In recent years, as globalization has progressed, it has become common for companies to sell the same products and provide services not only in Japan but also in other countries. In that case, if you can develop the same trademark in each country, you will be able to enjoy various benefits that come with improving and strengthening your brand power.
However, when selecting a trademark (naming) to be used in a foreign country, it is necessary to keep the following in mind.
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Considering that they are from different language areas
In Japan, the naming of characters can be composed of kanji, hiragana, katakana, alphabets, etc. If you use kanji, hiragana, or katakana names in Japan, it will naturally be difficult to use those names overseas. This is because many countries cannot read Japanese kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Therefore, when choosing a universal brand name, it is normal to use the alphabet.
However, the special characters of each country (Chinese in China, Hangul in Korea, Cyrillic in Russia, etc.) are the most familiar to local people, and have the advantage of being easy to get used to. there is. Therefore, in addition to the global alphabet brand, we also have a strategy to develop the brand in each country's character format. In that case, it is necessary to translate the sound and meaning into the local language.
Image survey in foreign countries
As mentioned above, language systems differ from country to country, so even if a name is commonly used in Japan, it may be perceived as a word with a bad image in other countries, so care must be taken.
A famous example is Otsuka Pharmaceutical's ``POCARI SWEAT'', which in English speaking countries associates ``SWEAT'' with ``sweat,'' which gives it a bad image as a drink. In addition, Calpis Co., Ltd.'s ``CALPIS'' is sold under the product name ``CALPICO'' in the United States and other countries because its pronunciation is similar to the English word ``COW PISS'' (cow urine).
In this way, there is a possibility that the word may have a strange meaning overseas, so be sure to check with your company's local subsidiary or patent office to make sure that the name does not have a negative image in the country where you plan to use it. It is important to keep it.
Trademark search in foreign countries
In principle, trademark rights are established in each country and are only valid in the country where they are registered. Therefore, even if you have trademark rights in Japan, a third party may have trademark rights for the same or similar naming in a foreign country. In that case, it will be difficult to use a uniform naming all over the world, so if you want to use a uniform naming all over the world, you will need to conduct a trademark search overseas in advance. Masu. (However, in reality, it is difficult to find a trademark that does not have a similar prior registration in any country, so if you want to use the same name in a certain number of countries, you may need to transfer the name with the prior right holder.) You will need to consider negotiations and requests for cancellation of non-use.)