Linguistic problems in international marketing: Company experiences in the Chinese market

• Main Authors: Milovanović Goran, Krstić Bojan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Srpsko udruženje za marketing 2013-01-01
• Series: Marketing (Beograd. 1991)
• Subjects: language as part of a culture; linguistic heterogeneity of the world; company name and brand name translation; slogan translation; translation of business terms; value connotations of the product; the symbolism of numbers
• Online Access: http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0354-3471/2013/0354-34711303264M.pdf

The aim of the paper is to present certain language issues and their relevance for the implementation of marketing activities of selected companies in the Chinese market, based on the systematized data from secondary sources. The paper consists of six parts. The first part reveals the relationship between language and culture, as well as the importance of adapting companies' marketing programs to specific languages and cultures of target markets. The second part of the paper identifies and analyzes translation issues in international marketing, from the perspective of the relevant literature. In the third and fourth part we elaborate on marketing implications of correctly and incorrectly translated names of multinational companies, their brands and advertising slogans on the Chinese market. The fifth section deals with Dell's business model implementation problems within China. Final part of the paper deals with the effects of marketing activities on customers' attitudes and values in local markets, as well as the symbolic role of products and numbers in some of these activities.