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2.1.1 Brand
People often talk about brand, but up to now, there has been no universally accepted definition of brand. Definitions of brand can be classified into several parts.
A brand is defined as a sign from the functional perspective. American Marketing Association defines that a brand is a name, a proper noun, a sign or a design, and even a combination of all above things (Wei, 2009, p. 2). American marketing master Philip Kotler (2005) gives the definition as follows: “A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, design, or a combination of these that identifies the produces or services of one seller or group of sellers and differentiates them from those of competitors” ( p. 225).
A brand is also perceived as the most valuable intangible asset. For a company, this asset has a great influence on consumers’ decision-making. As an intangible asset, brand can bring numerous benefits to the company and the society.
Those definitions emphasis that a brand is used to distinguish a company or a product from others, create wealth for the company, and then bring the great economic efficiency to the society. Brand can be seen as an identifiable mark, a spiritual symbol and essential values for a company.
2.1.2 Brand Name
Brand name is one part of a brand that can be vocalized, which helps consumers to identify products that might be of benefit to them. A company can name its products from different aspects, such as the function, origin, symbolic meaning and product image (He, 1997, p. 21). For example, consumers can identify the producing area and the function from “Peking Duck”.
In this cooperative and competitive global market, it is essential for a company to know how to sell products in order to get a piece of the market. A brand name is vital to the success of a new product. It is the base of the product, an invisible asset of the company, and an important consumer cue (Kohli & LaBahn, 1997, p. 57). A brand name to a company is not only a name of products, but also serves as brand image and brand culture, and it has the function to distinguish a certain product from competitors. Therefore, brand name must be the prior issue for branding strategy designers to consider.
2.2 Studies on Brand Name Translation
2.2.1 Domestic Studies
With the development of translatology, the study of the brand name translation has gone through three stages in China, the enlightenment period, the development period and the internationalization period (Li, 2000, p. 78). Brand Name English (1997) written by He Chuansheng, analyzes brand names from the perspective of linguistics, social psychology, marketing, culture and law, and discusses the formation and characteristics of brand names. Li Yanmin (2003) holds that brand name translation is a special translation in comparison to other translations. When translating brand names, translators should take phonetic, semantic and pragmatic into consideration. In Translation of English Brand Name (2000), Li Shuqin analyzes brand name translation from the angle of semiotics, which emphasizes how to convey the meanings of original brand name correctly and properly. In Cultural Context and Language Translation (2001), Bao Huinan holds the opinion that translated version should respect national customs, grasp consumer psychology, and adapt to national policy and culture. In Research on Branding (2003), Zhu Yajun puts forward three translation methods, namely, equivalent method, complementary method and homophonic method. He also proposed three principles of brand name translation, which are harmonious, correlative and concise.