The monthly magazine Asia Bridge, one of the leading German-language business titles on the Chinese market, published an interview with our partner and Director of WILDDESIGN Shanghai, Gerhard Seizer, in its April issue. As part of the cover story on brand management in the SME sector, the interview deals with the issues surrounding the adaptation of German brands to the Chinese market.

As an expert and "cultural interpreter for brand statements", Gerhard Seizer knows how difficult it can be to establish a foreign brand on the Chinese market. According to him, there are many pitfalls to be avoided. It starts with the fundamentally different meaning of words and ends with the peculiarities of Chinese culture. In most cases, it would be pointless to simply translate a brand name into Chinese, as the meaning of the German names would often say something wrong. Instead, one should "transfer the meaning of the brand statement" in order to find a word that has a meaning in Chinese culture. For example, the BMW brand is called "bau-ma" in Chinese, which means "precious horse" and therefore conveys wealth and mobility. There are also important things to consider when choosing colors, numbers or characters: "If the number of strokes of the characters results in a lucky number, for example, consumers notice this and the brand takes on a positive meaning".

With all these difficulties with intercultural brand management, it is therefore an advantage to have an experienced local contact. As the oldest German design agency in the Chinese market, WILDDESIGN Shanghai can offer its clients an all-round service that is sure to avoid any misunderstandings, thanks to the know-how and experience gained from six years in China and cooperation with local service providers.

-> the complete interview as pdf
-> Cross Culture Design - the story of WILDDESIGN in China