The Semantics of Singapore Brand Names: A Case Study of 50 Brands

The linguistic features of brand names and their influence on consumer behaviour have been well-documented. Some scholars have argued that the most important linguistic aspect in brand communication is the semantic component. Notwithstanding, although Singapore is an open economy home to many brands, there has yet to be a study done on local brand names. Thus, this essay provides a semantic analysis of 50 Singaporean brand names selling six types of goods and services. It analyses brand names according to two semantic categories – semantic structure (i.e. the word class of the brand name) and semantic appositeness (whether the brand name communicates important information about the brand and its products). The authors found that an overwhelming majority of the brand names in Singapore were nouns and often relied on existing words in coining the brand names. Additionally, food and beverage brands also utilised non-English languages spoken in Singapore like Mandarin Chinese and Malay to term their brands. Many Singaporean brands also display semantic appositeness in their brand names – expressing essential information such as the type of products sold, the brand’s target audience and markets, or favourable traits the brand wished to be associated with. This study serves as a good starting point for further studies on linguistics and brand names, especially in the Singapore context.