Recently, Labbrand’s VP & Creative Director, Amanda Liu and Associate Director of Verbal Branding Strategy, Alva Lv were interviewed by ARD German Radio, delving into the discussion of crafting suitable Chinese brand names for overseas brands.

Brand naming is a crucial starting point for a company’s long-term development in its target market. A brand name that aligns with local culture and consumer preferences can effectively strengthen the emotional connection and recognition between the brand and its target audience, enhancing the brand’s image and competitive edge in the market, thereby promoting long-term business growth. However, companies often encounter numerous challenges when embarking on naming initiatives.

Labbrand, founded in 2005, has unique industry insights in brand naming, brand construction, and brand innovation, particularly expertise in verbal strategy. During the interview, Labbrand’s naming experts explored the art of Chinese naming, drawing from Labbrand’s prominent naming projects with renowned brands, such as Marvel, Airbnb, LinkedIn, as well as Traton—a truck manufacturer under Volkswagen Group, Haribo, and Brita. We distilled and shared the significant challenges and strategies in Chinese and alphabetic naming of brands and products when enterprises enter target markets.

Labbrand emphasized that effective naming goes beyond mere translation; it is a fusion of cultures and a reflection of brand localization. Throughout the brand naming process, it is essential to consider a meticulous combination of Chinese characters’ shapes, tones, and semantics to avoid damaging the brand’s core assets due to potential cultural disparities between Chinese and foreign contexts. Additionally, an excellent brand name should embody its uniqueness and the viability to be trademarked, be unambiguous across major languages and dialects, and be seamlessly integrated with the target market, brand connotations, and consumer acceptance. Undoubtedly, crafting a name that fulfills these criteria requires meticulous research and strategic planning to ensure the brand’s enduring resonance and success.

For the past 20 years, Labbrand has been dedicated to providing comprehensive verbal solutions for both local and international brands, including brand naming, Chinese naming, advanced verbal strategies, and naming management. As steadfast allies to enterprises, we leverage concise yet potent combinations of words to inspire limitless associations, utilizing the formidable power of language to enhance brands’ recognition and influence, thereby facilitating the crucial first step for companies entering overseas markets.

In this interview, we are honored to share Labbrand’s in-depth insights and practices in brand naming. We look forward to inspiring more businesses to understand Chinese characters and develop brand strategies tailored to the Chinese market to further promote brand development and innovation.