Previous

Page - 3

Based on usage by population, the following is a list of major languages in descending order: Chinese, English, Hindustani, Russian, Spanish, Indonesian, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Bengali, Mali and Italian.

'Nay' is 'yes' to Greeks. The American 'yeah' means 'no' to the Japanese. A simple laugh - 'ha, ha, ha' - means 'mother' in Japanese, while 'Ohio' means 'good morning'. In Russia, 'looks' means 'opinion' and 'socks' means 'juice'. In France, a simple sign of 'sale' means 'dirty'. To the British, 'long distance' is a 'trunk', 'sister' a 'nurse' and 'elevator' a 'lift'. The Chinese word "mai" said in a certain style means to 'buy' and in another style to 'sell'. When enunciated together, 'mai mai' means 'business'. The simplicity turns into complex marketing challenges. Global understandings of these issues are pre-requisite in achieving a globally acceptable name-identity.

Recommendations

We all better be wary of language issues; customers are no longer simply local to your streets; they are scattered all over the globe, local to their own streets, yet still somehow connected together. The next branding challenge for the Middle East is to acquire a deeper understanding of universal image and identity management.

Best, conduct a highly professional third-party-nomenclature-audit; businesses, convinced that that they have the best and well known name-identity, are often surrounded by their own people, current customer base and current markets. The real challenge is to measure the unknown customer base at large, new and untapped territories and unheard of connotations and language issues and where the name is either being rejected or taken as too confusingly difficult, therfore, not worthy to be remembered at all. If the ultimate goal is to acquire globally recognized name identities, then name personalities are only good when they are liked and understood by the global audience. So why stay lost in global translations?

Concluded.

Naseem Javed, recognized as a world authority on corporate image and global name identities, is a harsh critic of casual and accidental naming. He is a dynamic speaker on corporate image and branding issues, and is also the author of Naming for Power. He founded ABC Namebank International, an image and branding consultancy over 25 years ago.
Website: www.abcnamebank.com