, interface length, encoding or right-to-left behaviour where scoped. Engineering, testing and design are separate unless the quotation includes them.
Transcreation
Transcreation starts from the intended response and creative brief. Target copy may use substantially different wording to create an equivalent effect. It is priced separately and remains one of Localex’s five service families.
Choosing the right scope
- Must source meaning and structure remain closely controlled?
- Which market conventions or product behaviours need adaptation?
- Is emotional or commercial effect more important than preserving the words?
Many projects combine approaches: localisation for an interface, translation for documentation and transcreation for campaign lines. Each component should be identified so buyers can compare like with like.
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