A Contrastive Study of the Cultural Connotation of
English and Chinese Brand Names
ABSTRACT
In a competitive market, the brand name is one of the key factors for a company to achieve success. It determines the image, credit and economic power of a company. A successful brand name plays a noticeable role in developing the international market and creating the enterprise wealth. As one kind of cultural phenomenon, Chinese and English brand names, which widely exist in social life, play an important role in the public awareness of the enterprise commodity, the sales promotion, beautifying people's life. But we have to know there are some differences, and we have to have a better understanding of this issue.
This article first gives us an outlook of the brand names and its relationship with cultures, because brand names, more or less, take the effects of cultures. This article consists of four chapters. Chapter one gives a brief introduction to a brand name and its cultural link. Chapter two respectively analyzes the cultural connotations of English and Chinese brand names. Chapter three explores the differences and similarities of them to further illustrate what we need to pay attention to when naming a brand like how those brand names were first made, how they function and how they influence people. Finally it comes to the conclusion that the contrasts of cultural connotation of Chinese and English brand names are reflected in the context of respective culture.
Key Words: brand names, cultural connotation, similarities, differences
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT I
摘 要 II
1 Introduction 1
2 An Analysis of Cultural Connotation of Brand Names 2
2.1. The Cultural Source of English and Chinese Civilizations 2
2.2 The Cultural Outlook of English Brand Names 2
2.3 The Cultural Outlook of Chinese Brand Names 5
Chapter 3. The Similarities and Differences of Cultural Connotation of English and Chinese Brand Names 8
3.1 Similarities of Cultural Connotation of both Brand Names 8
3.2 Differences of Cultural Connotation of both Brand Names 11
4 Conclusion 14
References 15
Acknowledgements 16