Chinese product naming is important for cosmetics companies who develop specialized products outside of China and introduce them to the local market. The names must clearly convey the functional attributes of the product but also be appealing to Chinese consumers.

The following two product names from the Estee Lauder portfolio are good examples of comprehensive adaptations in Chinese:Nutritious 鲜活营养系列

• 鲜 (xiān)used as an adjective means fresh, special, and clean. It is frequently used in phases like 鲜美 （fresh and tasty），鲜明 (clean), and 鲜活 （fresh）.
• 活 (huó) original meaning is “alive”. Now it is used in phases like 活力 (huó lì), meaning energy.
• 营养 (yíng yǎng) means “nutrition”.
• 系列 (xìliè) simply means “series”, as in a product series.

Put these four characters together 鲜活营养 as a given name for a specific range of cosmetic products for Estee Lauder, and it conveys the meaning of restoration and nourishment for the skin. This is appropriate as this range of products mainly contains fruit essence which is believed to solve dull skin problems and infuse nutrients into skin. The name is also appealing for Estee Lauder’s target market—women between the ages of 28 and 40 with higher incomes.  Cyber White Ex璀璨美白系列

• 璀璨 (cuǐ càn) means “bright” and is used to describe stars or diamonds.
• 美白 (měi bái) means “whitening” and is used by many cosmetics companies.

To differentiate their product, Estee Lauder creatively uses 璀璨 (cuǐ càn) in the product name. This shows their products are more luxurious as this phrase is usually used to describe diamonds.

In summary, these two Chinese product names by Estee Lauder effectively convey the functional attributes of the products. The names enhance the positioning and differentiation of the products, and appeal to their target markets. If you haven’t carefully considered a Chinese name for your product offerings, you might want to do so!