What is it about?
We examine three types of brand name translation: phonosemantic, semantic and phonetic. We find 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 phonosemantic (vs. semantic or phonetic) brand translations. At the individual level, favorable attitudes toward a phonosemantic brand translation are found among individuals with a higher (vs. lower) endorsement of autonomy values.
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Why is it important?
Given the growth and importance of the Chinese market, our findings have significant implications for foreign brands operating in China. We find that consumer evaluation of brand name translations is not merely a cognitive or linguistic issue. Rather, it is imperative to consider cultural values as well as the value expressiveness of the product. Generally, a phonosemantic translation may have marketing advantage over a semantic translation.
Perspectives
The findings of this article are of great relevance to consumer researchers, cross-cultural researchers as well as marketers operating in China. In particular, the rapid growth of the Chinese market implies that it is essential to understand how translations of foreign brands are perceived by young, educated Chinese consumers.
Professor Hean Tat Keh
Monash University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Integrative Responses to Culture Mixing in Brand Name Translations: The Roles of Product Self-Expressiveness and Self-Relevance of Values Among Bicultural Chinese Consumers, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, October 2016, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0022022116667843.
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