For those of you wondering why LG added “ThinQ” to their latest flagships like the LG G7, here’s the reasoning behind it from a perspective of a bilingual Korean American.
Koreans use their own pronunciations for the English language meaning there is a specific way to pronounce each and every word of English, which is vastly different from regular American or English pronunciations. Effectively, this may mean many words pronounced perfectly in English may not be understood by native Koreans who use “Konglish”, a term for English words used in Korean language with Korean pronunciation.
So, when the LG marketing team in South Korea decided to add “ThinQ” to their flagships like LG G7 ThinQ, they were thinking in Konglish because “ThinQ” rhymes with “thank you” perfectly in Konglish. Now, the problem is that in real English, “Thin Q” does not rhyme with “Thank You”, confusing English-speaking users who don’t get the connection.
In all, this has to do with how many South Korean companies market their products using English name. Most native South Koreans would totally get “ThinQ” and some of the older Koreans say “Thank You” as “Sink You”, which is very similar to “Thin Q”. Because of this, I believe the LG team decided to go with “ThinQ”, but I think it definitely backfired because it really makes sense for native Koreans, not Americans or any other countries that speak English as its first language.
I still think ThinQ is great for the Korean market but perhaps just take it out for the global market as it sounds a bit awkward and does not make sense.
Have a question?
Please post all your questions at the new Android Rehab Center at HighOnAndroid Forum, thank you for understanding!Join the HighOnAndroid VIP Fans List for free help from Max and discounts on Android accessories.
