How are brand names of Chinese companies perceived by Americans?

Abstract

Drawing from prior research in psychology, linguistics and marketing, we conduct an experimental study of Americans' preferences for the English version of Chinese brand names. Specifically, we assess the impact of string length and semantic relevance to English on meaningfulness, memorability and likeability of brand names from Chinese companies. Design/methodology/approach: A 2x2 experimental design is used whereby brand names are categorized by string length (short vs. long) and semantic relevance to English (with vs. without). Respondents' perception of the Chinese language in terms of pronounceability, language familiarity and language attitude are used as covariates. Findings: Our results reveal that shorter brand names and those with semantic relevance to English are perceived as more memorable. We also find that pronounceability of the brand name does influence brand name preference in terms of their meaningfulness, memorability and likeability. Research limitations/implications: Our exploratory study is limited to Americans' perceptions of the English version of Chinese automobile brand names. Practical implications: Chinese companies should consider carefully the brand name characteristics in terms of string length, semantic relevance as well as their ease of pronunciation when choosing and introducing their brands in the United States. Originality/value: This is the first study which assesses Western consumers' perception of brand names from Chinese automobile companies in terms of their brand meaningfulness, brand memorability and brand likeability.

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