Medical Device Link.

BRAND MATTERS

Robert C. Sprung

We keep hearing that “English is the world’s language.” If this were true, our jobs would theoretically be much easier, creating a single English name for our products around the world, and a single set of labeling, marketing materials, and documentation.

It is true that there is little chance of a universal language like Esperanto being adopted any time soon. Meanwhile, English is probably the next best thing. Given what’s at stake—the large expense of product development, translation, and packaging—we all need to keep the issue on our radar screen. In this first of a two-part series, we look at general considerations as well as implications in product names. In the second part, we will look at the use of English as a universal language in documentation and labeling.

Not all English is the same

“Broken English is the world’s language” is a more accurate maxim. There simply is no universal English—think of all the variants of the language around the world. And even among those who say they speak English, one cannot assume sophisticated usage and understanding of nuance.

The first rule in using English is to keep it simple, editing to remove any regionalisms, slang, or local cultural references. Secondary meanings and puns are among the first things to go.

Many English words familiar to us have other meanings outside our borders. This is due partly to the influence of other dialects and languages, and partly to the nature of language, flowering on its own wherever it can set down roots. For example, the French say “tennisman”—their “English” version of “tennis player.” And the German use the word “Partnerlook” to describe a couple wearing coordinated fashions. Or consider the common Japanese terms “mass-komi” (mass communications) or “paso-kon” (personal computer).

Many pitfalls await the unwary. Common English terms must be tested for appropriateness. For example, the word “sale” means “dirty” in French, while the evocative “mist” means “manure” in German.

Pronunciation of English is another key issue often overlooked. This is particularly critical with a consumer good—but with the increasing trend of direct-to-consumer marketing, this issue looms large in ever more industries (e.g., a drug name that had to speak mainly to physicians must now sound appealing to consumers). It also has wide-ranging safety issues; two names that appear distinguishable to our ears might confuse a nonnative speaker of English. Many sounds in English don’t exist in other languages (e.g., v isn’t present in Chinese), and some are tongue-twisters (th is one example of many).

Names

When coming up with a name for international use, there are three core strategies: a name with a Latinate or similar universal root that will resonate around most of the globe (unfortunately, most of these were taken long ago); an English name that most people will be able to relate to; or a made-up or proper name (like Altria) that will not offend people anywhere, one hopes.

Even seemingly innocuous English names need to be tested for appropriateness. We recently came across CoE, which stood for the nautical term “center of effort.” A British colleague saw the name and immediately said, “That means Church of England.” A proper international name check will look for potential bad connotations, slang, or terms used in competitive products that are considered off-limits from a marketing perspective.

Think twice if your name relies on wordplay. “Staples” is a clever wordplay, but you would be lucky if the average consumer abroad even knew the word “staples” and could pronounce it. Rare indeed would be the person who understood the pun.

Finally, once you find an English-based name that works around the world, your challenges are only beginning—you then have to worry about trademark protection. For example, in France, a foreign word is considered protectable as a trademark, even if that term is generic in its home market. This means that if a company called itself “Altria Realtors,” it might run into a problem if someone had reserved the word “realtors” in the French market; the word would be considered purely descriptive here in the United States.

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