Brand Name Translation Research Articles

The Explanatory Power Study of Brand Name Translation from the Perspective of Translation Aesthetics

Brand name translation is an important link for an enterprise to expand its overseas market. This paper, from the perspective of translation aesthetics, illustrates the explanatory power of translation aesthetics on brand name translation through the beauty of sound, meaning and form.

A Study on English-Chinese Translation of Brand Names from the Perspective of Memetics-Taking Perfume Brand Names as an Example

With the development of world trade, the exchanges of domestic and foreign commodities are becoming frequent. To make customers know more products and promote sales, the translation of brand names is inevitable. Brand names can be accepted by consumers only after accurate and appropriate translations, so as to achieve the purpose of promoting products and establishing images. This essay takes the memetic theory as a guide, and analyses the translation of perfume brand names from the perspective of pragmatic equivalence. By using equivalent substitution strategy and homophonic allusion strategy to analyze the practical examples of E-C translation of perfume brand names, and then summary the feasibility and usability of E-C translation of brand names under the theory of memetics.

Memetics: A Practical Translation Theory in Business Environment-Take Safeguard as an Example

Brand name translation plays an important role in foreign trade. From the perspective of memetics, this paper analyzes the sales and popularity of Luxury and Safeguard in China, discusses the persistence of Memetics and the cross-language transmission of brand memes, which is helpful for translators to translate authentic brand names, so as to speed up the reproduction and dissemination of brand names, increase the probability of becoming a strong meme, and enhance the international popularity of brands.

A Study on the Translation Strategies of Domestic Cosmetic Brand Names from the Perspective of Skopos Theory

After its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), China has opened wider to the outside world. As a result, a growing number of foreign cosmetic companies have expanded their presence in China. By contrast, Chinese domestic cosmetics not only don’t have an edge in its home market, but also fail to go global. The reasons are manifold. But their translations are also very important. Guided by Skopos Theory, this thesis believes that translation is across-cultural communicative activity with a certain purpose. The skopos rule should be put on the top priority. Through the investigation of various translation examples, the author believes that Skopos Theory can be used to guide the translation of different Chinese cosmetic brand names. Besides, the author also holds that translation strategies should be different according to the purpose of translation. By doing so, the author hopes to transcend cultural differences and disagreements so as to make domestic cosmetic products more competitive in the international arena.

Branding Cultural Products in International Markets: A Study of Hollywood Movies in China

Cultural products are a major component of the world economy and are responsible for a growing share of U.S. exports. The authors examine brand name strategies when cultural products are marketed in foreign countries. Incorporating the unique characteristics of these products, the authors develop a theoretical framework that integrates similarity, which focuses on how the translated brand name relates to the original brand name, and informativeness, which focuses on how the translated brand name reveals product content, to study the impact of brand name translations. The authors analyze Hollywood movies shown in China from 2011 to 2018. The results show that higher similarity leads to higher Chinese box office revenue, and this effect is stronger for movies that perform better in the home market (i.e., the United States). When the translated title is more informative about the movie, the Chinese box office revenue increases. The informativeness effect is stronger for Hollywood movies with greater cultural gap in the Chinese market. Moreover, both similarity and informativeness effects are strongest when the movie is released and reduce over time. This research provides valuable guidance to companies, managers, and policy makers in cultural product industries as well as those in international marketing.

Transference of brand personality in brand name translation: A case study on the Chinese-English translation of men’s clothing brands

Abstract Brand names are endowed with personalities that appeal to consumers, and such personalities are often adjusted in translation. This research aims to explore the transference of brand personality dimensions in the Chinese-English translation of men’s clothing brands, which embody consumers’ values and self-perceptions as well as social cultural meanings, in the hope of revealing male consumers’ psychological characteristics and providing a reference for translators. This investigation studies the brand personality frameworks for English and Chinese consumers, analyzes a corpus of 477 Chinese-English men’s clothing brands, summarizes the major personality dimensions for men’s clothing brands, and explores how they are transferred in translation. As brand personalities reflect target consumers’ psychology to a certain extent, exploring the transference of brand personality dimensions in the Chinese-English translation of men’s clothing brands can reveal the differences between Chinese and English male consumers’ values and mentality, which can serve as a reference for translators and international businesses.

Tłumaczenie chińskich nazw własnych w ujęciu kognitywnym

The Translation of Chinese Proper Names: A Cognitive Approach The article focuses on the translation of non-literary Chinese proper names, a subject which to date has not enjoyed much research interest as a result of the common belief that proper names are untranslatable. The article discusses techniques used in the translation of Chinese anthroponyms, toponyms and brand names into Polish and English. The author refers to the strategies used in the process of transferring names to the target language and presents the consequences of applying given techniques from the cognitive perspective, which entails analysing the names in terms of their structure and meaning. Particular attention is paid to the connotations of the names, the impact they have on the speakers of a given language, as well as the mental images that can be derived from their structure. In the contrastive analysis of the names of tourist locations in Beijing and their Polish and English equivalents, the author applies the cognitive grammar approach as developed by Ronald W. Langacker. The image schemas of the names are used to present the distinct conceptualizations embodied in the names with the same references in different languages. One of the chapters describes how European names are adapted into Chinese. The study also provides an overview of the characteristics of the Chinese onomasticon, a factor which makes translation from Chinese to European languages particularly complicated. The observations made in the course of the analysis permit conclusions to be drawn on the linguistic worldview created by Polish, Chinese and English propria.

On Localization and Standardization in Brand Name Translation

Based on the assumption that the “free translation – zero translation” continuum is the linguistic realization of “localization – standardization” continuum of marketing strategy adopted by multinational corporations in the process of globalization, the present research classifies the translation methods used by the 10 most popular American companies and their brands in China in 2012 and attempts to testify the hypothesis in a quantitative way.

Translation Standards and Strategies for Trademark Names of Cosmetics

With the development of the society and the improvement of the people's living standard, people have gradually realized the importance of the external image while paying attention to the "inner beauty", so the cosmetics are becoming more and more popular. Proper brand name translation can not only bring consumers the feeling of beauty, but also enhance the brand level and promote products in the invisible way. This paper discusses the translation criteria and Strategies of cosmetic brand names, hoping to contribute to the development of this field.

The presentation of brand personality in English-Chinese brand name translation

The brand name is an important asset of a business, for consumers rely on brand names to identify goods for purchase. English-Chinese brand name translation is of significance as it influences how a brand is received in China, which has become one of the largest consumer markets in the world. Brand names often cause consumers’ emotional response to enhance their memory, establish positive images about the brands, and serve the purpose of promotion. This paper discusses the issue of emotional involvement in English-Chinese brand name translation via discourse analysis and exploration of the presentation of brand personality in translation. The causes for and types of emotional involvement are investigated with reference to studies on brand personality which can invoke consumers’ emotional response and play a key role in enhancing consumers’ loyalty to and trust of a brand, and a revised framework of brand personality for Chinese brand name translations is provided on the basis of current research on English and Chinese brand personality, as well as analysis and classification of the brands in our corpus. The examples in our corpus are analyzed according to this framework, and the features of emotional involvement in the Chinese translations are summarized and discussed.

Interpretation and Construction of “Meaning-Senses” within Cross-cultural Context—Extension of Brand Name Translation Theory

Integral study of brand name translation needs promoting theoretical category system at relevant macro-meso-micro contextual levels. Taken E-C brand name translation as example, this paper establishes an explanatory frame of generation and construction of “meaning-senses” of translated brand name through discussing the macro-meso-micro contexts and their major factors in the process of brand name translation. This research shows that “named meaning”, determined by meso brand contextual factors, should be jointly delivered by micro linguistic contextual factors complying with demands of macro cultural contexts. This research will provide a feasible research dimension for systematic integration of theoretical categorization of pragmatic translation.

Rewriting in English-Chinese translation of brand names

Abstract A brand name is an essential part of an advertising campaign, identifying and being closely associated with a product or a manufacturer. One of the major functions of a brand name is to catch the attention of the audience and enhance their memorization. This research takes English-Chinese translation of brand names as an example and studies a prominent feature or strategy of brand name translation, namely rewriting to establish images in relation to the original pronunciation and/or logo. The translation of brand names is not bound by the original semantic meaning and is highly flexible, but it often retains the original sound or pronunciation. In the case of English-Chinese translation, brand names are often rewritten in that a new meaning is presented in the translation and images are established that are associated with the product or manufacturer. This study views image in its broadest sense, establishes a framework of images covering both concrete and abstract versions and discusses the functions of images in increasing the memorability of a brand name and engaging the audience’s emotions. A corpus of 316 English brand names with Chinese translations is considered and two examples are selected for discussion, one looking at the establishment of a concrete image and the other an abstract image. Such rewriting is analysed in relation to the functions of brand names in the hope of providing translators with a point of reference.

Translating Brand Names Effectively: Brand Attitude Reversal and Perceived Brand Name Translation Relevance in an Emerging Market

ABSTRACTThis research tests the effectiveness of three brand name creation/translation approaches—phonetic, semantic, and suggestive—in influencing consumer attitude toward the brand (Ab) in an emerging market in two separate studies. The first study is an interstudy replication of a previous research in which subjects responded to English brand names translated phonetically, phonosemantically, and suggestively into the Chinese language. The result of the first study in our research reveals a brand attitude reversal when these brand names are presented as domestic brands rather than foreign brands in China. The second study is an extension of the first study to provide a formal test of semantic translation and the impact of perceived brand name translation relevance on Ab.

Integrative Responses to Culture Mixing in Brand Name Translations

The present research demonstrates that integrative responses to culture mixing, in the context of Western brand names translated into Chinese, can influence consumer evaluations of the products. Specifically, we examine young, educated Chinese consumers’ evaluations of three types of brand name translation: phonosemantic (culturally mixed), semantic (monocultural), and phonetic (monocultural). Results from two studies show that young, educated Chinese consumers who are highly biculturated (i.e., knowledgeable about Western and Chinese cultures) tend to integrate the autonomy values associated with a phonosemantic brand translation, which in turn lead them to evaluate more favorably culturally mixed phonosemantic (vs. monocultural semantic or phonetic) brand translations. At the individual level, favorable attitudes toward culture mixing are more likely to emerge among individuals with a higher (vs. lower) endorsement of autonomy values. At the product level, favorable attitudes toward culture mixing are fostered when consumers encounter products that are higher (vs. lower) in value expressiveness.

Name Selection in International Branding: Translating Brand Culture

Brand culture is the soul of the brand, and the brand name is the direct manifestation of the brand culture which affects the translation of the brand name in international branding. However, little research has been done (1) on the brand culture represented by the brand name or (2) on how to deal with the brand culture represented by the original brand name in translating process. Based on the empirical evidences of the Chinese translation of some famous English brand names, the author first identifies the brand culture represented by the brand names, and proposes that the repositioning of the brand culture plays an important part in international branding, and finally put forward the strategies of translating brand culture in the process of brand name selection.

The Anatomy of Brand Name Translation Under Skopos Theory: A Model of Customer Satisfaction, Awareness of Translation Strategy Use and Purchase Intention

The Anatomy of Brand Name Translation Under Skopos Theory: A Model of Customer Satisfaction, Awareness of Translation Strategy Use and Purchase Intention

A Study Regarding the Usage of Korean, English, and Chinese Languages in Brand Naming for Chinese Markets:Focused on Interaction Effects of Brand Name Translation and Name Emphasis, and Hangul Writing

A Study Regarding the Usage of Korean, English, and Chinese Languages in Brand Naming for Chinese Markets:Focused on Interaction Effects of Brand Name Translation and Name Emphasis, and Hangul Writing

An Approach to the Translation of Brand Names

Brand name is an important part of the advertisement of a commodity. It is the symbol of the quality, characteristic and specification of the commodity. Brand names play an important part in the sales promotion of commodities. As a special intercultural activity, the translation of Brand names plays a more and more important part in international market competition. Yet it is no easy thing to transform brand names from one language to another one keeping the original style, charm and connotation. The translation of brand names is not only a process to find a counterpart in the target language, but also a process of re-creation, because different countries and nations have different cultural background. Based on many convincing examples, this paper introduces the characteristics and functions of brand names, states the principles of the translation of brand names, and offers the available and useful methods for the translation of brand names.

Enliven corporate brands in Chinese

PurposeAlthough the concept of branding has been considered extensively in products and services, branding in Chinese is a relatively emerging phenomenon. This paper aims to present the enlivenment of branding in Chinese within the cross‐strait markets of Taiwan and Mainland China, which underlies various ideologies.Design/methodology/approachThis study primarily reviews literatures of brand and brand name translation, defines the essentiality of brand naming, and outlines the branding strategies for entering cross‐strait markets. Furthermore, this study validates the using of substantially interpreted brands that support the authors' four developed propositions.FindingsThis study compares substantially interpreted brands in cross‐strait markets with a reference to commonly used translation methods. The results illustrate interesting ideologies among cross‐strait markets and can help managers achieve global brand recognition.Research limitations/implicationsSince China and Taiwan share the same Chinese culture, the qualitative method proposed by the present authors is more applicable to practitioners who are eager to pursue branding in cross‐strait markets. Thus, the relevant techniques may not be applicable to people less familiar with Chinese culture.Practical implicationsThe qualitative case study provides an advisable method for branding in Chinese. The results of this study can provide greater understanding of the various ideologies in cross‐strait markets, as well as help managers achieve global brand recognition.Originality/valueThe various ideologies from branding is complex, especially for those involved with linguistic essentials. Previous research has mainly focused on managerial‐based branding and customer‐based branding. This paper extends the interest into enlivening inspirations.

Testing to prevent bad translation: Brand name conversions in Chinese–English contexts

This research investigates bilingual consumers' evaluation of brand name translations from logographic-Chinese to alphabetic-English language systems. The research examines four possible methods of translation — semantic, phonetic, phonosemantic and Hanyu Pinyin. Consumers' chronic differences in language proficiency levels and the presence of situational primes relating to phonological or semantic processing jointly influence preferences for the translation methods. In addition to findings consistent with the premise that phonological/semantic processing is effective in alphabetic/logographic languages, this research shows that consumers who are strong in Chinese and weak in English prefer Pinyin translations across all conditions.