Branding in China: Alternative Brand StrategiesBranding in China: Global Product Strategy Alternatives

Authors

Ilan Alon, Rollins CollegeFollow
Romie F. Littrell, Auckland University of TechnologyFollow
Allan K.K. Chan, Hong Kong Baptist UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 2010

Abstract

This article reviews and discusses issues in translation of international brand names to Chinese, and provides a framework for international brand managers who want to expand into China. Linguistic differences between Chinese and English are wide and deep, making translation of brand names difficult. Cultural context, pronunciation, written vs. oral language, and meaning of characters are just a few examples of such difficulties. We discuss four global-product-naming strategic alternatives available to country/brand managers, along with their usage, and give examples of brands utilizing the different approaches. The four approaches we discuss include (1) dual extension, (2) brand meaning extension, (3) brand feeling extension, and (4) dual adaptation.

Comments

This article was originally published in Multinational Business Review 17, (4). View the article online at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1922121

Published In

Alon, Ilan, Romie F. Littrell, and Allan K. K. Chan. 2010. Branding in china: Global product strategy alternatives. Multinational Business Review 17, (4): 123-142.

Publication Title

Multinational Business Review

ISSN

1525-383X