Search for content of interest

  • About
  • ServiceS
    • Branding
    • Innovation
    • Naming
    • Strategy
    • Research
    • Design
  • Work
  • Insights
  • News
  • LOCATIONS
    • Shanghai
    • Paris
    • New York
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia

CN FR
  • About
  • ServiceS
    • Branding
    • Innovation
    • Naming
    • Strategy
    • Research
    • Design
  • Work
  • Insights
  • News
  • LOCATIONS
    • Shanghai
    • Paris
    • New York
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
CONTACT

EN

  • CN
  • FR

Home Insights Our Thinking Detail
Contact Us

Name Analysis: Case Studies from Sportswear and Fashion

Does your Chinese brand name mean what you want it to? As we have discussed before, choosing an appropriate Chinese name can be a big challenge for foreign brands. In this issue, we will look at two case studies, one from sportswear and one from fashion. Although a Chinese name may be similar to the original brand name in pronunciation, the meaning behind the characters should also be carefully considered.

As you can see from these examples, sometimes a foreign brand may be saying “horse” when they really mean “cat”, or “traditional” instead of “high fashion”!

brand name – PUMA : 彪马 [biāo mǎ] 

Cantonese: biu1 ma5
彪: tiger-like, strong
马: horse
Chinese name association: literally means strong horse, which in traditional Chinese culture represents long-lasting strength and elegant success. This gives the name an athletic and dynamic feel.
Chinese naming issue:
Lion vs horse: Puma in English literally means Cougar, the native lion from North America, reinforced by the jumping image of the cougar. Yet, its Chinese name turns out to be a horse, which might cause some image confusion in consumers’ minds.
Wild vs mild: In Chinese culture, the horse is a mild animal in nature, not wild enough to lead the herd, to manifest innovation or individuality. On the contrary, the Cougar is a wild/ferocious animal that shows its power, energy and leadership at all times.

Search Engine Findings:

 PUMA彪马
Google51,300,0009,170,000
Baidu6,060,0009,770,000

1) The English name far outweighs the Chinese name in total.
2) The English name enjoys more results in Google, whereas the Chinese name is more popular on Baidu.
3) Great efforts should be made for the Chinese name to make up the gap in performance with the English name.
Brand information relevance:
The official website ranks No. 1 in Google, either with the English or the Chinese name
The official website ranks No. 1 in Baidu, except for the promotional links from Baidu

brand name – GUCCI: 古琦 [gǔ qí]

Cantonese: gu2 kei4
古: ancient, antiquity
琦: fine jade, distinguished
Chinese name association: literally means antiquity and preciousness, indicating a strong sense of history and a long tradition or inheritance.
Chinese naming issue:
Tradition vs modern: its Chinese name over emphasizes the tradition part and thus seems too conservative. It is not trendy/modern enough for the ever-changing fashion world.
Eastern vs western: The name has too strong of a Chinese evocation, as western heritage represents nobility, high end and luxury, especially in the fashion and life style industry. Gucci’s Chinese name sounds more like an eastern antique store specializing in Chinese articles.


Search Engine Findings:

 GUCCI古琦
Google58,400,0001,400,000
Baidu21,700,0004,760,000

1) The English name far outweighs the Chinese name in total.
2) The English name enjoys more results in Google, whereas the Chinese name is more popular in Baidu.
3) Great efforts should be made for the Chinese name to make up the gap in performance with the English name.
Brand information relevance:
The official website ranks No. 1 in Google, either with the English or the Chinese name;
The official website ranks No. 3 in Baidu, with two promotional links from Baidu.

**The analysis was conducted on the most popular and well-known Chinese name for Gucci. Since then, Gucci has officially updated its Chinese name to 古驰**

CONCLUSION

So what can we learn from these case studies?
Firstly, we can see that having a Chinese name is important for Chinese search engine users, who often prefer Baidu over Google. The Chinese name performance for彪马 [biāo mǎ] and古琦 [gǔ qí]on both Google and Baidu needs to be improved.
Secondly, the Chinese name should not only be chosen for phonetic similarity, but take into account the underlying meanings of the characters. The connotations should be consistent with the original brand names to prevent confusion for consumers.
Luckily, Puma and Gucci are very well known international brands, and it is likely that consumers in modern Chinese cities are somewhat familiar with what the brands stand for. However, to connect with consumers that may not be so aware of the original brands, these Chinese names could turn out to be slightly confusing. So, it is preferable to develop an effective Chinese name right from the start in order to build your brand equity in China.

To download the report

  • SHARE
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
BACK

Related Article




The RedNote Effect and The New ‘Made In China’

Feb 13, 2025 For years, Chinese brands have fought an uphill battle in the U.S. with less-than-ideal country branding. While a “Made in China” stigma remains a hurdle for…

3 Reasons Why Your Company Needs a Chinese Brand Name

Read the updated version of this articleThe Six Laws of Chinese Brand Name here. Nowadays it is widely recognized that a company looking to be successful in the glob…

Taking a Journey Mindset: The Facilitation Approach to Brand Innovation and Building

A global consumer goods brand was facing a challenge: Chinese companies were “innovating” much faster than their multinational counterparts, with new brands, new products…

Discovering XiaoBing: Microsoft’s Chinese Brand Image

In late June, Microsoft strategically 'revived' its adored chat robot XiaoBing (小冰) in China, making waves on Sina Weibo and the Android app TouchPal. XiaoBing, the charm…

Decoding McDonald’s Brand Strategy: A New Restaurant Image

Decoding McDonald’s Brand Strategy Evolution: A Global Transformation for the Times Explore the strategic shift at McDonald's as Senior Vice President Jim Carras emphasiz…

Brand Strategy: GM Launches the 103rd Car Brand in China, Baojun

In China's fiercely competitive auto market, boasting 102 existing brands, the landscape is evolving with the introduction of its 103rd brand—Baojun, translating to 'trea…

What We Can Learn on Semiotics in Market Research from Being in a Room Full of Semioticians: Takeaways from Semiofest 2017

July 21, 2017, marked the 106th birthday of media theorist Marshall McLuhan who once said: “The medium is the message”. It also happened to mark the annual Semiofest host…

The Taste of Brand Excellence: A Deep-dive into 6 of NYC’s Hottest Brand-Restaurants and Cafes

In New York City, brands are redefining consumer engagement through experiential dining. Luxury fashion houses and innovative companies are transforming traditional retai…

Ready to take your brand to new heights?

Let's start a conversation.
  • NEWSLETTER
  • CAREERS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Labbrand Group
  • Labbrand
  • Madjor
  • SpringPillar

* Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy

A Labbrand Group Company © 2005-2025 Labbrand All rights reserved

沪ICP备17001253号-3
  • Follow us:
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

Contact us to get the latest insights, tips, and trends in branding, naming, and innovation.

* Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy

Cookie Notice

To improve your experience, we use cookies to provide social media features, offer you content that targets your particular interests, and analyse the performance of our advertising campaigns. By clicking on “Accept” you consent to all cookies. You also have the option to click “Reject” to limit the use of certain types of cookies. Please be aware that rejecting cookies may affect your website browsing experience and limit the use of some personalised features.

Accept Reject