Covering this would take an entire tome of a book. Perhaps we should “begin at the beginning” with the brand name and logo. Why do some succeed where others have failed spectacularly in their branding? Past forays of Western pioneers provide good insight into the market.

A Rose by Another Name Does Not Always Smell As Sweet
People often form their first impression of a brand from its name. The name also influences how they think about a brand later on and connect with it emotionally. Thus, a proper translation of the name can lead to a successful penetration of a market.

But first, how are brand names translated in China? Basically there are three ways. The first is a literal translation. For instance, Microsoft was rebranded as “微软” , with “微” denoting micro and “软”, soft.

The second is phonetic. A Chinese name that sounds like the English one is chosen. Ikea is known as “宜家” (Yi Jia) and Samsung, “三星” (San Xing) in China.

The last way is to express a similar image or concept in Chinese. Shell Oil is recognized as “贝壳” (shell) while Wrigley’s is “箭牌” (arrow brand). Sometimes, a combination of these devices is used. Coca Cola’s Chinese name, “可口可乐” , is phonetic. At the same time, it is also a conceptual translation because the name means “allowing the mouth to rejoice”.

The brand names that strike a chord with Chinese consumers are those that call attention to the brand value. An example is Mercedes Benz, which was rebranded as “奔驰” (speed ahead). Its competitor BMW, known as “宝马” (precious horse), has managed to endear itself to this market as well.

Like in other markets, brand names that arouse positive emotions perform very well in China. Carrefour, one of the most popular foreign supermarket chains here, is known as “家乐福” (Family Fortune and Happiness). Its success can no doubt be partly attributed to its name, which refers to a happy and fortunate family. In a country where life is centered around kin and kith, the name reaches out effectively to the market the brand is targeting.

Brand names can further confer positive values to a brand. The Chinese name of Full Mark, a hotel, is “福 满客”, which implies it is always fully-booked and guests have high praise or full marks for the place. Similarly, Hyundai is seen as a technologically advanced company through its name, “现代”, which means modern in Chinese.

The Other Side of the Looking Glass

Logotypes present another challenge for foreign brands in China. The meaning represented in the image may not always carry over due to differences in cultural associations. Quaker Oats was affectionately adopted by the Chinese market as “老人牌” (old man brand), but Polo Ralph Lauren’s polo player was nicknamed “三脚马” (three-legged horse), which carried none of the classic affluence and prestige the brand conveyed in the West.

Imagine this happens to your company, except in Chinese. The ridicule and derision heaped on your brand may be something it might never recover from in China.

Nestle was one brand that successfully tapped into the China market by aligning its branding to the cultural values of the country. The image of a female sparrow breeding its young in its logo evokes warm feelings of parental love in the market. This was well-received in a society where the concept of filial society is held in high regard.

To look at this issue from the opposite perspective, hilarious brand names in badly translated English can be found all over the world.

China may be a land of opportunities, but make sure you have the right localization team behind you before you venture into it!

Brand name
Examples abound of companies who performed poorly in another market because of the wrong choice of name. One of them is General Motors. When it launched the Chevrolet Nova in South America, it was unaware that “no va” means “it won’t go”. After the company figured out why its cars were not selling, the vehicle was renamed “Caribe” in Spanish markets.

Brand values
What one culture values may not be held in high regard by another. To succeed in a particular market, it is imperative that the brand value of a product or service is in sync with the cultural values of the population. When BMW presented images of status or success in its marketing campaigns in New Zealand, it found that these generated little to no interest in its cars. The company realized that this is because New Zealand has a highly egalitarian society where the pursuit of status holds little appeal. On shifting the focus to the quality of its engineering, BMW was able to generate more sales in this market.

Brand presentation
Cultural conventions will determine how your market responds to messages. The color of a logo may have positive connotations in one market and negative ones in another. The same applies to symbols used and the tagline that accompanies the logo. Furthermore, a more informal communication style works better in some markets.

Montblanc for instance customizes its letterheads and invitation cards in different states in India. They not only translate the text into the local language but also vary the colors and amount of decoration used. This is because consumers in northern states like Punjab expect a more lively tone and lavish presentation as compared to their counterparts in the south. In making such adjustments, Montblanc ensured that it was connecting more closely to each market in India.

Writing the right copy
There is a good reason why the literati applaud whenever a new, improved translation of a great foreign novel is released. The work of maintaining the nuance, connotation and mood of the original language takes knowledge and skill.

Therefore, direct translations of brand messaging are often ineffective, if not downright disastrous. Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “finger-lickin’ good” slogan was so poorly translated in China that it came out as “eat your fingers off”.

To communicate effectively in a new market, a brand has to first find the right words to best convey who it is, what it does and why customers should care. Therefore, keyword selection should be the first step in localizing any marketing content.

As analogies are often used to confer certain qualities to a brand, it is also worth investigating whether the concept or entity being compared is understood or valued in the same way in the new market. In the US for example, “capitalist” is a widely accepted word, even a way of life. However, Forbes magazine’s effort to promote its “Capitalist Tool” credit cards was met with a negative response in Indonesia. This was because capitalism was an alien, even taboo, concept in this country.

Ideally, the translator of the content is not only an expert linguist but also a subject matter expert. This is because the translation of marketing materials involves an interpretation of the essence of the message. On top of distilling the message, the translator has to identify the key elements and present them in a manner that the target market will respond to. Without an understanding of the industry, it would be difficult if not impossible for the translator to achieve this.

Translating the images
If a picture is worth a thousand words, whatever it says has to be translated as well. Like words, photos can contain a host of political, social and economic landmines. Compaq was ordered by the authorities to redo an ad campaign in China because the map on its posters did not show Hong Kong and Taiwan as part of China. Pepsi was sued in India for glorifying child labor when it ran a television ad showing a young boy serving its drink to the Indian cricket team.

Images often reflect social hierarchy and relationships between people, groups, and entities. Given that these vary from country-to-country, the content of the images must therefore be adapted accordingly.