What’s In a Name – A Short Case Study on Product Localization for Success in Global Markets
There is no question that businesses have become increasingly global; in order to succeed, you must have a foreign and a domestic market. Many brand-name American consumer products have established themselves all over the world in countries such as Russia, India, and China…and the list goes on. But how can American businesses succeed in the foreign market? The key lies within brand and product localization. Take a look at the Coca-Cola brand and how it entered into the Chinese market.
Coca-Cola Goes to China – The Importance of Localizing Brand Names
Before expanding abroad, companies must consider the culture and language of the new market. Coca-Cola, like Starbucks and coffee, had the challenge of introducing and sustaining the concept of soft drinks to a culture that historically drank tea. How was Coca-Cola going to bring their product into a culture where for thousands of years, tea customs served as the norm?
One of the most basic ways to reach a new market is to bring the new product in the language of the consumers. Coca-Cola created a brand name for themselves in Chinese: 可口可乐 ke kou ke le. These particular words are associated with goodness and happiness when you translate into Chinese. Altogether, the name is an expression meaning good tasting and happy feelings. In addition to a positive meaning associated with the name, the words are phonetically similar to the English pronunciation. Today, Coca-Cola is a household name in China. Capitalizing on the success of the Coca-Cola soft drink, the company has introduced other soft drinks such as “Sprite.” Now it is a part of the Chinese culture just as much as it is a part of American culture.
Product Localization Services Are The Key to Global Business Success
As a translation services company, we recognize the growth in the need for product localization services. In the case of Coca-Cola, a marketable foreign brand name was imperative for success in the Chinese market. Be it in Chinese or any other language, we have experienced the need for marketing localization, advertising localization, product localization and more for business looking to connect with an international market. Our translators can create product names through a thoughtful, meticulous and creative process by carefully choosing words in order to avoid offensive phrases. They can translate and localize websites and software to ensure user experience is not affected in global markets. They can even help perform preliminary market research to help you determine which language, dialect, word choice and formatting is best for your projects.
Coca-Cola is only one example of a brand that transformed itself through translation and localization, in order to be competitive in a global market. As the world and business continues to globalize, the need for creative localization and transcreation brand strategies will continue to grow. Want more information on how we can help you with your product localization project?
About Language Connections:
Language Connections is one of the top language service companies in the US. Over the last 30 years, we’ve focused on providing the best business translation services, interpreting services, as well as interpreter training and customized language training programs. In addition to top-tier corporate language training, we offer certified corporate interpreters and professional business translation services in 200+ languages. Our network includes linguists with backgrounds in all major industries. They’re ready to meet your needs, whether they’re for technical translation services, legal translation, government translation services, international development translation services, education translation services, life sciences translation, or something else. Reach out to us today for a free quote on our cost-efficient and timely translation services, interpreters, or other linguistic services.
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