SEAT Chinese Brand Name Creation
A BRAND ON THE MOVE
Founded in 1950, SEAT is a Spanish automobile manufacturer and a wholly owned subsidiary of the German Volkswagen Group. The brand is marketed as a carmaker with a youthful sporty profile. By 2006, over 16 million cars were produced with three-quarters of the annual production exported to over seventy countries worldwide.
SEAT intended to further establish its presence in China and positions itself as a sporty alternative for Chinese drivers. To assist SEAT in building its brand image in China, we were asked to develop a Chinese name for the brand that captured the Western uniqueness of its products.
A CLASSY SPORTY CAR
We successfully created the Chinese name 西雅特 [xī yă tè] for SEAT. The character西 [xī] is used in 西班牙 [xī bān yá], which is the Chinese word for Spain. 雅 [yă] represents elegance while 特 [tè] portrays the meaning of uniqueness and specialty. Combined together, this name is phonetically similar to SEAT and successfully embodies its Spanish origin and foreign appeal. Also, 西雅特 [xī yă tè] is simple to pronounce and easily associated with the original brand name.
If SEAT’s Spanish enthusiasm is likened to the flamenco, the Chinese name blends in a touch of elegance, giving the sporty car a classy edge.
