Buying translation services? Here's 5 things you don't want to miss in your brief

And why it’ll save everyone a lot of guesswork (and money)!

You did your research, found an amazing translation agency (have you seen WIT?), and you’ve got a slogan, a blog post, some ad copy, and your landing page ready. All you have to do is just send it off. Or so you thought. Immediately, your project manager comes back with a list of questions:

Who's the target audience? What's the campaign’s aim? Do you have a style guide? Any character limits? Can you share the visuals?

At this point, you’re probably thinking: ‘Just translate it as-is.’

If only it were that simple. A translation brief is actually what makes for a great translation, and it’s a real all-rounder. It helps you get the best result by giving the project managers and language specialists alike the key info they need to do their work.

So, what exactly needs to go into a brief?

A translation brief gives your localisation partner a feel for you and your brand, and helps make informed decisions about the translation so your copy fits snugly into its new linguistic and cultural context.

We’ll say it again: the better the brief, the better the translation.

And while briefs are tailored to every specific project, they ideally need to cover the following:

1. WHY - The background of the project: if you’re an agency, who’s the end client? Where does this fit into their entire campaign? Is this a new product? Provide comprehensive details about project context, business objectives, and strategic goals.

2. WHAT – The product and its content: what type of material is it and what is its intended message, use, and impact? It’s particularly important to include specific restrictions such as character or spatial limitations here. No one likes a last minute surprise when the translation doesn’t fit!

3. HOW - Your preferred ‘tone of voice’: is it playful, solemn, witty, luxury or something in between? Are you talking to people formally or informally? Are you trying to avoid gendered language? Think Microsoft’s ‘an error occurred’ vs Google’s ‘aw snap!’

4. WHO - The target audience, be it meme-savvy teenagers or leisurewearing yummy mummies. What are your customers’ needs and pain points? What is it about your copy that’s speaking to them?

5. WHERE - Communication and media channels: a side-of-the motorway billboard, a TV spot, or a TikTok ad will all have vastly different considerations for adaptation and follow language-specific conventions. Let your team know if you plan on reusing the content anywhere else too!

How is it helpful?

We know a lot of thought went into creating your campaign. Every word was carefully chosen for a reason, whether that's to reinforce your brand values, highlight your unique selling points, or encourage customers to take action.

You wouldn’t want to throw that all away on second-rate translation. That’s why it’s important to ensure that your teams are equipped with as much useful knowledge as possible on every project. The more context, the fewer assumptions your translation teams need to make. Even if you’re not sure if it’ll help, it’s probably best to send it anyway. Visuals, previously approved translations, glossaries, key terminology, style guides, competitor analysis, and market-specific references are all examples of useful info to your translation teams.

A little bit of investment up front goes a long way.

And if you’re needing help with your brief, feel free to reach out. We’re always asking the right questions.

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By Marie Thouvignon, WIT Senior Account Manager, and Kelsey Frick, WIT Account Director