Guangdong Famous Brands' Global Reach: Language Strategies for International Expansion

This research examines the language choices employed by renowned Guangdong export brands to connect with a global audience. The study focuses on the official websites of the 147 Guangdong Famous Export Brands of 2017, providing a detailed understanding of the language options available to users. The findings demonstrate that 146 out of the 147 export brands utilize Chinese as the primary language of communication on their official websites. Only one exception, Hopeful Enterprise, presents an English-only corporate website.

The dominance of Chinese as the main language on these websites is attributed to two primary reasons. First, these companies are headquartered in China. Second, while they are pursuing opportunities in the global market, the immense Chinese market remains crucial to their success.

The language options offered on the official websites of these brands are as follows:

• Chinese (146 brands)
• English (81 brands)
• Spanish (3 brands)
• French (2 brands)
• Portuguese (2 brands)
• German (1 brand)
• Russian (1 brand)
• Arabic (1 brand)
• Japanese (1 brand)
• Korean (1 brand)

It's important to note that several brands provide multiple language options on their websites. English is the most prevalent second language, followed by Spanish, French, and Portuguese. This suggests that these brands are targeting not only English-speaking nations but also markets in Latin America and Europe. The use of other languages, including Russian, Arabic, Japanese, and Korean, is relatively limited, which could indicate that these brands are yet to fully explore these markets.