What’s in a Name? : A study on the success factors of brand naming in China

Abstract: Background  China is highly relevant in today’s economic environment and will be even more important in the upcoming years, since the Chinese economy, including its domestic consumer market, will keep growing. The country has changed from a merely manufacturing nation to a fast growing consumer market that offers promising marketing opportunities for Western companies. However, successful branding in China remains a challenge. In order to operate successfully, global companies need to position themselves strategically and adjust their marketing strategies to address this very diverse target market. This includes the branding of products. Since consumers’ cultural backgrounds shape their perception of brands, applying brand names to the Chinese market becomes a challenging task for multinational companies. Purpose  The purpose of this thesis is to explore different factors that are crucial for brand naming in China. The findings derived from a thorough literature review will be evaluated in front of empirical research and tested of their applicability to the practice of brand naming in China. Method  A qualitative research approach has been chosen in which the findings of a profound theoretical study are crosschecked via semi- structured in-depth interviews with multiple experts that are currently working in the field of branding in China. Conclusuion  This thesis concludes with stating different factors that have been confirmed and elaborated throughout the research. These factors are categorized in four different perspectives that have been established in the theoretical framework of this thesis: marketing, sociocultural, linguistics and legal. Moreover, the authors conclude that the four different perspectives cannot be seen independently and emphasize their interrelation. Thus, a model is provided that incorporates the crucial factors for brand naming in China and illustrates their interrelation. The authors emphasize that the results cannot be seen as conclusive, however, they provide valuable insights and a sound foundation for further research.