The national image of global brands
As the Chinese use characters based on ideograms, international brands have to choose a proper Chinese name for the market. This paper presents the findings from a detailed study of the Chinese names of 100 international brands along three dimensions: translation methods, cultural values and brand positioning. The main findings are: a) in choosing a new name the meaning is given more emphasis than its sound though it is still desirable to maintain phonetic links to the original; b) after linguistic issues, the three most important factors affecting renaming are: reflecting product benefits, brand positioning and cultural values. The translation gives an international brand not just a Chinese name, but also a distinctive local image; c) global brand and local image is a paradox to be addressed. In the previous studies localising an international brand is largely viewed as a passive translation process. This study has shown that renaming can be a value-added process. It provides an opportunity to re-cast the brand in the new market, creating a unique global-local image that enhances the original’s brand equity.
Year of publication: |
2002
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Authors: | Fan, Y |
Publisher: |
Palgrave Macmillan |
Subject: | brand name | global brands | translation | cultural values |
Saved in:
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