Chinese Market Expansion Services
BRANDING - CHINESE NAME
If you don't create a Chinese name for your brand, the market will create one for you with a less flattering meaning than you desire.
What’s the risk to my brand?
If you don’t create a Chinese name for your brand, the market will create one for you with a less flattering meaning than you desire.
The Chinese often have trouble remembering or pronouncing non-Chinese names. When a brand gains popularity in China, the local population will almost always create a Chinese term to refer to it.
This is not an ideal situation for most brands as they would prefer to retain control of the names given to their products or services. The easiest way to retain control of your brand equity in China is to create a bespoke Chinese brand.
A well thought out brand in China should be:
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Easy to Remember
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A positive translation that relates to your product
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Easy for the Chinese to pronounce.
Brands who choose not to create a Chinese name often find that the local pronunciation of their brand can lead to confusion or negative connotations.
When Coca Cola first launched in China – they decided not to have a local brand. The Chinese pronounced Coca Cola phonetically as “ke kou ke la”, this translates to “Bite the Wax Tadpole” Hardly the image Coke was going for. They revised their China strategy and are now known locally as “Kekoukele” which means “Tasty Fun”. Equally easy for locals to pronounce and remember – but a far more relevant and positive brand message.
Chinese Brands outperform their original brand names
Even if an International brand name is well known in China, their Chinese brand will still outperform across all media channels. This is particularly the case on SEM, SEO and social media.
Whilst Chanel is an incredibly successful brand in China, it is only typed into Chinese search engines 3,400 times per day. The Chinese version of the Chanel brand “香奈儿” is typed into Chinese search engines more than 20,000 times every day.
Uniqlo is typed into Chinese search engines 630 times each day, whilst their Chinese brand “优衣库” is typed in 11,400 times a day.
TRADEMARKS
TRADEMARKS
Brands cannot afford to enter China without ensuring they own the trademark to their Brand Terms in both Chinese and English.
What’s the risk to my brand?
China is a first-to-file jurisdiction, and unlike other similar jurisdictions, trademarks are awarded to those who are first to register them with government authorities. This means that anyone can register your brand trademark in China and be entitled to a large portion of your Chinese sales.
If companies cannot demonstrate that they have sufficient global recognition in China to supersede the third-party trademark, or prove the trademark had not been used, then companies must consider using a different name in China or shell out hefty payouts to the holder for the rights:
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Apple paid USD 60 million for use of the “iPad” name
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Castel Wines was fined USD 5 million for using its name while a Chinese firm held the rights to its trademark
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Burberry faces a USD 82 million fee upon the cancellation of its trademark for its iconic tartan pattern
Even if you aren’t ready to enter the China market - registering your Chinese trademark now will save you time and money in the future.
Your brand is at risk even if you don’t sell products in China
Unfortunately Trademark registration has become such a big business in China that even firms who don’t sell to China are at risk. There have been numerous cases where goods manufactured in China have been trademark registered by a third party - costing the legitimate brand owners millions of dollars. These trademarks are often held in the same city where the goods are manufactured.
The classic case:
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Mr. Z manages the factory where the brand PENS are manufactured.
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Mr. Z gets a bright idea to file and register a trademark for the PENS brand in China
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Mr. Z, armed with the PENS trademark, stops a PENS order at the China border because PENS has violated his trademark.
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PENS must pay Mr. Z to release the goods and negotiate a deal to purchase the trademark
How to get started
Register your trademarks early, even if you do not plan to use it right away, especially if your Chinese name is different from your company name. The Chinese government will not protect your trademark for you. You must enforce the trademark yourself.
Properly register your trademarks by registering multiple categories and subcategories of goods. The first step is a search to determine what trademarks exist for your brand name in both English and Chinese. The free search will be carried out across all Chinese regions including Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Working with one of China’s most well respected law firms, we will send you a detailed report on what trademarks, if any exist for your brand and in what categories. If your brand is not already registered in China, we can arrange Trademark Registration. If your brand is already registered in China, we can help to negotiate its release.
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The average cost of registration is $2,000 USD per brand term per category. There are no additional fees for the first 10 years.
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The registration process takes approximately 15-24 months
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The duration of your brand’s protection can be indefinite. The initial filing lasts for 10 years and can be renewed.
Request a free Chinese Trademark Search by telling us about your Brand, sector and any product names that require protection.
What’s the risk to my brand?
Domain “Squatting” is big business in China. Local Chinese businesses can register any .cn domain and then wait for the legitimate owner to make them an offer to buy it back.
Alternatively your brand’s .cn domain may be used by a counterfeit product, ensuring that over time your brand name is associated with cheaply produced, poor quality replicas. This form of domain squatting can steal your Chinese profits, your brand equity and your reputation in the region.
In order protect their brand in the region; International businesses have been forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars to purchase back their own domain names.
How can International Brands protect themselves?
In conjunction with one of China’s largest and most well respected law firms, we can arrange to register your brand’s .cn domain and hold it in trust.
The domain is yours to use whenever you’re ready. In the meantime, your brand is protected against the possibility of a third party registration of your domain.
Register your Chinese .cn domain early, even if you never plan to open a Chinese entity. Consider both your brand name in English and in Chinese, especially if your Chinese name is different from your company name.
How to get started?
The first step is a search to determine if your .cn domain is still available. The search will be carried out across all Chinese regions including Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Working with one of China’s most well respected law firms, we will purchase the .cn protection for your brand and hold it in trust. This prevents any third parties from registering your domain in the future.
If our search reveals that your .cn domain has already been purchased by a third party, we can negotiate on your behalf for its release.
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It takes approximately 1 week to complete the registration process
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The domain can be held in trust in your brands name indefinitely but must be renewed every 10 years
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To get started we will require a copy of your business registration license.
Request a free .cn Domain availability search by telling us the url you’d like to purchase.