Hi-Com Insights: Banned! Marketing Terms You Can’t Use In China
“Emerging market”; “rising middle class”; “consumer-driven economy”;
these are all phrases commonly associated with the Chinese market,
making it a market that is just too lucrative to ignore. A lot has been
written about the meteoric rise of China’s middle class both in terms
of its size (reportedly 1.3 billion) and the spending power (US$9
trillion GDP); even the sheer speed of spending in China is frequently breaking records.
While lucrative, marketing in China presents a unique set of challenges
for companies in terms of language, cultural dynamics and consumer
platforms (WeChat, Weibo, Youku).
While there are many articles available on the ‘sexier’ side of advertising in China (strategy, branding, social media, digital marketing, ecommerce platforms etc.) there is less information available on the legal restrictions you face in China as a marketer.
On 1 September 2015, amendments to the Advertising Law for PRC meant huge changes to the type of language companies could use when describing their products or services. The 2015 amended law prohibits the use of superlatives such as “the highest” or “the best”; no hyperbole is allowed. The ban on extreme language in advertising may come as a surprise to foreign companies who are accustomed to marketing in the West, where marketing language is typically strongly worded and emotive; the use of “the best”; “world’s greatest” and “world leading” are commonly found in marketing material. Indeed, the use of this kind of language is almost expected by consumers.
Under local advertising law, the direct Chinese translations of the above advertisements would not be allowed. Chinese advertising policy states that any statements made must be measurable and able to be proven. If statements cannot be proven, this will be deemed misleading and thus a violation of the advertising code. The new Advertising Law didn’t take long to be tested in China. Shortly after its enactment on 1 September 2015, Xiaomi Inc. – one of China’s largest electronics companies and the world’s fifth largest smartphone maker – was investigated by Beijing officials for using the superlatives “the best” and “the most advanced” on its website.
Click here to access the full article on Hi-Com's website and see sme examples of banned words and phrases under China's Advertising Law.
