Brand name suggestiveness: A Chinese language perspective

Abstract

The selection of the right brand name is one of the most important marketing decisions and brand memorability has been proposed to be one of the key brand name selection criteria. Prior brand naming research has primarily dealt with word-level analysis in examining English brand name characteristics that are desirable for improving brand memorability. In this regard, this research examines the effects of suggestiveness at both the word and sub-word levels on consumer responses to Chinese brand names. Through two experiments, the findings demonstrate the ability of both character-level and radical-level suggestiveness in improving the memory for brand name and target claim. This research also extends the findings of previous studies on suggestiveness by demonstrating its favorable attitudinal effects. Based on these findings, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.