1 迎合中国文化?一不小心就弄巧成拙了
If you want to design a wine label that fits Chinese culture, you need to know Chinese culture correctly but not just partly, or else it will turn out to be a failure or even a joke.
Here is an example I experienced. A wine for Chinese market. The winery wants to design a label that fits Chinese culture.
In China there is a phrase “六六大顺”, which means everything goes smoothly, and “六”is the Chinese character for the Arabic number 6. But people in this winery only know“六六大顺” partly but not correctly, so on the label there is only a “66” in the corner, but not “六六大顺”. “六六大顺”is a phrase, but “六六” is not a phrase and doesn’t remind people of “六六大顺”. And the Arabic number “66” means nothing at all. You need to write “六六大顺” but not just “66” in the label.
But that is not the main reason why this wine wouldn’t sell in the China market. The key reason is that in the middle of the label, it writes two eye-catching Chinese words: “刺身” and“寿司”, which means sashimi and sushi. Maybe the winery just wants to tell consumers that sashimi and sushi could match this wine very well, but don’t know that sashimi and sushi are two famous Japanese foods and often remind people of Japan. Chinese people don’t like Japan too much for historical reasons. So how can this wine sell well in China?
But don’t worry. It is said that this wine sells very well in Japan!
有一次,在西班牙,某一酒庄的市场总监拉我出来,神秘兮兮地说:“我有个问题想请教下你,你能帮我分析一下吗?我有款白葡萄酒,是专门针对中国市场的。为此还特意设计了个符合中国文化的酒标,写上了‘六六’两个字,暗合你们中国人的‘六六大顺’之意。可是这酒在中国根本卖不动,却畅销日本。这是为什么呢?”
我提出要看看这个酒。他把酒拿给我,我一看到酒标,就忍不住失礼地笑出声来。
这个酒在中国当然卖不动,因为——
是有暗合中国“六六大顺”的“六”,但那是阿拉伯数字的“6”,而且只是写了两个“6”,没有“大顺”两字。请问“66”是什么?
但这还不是问题的根本。
这个“66”只出现在酒标左上角不太显眼的角落。
但这也还不是问题的根本。
问题的根本在于,在酒标中间显眼的地方,大大地写着两个汉字词语——
“刺身”!
“寿司”!
你说,《酒典》记者再有素质与教养,能不失礼地笑出声来么?
你说,这样的酒标,怎么能在中国卖得动,怎么能不畅销日本!
2 对中国受欢迎酒标的武断看法
What color is more popular when used on wine labels? Here is one dogmatic comment about it: Chinese like red labels.
Some people say “Chinese like red labels”. Yes, red is a lucky color in China and some Chinese like it, but you can’t say all Chinese like red label just because some Chinese like it. And wineries shouldn’t see it as a signpost and change their label color to red for a dogmatic comment like that. You can only say “Some Chinese like red labels”.
Because China is very big, some Chinese like red labels, but that doesn’t mean all like it.
I used to sell wines in a wine company some years ago. The two wines that sold best had a white label with a castle, like serious, classic Bordeaux wine labels, and a golden label, which reminds people of gold and luxury.
Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.
还是在西班牙。
一酒庄市场总监拿出一瓶酒标以红色为主调印有大花的酒,问:“我们的中国进口商说,中国人喜欢红色的酒标,是吗?我们是否也应把其它酒款的标改成红色为主调?”
一香港媒体点头说:“是的,中国人喜欢红色的酒标。他们认为那吉祥喜庆。”
我坐不住了,发话:
“中国很大,人很多,不能因为一部份人喜欢红色的酒标,就武断地评论说中国人喜欢红色的酒标。
“红色在中国是吉祥喜庆的颜色,这种颜色的酒标受中国人欢迎理所当然。但不能因此说中国人喜欢红色的酒标。
“我前几年在进出口公司做过销售卖葡萄酒。卖得最好的那几款酒,其酒标都是以白色为主调、画有酒庄城堡、类似法国波尔多(Bordeaux)风格的经典型的酒标和以金色为主调、做得贵气上档次的酒标。当时公司也有酒标以红色为主调的酒款,但其销量远不及酒标以白色、金色为主调的酒款。
“当然看一款酒卖得好不好,还得看酒的价格与品质。但实战经历完全可以否定‘中国人喜欢红色的酒标’这种说法……”
实践是检验真理的唯一标准。
3 红金白黑,各有千秋
Red and Golden colors are good-luck colors in China. That is why people like these two lucky colors. But if you design a label not very well with these two colors, it might turn out to be “low-taste”. So be careful when using these two colors.
White and black are two unlucky colors in China, but it doesn’t work on wine labels.
White labels with castles like those serious, classic Bordeaux wine labels still work very well in China. You see Bordeaux and Burgundy!
Black labels often give a hint that it is top-end good wine, even though it might turn out not to be. Black labels work well too in some ways.
红色酒标虽然暗合中国人喜欢红色这一吉祥喜庆的颜色,但设计得不好未免沦为粗鄙、俗气。
金色酒标尊贵、气派、金光闪闪,象征着富贵,也暗合中国人喜欢黄金这一爱好,但跟红色酒标一样,设计得不好未免沦为粗鄙、俗气。
以上两种颜色在中国都是皆大欢喜的颜色,有进口商反应说这种颜色的标销售好,也人之常情,毕竟酒水的销售与节日的喜庆是成正比的。但切莫以为这两种颜色的酒标在一部份人中销售可观就下定论说中国人喜欢这种颜色的酒标,甚至还把它作为导向,将酒标改成以红色为主调。
因为中国很大,人很多,口味不一,你的酒标颜色再偏,也总会有人喜欢的。
白色与黑色在中国都不太吉祥如意,与丧事有关。但在葡萄酒行业则相反。
法国波尔多葡萄酒权倾半个华夏,其酒标大多以白色为主调,纯白、米白、黄白、象牙白……再配以黑色文字或黑色线条画出的酒庄城堡。但人家权倾半个华夏。
白标的简约,象征的更是一种经典、永恒与骄傲。聚会玩乐的年轻人可能会青眯大红大紫或金光闪闪的酒标,但严肃高端的买家、骨灰级粉丝可能更倾向于白色经典的酒标,并赞美它是低调含蓄却光芒四射。你看法国勃艮第(Burgundy)的那些特级葡萄田葡萄酒,不也白标黑字,但人家在中国被捧到什么位置!
黑标的档次是摆在那里的,一如永恒的黑夜。有些黑标酒,高端得来上档次,直接从视觉上告诉消费者它的身价。
所以,红金白黑,各有千秋,切莫因为一部份人喜欢某种颜色的标,就认为中国人喜欢那种颜色的标,然后盲目地改标,以迎合中国文化。搞不好适得其反,弄巧成拙!
4中国人难记的酒标是销售的大忌
Some wines are named after the winery names, owners’ names or family’s names, which are shown on the label but can be very long to remember and difficult to pronounce. That is not easy for Chinese to remember and not good for selling. Italian wines are an example.
旧世界产酒国部份酒庄以人名为酒庄名,难记。在这点上意大利躺着中枪。
5 怎样的酒标便于中国人一下子记住并难以忘记?
What kind of wine label is easy for Chinese to remember and difficult to forget?
1, labels with castles, such as classic Bordeaux labels.
2, labels with numbers, such as Bin 389, 407 and 707.
3, labels with animals or other obvious logos, such as Yellow Tail in Australia, with a kangaroo; and Domini di Castellare di Castellina in Italy, with different birds.
Why do Chinese know Gaja? One of the reasons is that “Gaja” is simple and easy to remember. And on the label “Gaja” is very big, which is quite eye-catching.
有古堡类的,以法国波尔多为代表。
有数字类的,如澳大利亚奔富Bin389、407和707。
有动物或其它明显标志容易记的,如澳大利亚黄尾袋鼠酒庄(Yellow Tail)、意大利托斯卡纳(Tuscany)小鸟庄(Domini di Castellare di Castellina)。
一个最简单的原则:挑选消费者容易记的。
意大利皮尔蒙特(Piedmont)的Gaja酒庄驰名全球,酒好是原因之一。但以前皮尔蒙特的巴罗洛(Barolo)和巴巴莱斯科(Barbaresco)葡萄酒不习惯突出酒庄名称,老庄主把Gaja酒庄名标得大而显眼,也帮助了消费者记住。
6 个性化酒标是双刃剑,要注意使用
Individualized wine labels could be a double-edged sword. Be careful if using.
个性化酒标如果做得不好,就会出现本文开篇的例子那种适得其反的效果,所以要注意。
个性化酒标可参考的成功例子有:
法国波尔多木桐酒庄(Chateau Mouton Rothschild)有艺术家设计的艺术酒标且每年更换。意大利托斯卡纳小鸟庄以鸟为主角有不同的鸟标。中国山东君顶酒庄有艺术家设计的酒标。中国新疆天塞酒庄以中国12生肖为酒标,一年一换。
《酒典》杂志2017年每期杂志都推出一则《特色酒标欣赏》,可供参考。
欢迎进口商、经销商、爱好者(可发邮件至info@winemagcn.com或关注《酒典》微信公众号jiudian2001回复):
(1) 分享你们对酒标设计的看法
(2) 拍出你们销量最好的酒的酒标
(3) 分享你喜欢哪款酒的酒标,和为什么喜欢它
(4) 等等
参与者将有机会获得《酒典》杂志精美杂志一本(内含《特色酒标欣赏》,仅在实体杂志可见,官网www.winemagcn.com和微信jiudian2001均不发布),并有机会参与者、参与者公司和所选的酒标酒款等相关信息出现在《酒典》杂志将来关于酒标设计与市场调查报告中。
Fine Wine and Liquor magazine, China
The first wine magazine focusing on China - since 2001
We could help you to look for importers and promote your brands in China!
Click here for successful example
www.winemagcn.com info@winemagcn.com