An Intercultural Approach To The Study Of Brand Names

Brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, design or some combination used to identify the producers of one firm and to differentiate them from competitive offerings" (A Glossary of Marketing Terms: Marketing Definition). Branding in broad sense can be divided into three parts: ?Linguistic Branding; (2j Graphic Branding; (3) Legal Branding. This thesis belongs to Linguistic Branding. The author adopts intercultural approach to the investigation and the study of brand names. The author has collected about 10,000 domestic or foreign brand names appeared in Chinese market. These brand names have touched upon various respects in the market, such as, daily commodities, cosmetics, clothing, electric appliance, food, medicine, transportation tools and so on. After the analysis, study and exploration, this thesis integrates the forerunner's investigation, has pierced into the cultural characteristics and styles of brand names. Brand is not only the mark of the commodity, a notion in economic field, but is also with rich cultural connotation, is a social cultural phenomenon.With the acceleration of the globalization, the international economic communication becomes much more frequent. Brand names not only transfer the information concerning commodities, but also transfer the culturalinformation to the receivers in the target culture as cultural messenger. In the course of selling of the products, some brand names promote the selling, because these brand names are recognized by the foreign culture, arouse the same sympathy from the foreign consumers. While on the other hand, some brand names received passive feedbacks because these heavy culture-loaded brand names have proved to result in "cultural shock" in foreign market. So, the study of brand names is not only a topic for economists, but also a field that cannot be neglected in the intercultural communication. This thesis has studied the cultural origin, cultural connotation of brand names from the intercultural approach and revealed their reflection in various aspects such as, social customs, religion, morality and so. The author points out that the translation of brand names in foreign market should give as much attention as possible to commodity information and cultural information contained in original brand names. But also be sure that the translation cannot arouse cultural conflict, arouse unfavorable association, thus result in the failure of the selling. So the designer and translator of brand names should try to avoid heavily culture-loaded brand names' appearing in the foreign market, since they are not easily accepted by the receivers, the failure examples are "White Elephant" and "Bat". In order to better participate in the world competition, form international strong brand images, brand names should also be internationalized on the basis of striving to contain the nationalcharacteristics. Thus, the enterprises can occupy an invincible position in the international competition. The brand names should display the commodities and at the same time transmit the original culture, so that they can live up to the name of cultural messengers.