Enliven corporate brands in Chinese

Abstract

Purpose

Although 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/approach

This 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.

Findings

This 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/implications

Since 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 implications

The 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/value

The 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.

Citation

Jaw, Y., Wang, R. and Ying‐Yu Hsu, C. (2011), "Enliven corporate brands in Chinese", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 23 No. 5, pp. 641-666. https://doi.org/10.1108/13555851111183075