dr jekyll or mr hyde? the strange case of medical marketing translation
DESCRIPTION
Don Draper has left the building. No creative team, no focus group, and no medical miracle workers at your beck and call: welcome to the world of medical marketing translation – a veritable jungle of multisyllabic pharmacological buzzwords, 140-character limits, and culturally opaque content. This is a challenging field for linguists, who must engage both the right and left brain to master the science of creating artful, engaging, and medically accurate copy. Translators must be prepared to draw on a broad skill set to walk the fine line between pharmacochemistry expert and marketing genius. In this workshop, we will explore the challenges of terminology, linguistic mutation, and brand-specific proprietary terms. Then, we will use sample translations to investigate interlinguistic wordplay, language-specific tone and voice, and production and regulatory constraints. We will also use word-association exercises to improve linguistic dexterity and creative wordsmithing.TRANSCRIPT
DR JEKYLL OR MR HYDE?
THE STRANGE CASE OF MEDICAL MARKETING
TRANSLATION
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
“With every day and from both sides
of my intelligence, the moral and
intellectual, I thus drew steadily to
that truth by whose partial discovery
I have been doomed to such a
dreadful shipwreck: that man is not
truly one, but truly two.”
- Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
PART I: UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL
MARKETING TRANSLATION
Is this untranslatable?
Building a marketing mindset What kind of tran
slator
are you?
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
PART II: MEDICAL MARKETING
TRANSLATION PRACTICUM
Inter-linguistic wordplay
and puns
Ad-speak, neologisms
and buzzwords
Brand-specific
proprietary terms
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
WHAT IS MEDICAL MARKETING TRANSLATION?
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
MEDICAL MARKETING TRANSLATION
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE INSPIRED
MESSAGING
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
THE POWER, PERSUASION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF A MESSAGE
ACCURACY
DEVELOP CREATIVE FLUENCY
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
THE EU PHARMA INDUSTRY
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
KNOWING YOUR LANGUAGE MARKET
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
“PHARMERGING” MARKETS
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER (DTC)
** Only 2 nations currently permit DTC ** (USA & New Zealand)
THREE TYPES OF DTC DTC
Product claims
Reminder advertisements
Help-seeking advertisements
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
DTC EXAMPLES IN THE PRESS
CONSUMERS OF ALL AGES
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
DIRECT-TO-PHYSICIAN (DTP)
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
AN AUDIENCE OF PHYSICIANS
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
CREATIVE TRANSLATIONS TO CONVEY SCIENTIFIC MESSAGES
“We’ve Got Your Back”
WHAT KIND OF TRANSLATOR ARE YOU?
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Reading and understanding the source text
THE CHALLENGES
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Transferring the source meaning
Writing the target text
Where does the profile of
the perfect translator fall?
✗
Risk-taking
Capitulating
Prudent
Perseverant
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
AS A PROACTIVE TRANSLATOR…
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
TAKE STRATEGIC DECISIONS UPSTREAM
TAKE DECISIONS OF DETAIL
DOWNSTREAM
BUILDING A MARKETING MINDSET
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
ASK YOURSELF:
Is this compatible with
[restriction X, Y, Z]?
What borrows from/builds on existing
industry/cultural references?
What is memorable?
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
What is credible?
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
WORKING WITH MULTIPLE LAYERS
OF COMMUNICATION
IS THIS UNTRANSLATABLE?
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
A RARE CASE OF MEDICAL MARKETING THAT IS EASY FOR THE TRANSLATOR TO SWALLOW
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
WHAT IS “UNTRANSLATABLE”
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
FROM EARLIER…
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
NOW, LET’S TRANSLATE
How would you translate these
for your language combination(s)?
Would transcreation or new copy work
better?
UNTRANSLATABLE CATEGORIES
Inter-linguistic wordplay
and puns
Ad-speak, neologisms
and buzzwords
Brand-specific
proprietary terms
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
INTERLINGUISTIC WORDPLAY AND PUNS
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
TRANSLATING PUNS AND IDIOMS:
A DELICATE OPERATION
Arabic ييللععبب ببااللنناارر٬، ييخخااططرر
English to play with fire French jouer avec le feu German mit dem Feuer Italian giocare col fuoco Portuguese brincar com fogo Russian играть с огнем
LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE CORRESPONDENCE
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
CAT GOT YOUR
TONGUE?
A stretch in English, this pun seems virtually
untranslatable
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
The pun on “cat” is aimed at showing a drug capable of treating both indoor and outdoor allergies
There is formal equivalence but a lack of dynamic
equivalence
SOLVING THE “CAT” PUN?
Can a more banal (no pun)
translation be used?
Do multilingual versions need to stan
d
up side by side?
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Can the visual be replaced for
an equivalent, rather than
literal pun?
AD-SPEAK, NEOLOGISMS AND BUZZWORDS
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Marketers love to invent new words (neologisms) to make their products stand out
ALL ABOUT THE BUZZ…
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Sometimes words are used in novel ways (ad-speak)
Other expressions build on buzz in the medical field
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
DIVERGENCS IN AD-SPEAK
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
A CLOSER LOOK
BRAND-SPECIFIC PROPRIETARY TERMS
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
A CLASSIC CASE…
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
ANOTHER EXAMPLE…
Varying degrees of effectiveness in translation
EXAMPLE 1
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
YOUR TRANSLATIONS?
EXAMPLE 2
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
YOUR TRANSLATIONS?
EXAMPLE 3
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
YOUR TRANSLATIONS?
EXAMPLE 4
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
YOUR TRANSLATIONS?
EXAMPLE 5
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
YOUR TRANSLATIONS?
EXAMPLE 6
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin
YOUR TRANSLATIONS?
Erin M. Lyons
www.biomednouvelle.com
QUESTIONS?
Erin M. Lyons – BiomedNouvelle © 2014 – FIT 2014, Berlin