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without any distinctive feature. In all 100
cases, Glaxo-Wellcome is the only long
name with five syllables. Despite its length,
the name itself is unique and easy to remember.
For Glaxo the last character used in
Chinese represents medicine names. The
second part Wellcome is rendered as ‘keep
healthy’, clearly describing the product benefits.
Other examples are shown in Table 12.4
(p. 189).
Balance between sound and
meaning
Chinese names place more emphasis on
meaning than sound. A meaningful name is
crucial in developing both a mental image
and favourable associations. Mercedes Benz is
a good example. Its official name in the
People’s Republic of China is ‘Speed on’. The
sound and visual image of two characters
indicate a horse with associations of speed,
dynamism, performance and capability – the
exact attributes that the brand symbolizes.
Brand positioning is another important consideration.
In the case of Canon, its new name
‘Best calibre’ is strategically desirable: it sounds
appealing and generates associations of quality.
The new name has the inherent ability to
be recalled easily from memory and establish
a distinctive, quality brand positioning.
Renaming a brand in another language/culture
involves more than simple linguistic
issues. Brand positioning is perhaps a more
important consideration here. A good localized
name like ‘Best calibre’ with ‘Built-in’
image could add value to its original brand
equity and make brand communication in
that market a relatively easier task.
Brand renaming in a foreign culture is notoriously
difficult due to the complexity in linguistic
and cultural differences. It has to take
into account various factors and weigh up any
subtle differences between alternatives.
Examples in Table 12.5 demonstrate that a
poorly conceived name could create confusion
in the consumer or harm the brand’s
equity. Although no simple rule guarantees
the finding of a good name, an understanding
Table 12.5 Names with potentially negative connotations
Brand Name and meaning in Comment
Chinese
Peugeot
Pizza Hut
Dunhill
Compaq
Microsoft
Olivetti
Source: Fan, 2002a
Pretty
Must win customers
Ascend happy road
Healthy cypress
Tiny soft /weak
Good profit gained
Too feminine, no link to product benefits
Sounds desperate, confusing
Philistine, incompatible with the upmarket image
Cypress symbolizes the aged or old, incompatible with
a hi-tech image
Implies ‘tiny and weak’, contrary to its status of the world’s
largest firm
Who gains profit What about customers
© 2004 Sandra Oliver for editorial matter and selection;
individual chapters, the contributors