"if you are not afraid of bad life, you are afraid of getting the wrong name." Guangzhou Automobile Chuanqi was embarrassed because of the collision with US President Trump. In order not to affect the plan to enter the United States, GAC Chuanqi is considering changing its brand English name Trumpchi.
Americans are familiar with the name Trump, but they may be unfamiliar with Trumpchi.
Trumpchi (the English name of Guangzhou Automobile Chuanqi) sounds somewhat similar to the name of President Trump of the United States. In fact, it is a China automobile brand and plans to enter the American market in 2019.
Guangzhou Automobile Group said that "the same name" is just a coincidence. In 2010, GAC Chuanqi was first put on the market, several years before Trump ran for president.
Recently, it has been reported that Guangzhou Automobile Group intends to change its English name again in order to let this brand of cars enter the American market.
Trumpchi is the local brand of the GAC Group, a State-owned manufacturer that also makes cars for a number of international brands.
Chuanqi Automobile is a local brand of Guangzhou Automobile Group. Guangzhou Automobile Group is a state-controlled joint-stock enterprise group, which also produces joint-venture brand cars.
Earlier this year, the GAC Motor Design Director Zhang Fan told Reuters: "We saw people were laughing at this and took pictures looking only at this detail, and also put on Facebook or other websites.
Earlier this year, Zhang Fan, chief designer of Guangzhou Automobile Group, told Reuters: "We found people making fun of the English name of Chuanqi Automobile, and also photographed the logo and uploaded it to Facebook and other websites."
Chuanqi’s English name "Trumpchi" comes from the direct transliteration of Chinese "Legend". The first half "Trump" stands for leading and trump card, while the second half "chi" stands for China China.
Originally, it was a name full of beautiful meanings, but I never imagined that Chuanqi’s first step towards internationalization and its entry into the American market was actually met with problems because of the English name "Trumpchi", which was really embarrassing.
In the case of Trumpchi, however, the name appears simply to be a translation spin-off from its Chinese name which is Chuanqi, which is a play on the word "legendary" and loosely translates as "spreading good fortune".
Chuanqi’s English name Trumpchi is just a simple translation of his Chinese name. "Chuan" means "legend" in Chinese, and "Chuan Qi" roughly means "spreading good luck" ("Qi" means happiness and auspiciousness in Chinese).
In fact, as early as the 2017 Detroit Auto Show in North America, because the English names Trumpchi and Trump had the same name, many local Americans were watching the Chuanqi booth. Just to shoot Trumpchi, and make fun of it on social platforms.
It first got international attention in at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, where executives were reported to be taken aback by the reaction it got and talked about mulling a name change then. Regardless of the name, the company hopes to put forward the first Chinese car that could break into the American market.
GAC Chuanqi gained global attention for the first time at the Detroit Auto Show in 2017. It is reported that at that time, GAC executives were surprised to see everyone’s reaction to Chuanqi’s English name and began to discuss renaming it. Whether it is renamed or not, the company hopes to put the first domestic Chuanqi car on the American market.
China is both the world’s biggest market and its biggest manufacturer, turning out more than 24 million cars last year.
China is the world’s largest automobile sales market and the largest producer. China produced more than 24 million cars last year.
However, the great majority are sold domestically, and Chinese brands have struggled to gain a foothold in the US.
However, most domestic cars are still sold in China. China automobile brands still have a lot of efforts to gain a place in the United States.
What does the brand name stand for?
If renaming a car company for a new market seems a little strange, perhaps it shouldn’t.
People should not be surprised to change the name of the car brand in order to enter the new market.
Western companies have been rebranding for years when they set up shop in China.
It has been many years since western companies changed their names when doing business in China.
The linguistic divide between Western languages and Chinese means that names are often nonsensical when they’re translated.
The differences between western languages and Chinese mean that the translation of brand names often sounds absurd.
So, they come up with names that at least sound neutral, or which might appeal to Chinese consumers.
So they will come up with names that at least sound neutral, or names that may appeal to consumers in China.
Pampers, for example, is Pampers or "Bang Bao Shi", which means "Helps make baby comfortable".
For example, "Pampers" means "helping the baby to be comfortable".
Car companies do it too.
Some car companies have changed their names in this way.
BMW’s Chinese name is BMW, which translators as "treasure horse".
The literal translation of "BMW" means "the horse of treasures".
Trumpchi wouldn’t be the first Chinese company to rebrand for a wider audience.
GAC Chuanqi is not the first China company to change its name for a bigger market.
Chinese messaging app WeChat, for example, was rebranded from Weixin specifically to appeal to a more global audience, a move that helped it dramatically increase its overseas user base.
For example, the English name of WeChat was changed from Weixin to Wechat to attract more global audiences. This has also helped it rapidly expand its overseas user base.
Foreign brands need translation before entering China. However, translation, like young people, is divided into two grades: general translation and literary translation.
General translation can be divided into the following five categories, namely:
Transliteration:
This kind of translation method is the most direct, and basically, it means no translation.
Mainly used for names, such as Disney, Siemens, Ford, place names, such as Amazon, original words, such as Audi, NIKE, combination words, such as Adidas, and words whose owners can’t afford to hire translators, such as Vladimir.
Free translation:
This kind of translation is the most sincere, and it is basically a conscience enterprise.
There are mainly material names, such as Airbus, Facebook and Shell, conceptual names, such as General Electric and Volkswagen, combined names, such as Microsoft and Softbank, and fruit names, such as Apple.
Mixed translation:
This kind is half transliteration and half free translation mixed together. It seems to be inclusive, but in fact it is not good.
Starbucks is the best company, while Unilever and Delta barely passed. As for Savills in the first Pacific and First Boston, which was a long time ago, I didn’t know what to say at the first ear.
However, there is a famous mashup king in Shenzhen, China, who will soon mix out in this circle of friends-that is WeChat.
Random translation:
This kind of translation does not play cards according to common sense, and the sword goes sideways. Basically, it depends on everyone’s rich imagination and yellow old photos to connect the two names.
For example, HSBC, Citi, Pfizer, Chase, Cathay Pacific, the treasure of Hong Kong, and Swire.
No translation:
This is a genre that you are bored with if I don’t turn it over. These signs are basically composed of letters. People who are literate don’t have to turn them over, and it’s useless for those who are illiterate to turn them over.
Such as IBM, BBC, 3M, AMD, GFW, BCG, KKR.
Therefore, the general translation of brands alone is divided into the above five categories, which must be what you feel now when you read it: is the sound and meaning confusing?
Fortunately, the next stage is literary translation.
Literary translation requires the integration of sound and meaning, and both spirit and form. As soon as people see this brand, they will know what this brand is for and how much they feel. This is obviously very advanced, so generally only large international companies can do it.
The most typical examples are the scientific elites such as Google, Cisco, LinkedIn and Bing. Retail giants such as Uniqlo, Carrefour and B&Q; Subway, which has exploded in recent years, and Porsche, which has suddenly become a mass in recent years.
Since it is literature and art, there is a distinction between high and low. The translation of some brands is not only consistent in sound and meaning, but also has both spirit and form; But also make the finishing point: make the name and product integrate and interact, give birth to great brand value, and become a driving force for the brand to last forever; At the same time, it can be lofty and poetic.
Let’s take a look at the classic translations of foreign brand names:
10. Evian
Evian is a mineral water produced in a small town in the southeast of France, on the shore of Lake Geneva, on the side of the Alps, and near mountains and clouds. It is the favorite of Hollywood stars and one of the few brands we can enjoy with them.
Water accounts for 70% of the human body. Statistically speaking, you are what you drink, so when you are tired of drinking Nongfu Spring, please try Evian.
9. Viagra
The general drug name only tells you what kind of disease you will treat if you eat it, but doesn’t tell you what kind of person you will become if you eat it. Except viagra.
This way of naming, which leaves form and effect behind and goes straight to the meaning of life, is undoubtedly the most successful operation case in business history.
8. IKEA
IKEA was originally composed of the initials of two founders, but in China, there is such a name that makes countless mothers dream about it-IKEA. It comes from The Book of Songs Nan Zhou Taoyao: "Peach flies away, burning its splendor. The son of Yu Gui, appropriate its room home "
How can such a pleasant name, a pleasant price and a comfortable product not be loved by everyone in this country that is not very livable?
7. Boeing
Nine times out of ten, the closest you get to the speed of sound in your life is on Boeing. This delicate Chinese name and English pronunciation are almost perfectly consistent. When you pronounce it, you will feel the speed of the plane and even have the Doppler effect, which seems to make people feel more secure.
Mercedes-Benz
If the speed of sound is too fast, you can run at it. This translation explains what low-key luxury means: when everyone is piling up adjectives, people use verbs.
Although the verb is neutral, it makes everyone unable to be picky, luxurious but not overbearing. It has become the most popular brand in China.
5. Channel
Quite simply, this French woman’s name charms all beings: it is a magical name that makes every man forget his girlfriend when he smells it, and every woman thinks of her boyfriend when she sees it.
Well, I won’t talk about it, and you can experience it yourself.
4. Marlboro
You may not smoke Marlboro, but you can’t help knowing people who smoke Marlboro. The best-selling cigarette in the world is the first foreign brand to enter China. This translation is as catchy as its cigarettes and is popular in China.
Because of the ban on tobacco advertising, we rarely see the news of this brand now, but it lives in our lungs forever.
3. Longines
Our time and space are like winding waves, and time is like the piano recording the ebb and flow of the tide.
Even if you haven’t understood the mystery of the universe, Longines as the name of a watch can still make people feel unclear. Do you feel closer to the end of the universe every time you look at the time?
2. BMW
Give China three letters, and it will be a miracle in the world. BMW is simply the definition of God’s translation.
I don’t know how many tears the name BMW has brought to MM, but I know how many auras it has brought to BMW.
1. Coca-Cola
When Coca-Cola entered China in 1927, it was once translated as "biting wax" by someone with eyes open. It is estimated that it was later discovered that it began to be sold together with rat poison, and it was only after learning from a painful experience that it changed such a happy name.
However, this is a translation that makes anyone who knows a little Chinese dumbfounded. With a big red background, it is simply a trademark tailored for China.
Source: BBC, Sohu.com.
Translation & Editor: yaning
