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Exploring the Impact of Language in Advertising on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: A Thematic Literature Analysis
- Ahmad Harith Syah Md Yusuf
- Norazira Mohd Abas
- 3560-3572
- Oct 15, 2024
- Language
Exploring the Impact of Language in Advertising on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: A Thematic Literature Analysis
Ahmad Harith Syah Md Yusuf1, Norazira Mohd Abas2*
1Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Melaka.
2Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Melaka.
*Corresponding Author
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.8090297
Received: 12 September 2024; Accepted: 18 September 2024; Published: 15 October 2024
ABSTRACT
This study explores the literature on how language used in advertising can significantly impact consumers’ purchasing intentions. Language can evoke emotions, build trust, and create a compelling brand image, ultimately affecting consumer decisions. Understanding the themes and patterns of how language impacts consumers’ purchase intention is essential for academic inquiry and practical application in marketing strategies. This paper aims to study the themes and patterns of accessible literature from 2019 until 2023 in Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, and Science Direct, specifically on the use of language in advertisement and how it affects consumers’ purchase intention. The analysis adopted Braun & Clake’s 6-step Thematic Analysis in exploring the themes and patterns of the use of language in advertisement. The study’s findings show that several themes and sub-themes were identified while exploring the literature. Among them are Exaggeration as a Persuasive Technique, Cultural Resonance and Social Identity, Emotional and Sensory Appeal, Informal Language, and Routes of Persuasion. Based on these themes, the study found that language within these themes aligns with several persuasive strategies. As a result, advertisers can understand a more specific perspective on the use of language in advertisements, enabling them to create advertisements that maximize persuasive language strategy within specific themes.
Keywords: Advertising Language; Purchase Intention; Persuasive Strategy; Thematic Analysis; Advertisement
INTRODUCTION
Language as a communication tool serves a specific group or individual’s life and inspires others to participate in various activities [2]. Language facilitates communication, which is a potent tool for leveraging, influencing, or achieving particular objectives [26]. Advertising language can take different forms, whether spoken or written. Each commercial has a different style because of the various ways this language is used. This variation can have a considerable impact on consumers when making purchasing selections. As a result, using language in advertising is critical for the study to comprehend the communication between a company’s products and its clients [3]. Other than that, language in advertising can promote social activity since there is a pursuing language and propagating words. Advertisements can provide people with information because, in addition to spreading a product, they can convey information and appeal to emotions to encourage and modify client attitudes [9]
Language is used extensively in advertising for various goods and services domestically and abroad. In addition to helping consumers recall a product, the significance of language use in advertising affects public attention to and retention of a product or service [41], [44]. In addition, language used in advertisements significantly influences a consumer’s purchasing power [16]. This is due to the advertisement’s use of language, which manages to convince the viewer while also giving the impression that they have been “tricked” into purchasing the goods even though they were not needed [1]. For instance, a study that emphasizes the informativeness and persuasiveness of social media advertising will likely intensify consumer involvement, increasing the purchase intention. This means that when advertisers engage individuals in persuasive language promptly, they have an opportunity to connect people to the products being promoted at a deeper cognitive level [48]. Another element of persuasiveness employed in advertisements is emotional narratives or fear appeals, which can evoke affective responses and influence consumers’ purchase intention [49], [50]. A study showed that using fear in advertisements also showed immediate behavioral changes, reminding consumers to act on the message [49].
Hence, a thematic analysis of the recent research on how language use in advertisements influences consumers’ intentions to buy will be conducted, given the significance of the language used in advertising, especially the relation to the elements of persuasiveness. This study employed thematic literature analysis to identify the themes and patterns in advertising and linguistics research produced between 2019 and 2023 and how those themes and patterns align with persuasive language strategy.
Objectives
The aims of this study are as follows:
- To identify recurring themes in the literature based on thematic analysis of how language used in advertising affects consumers’ purchase intentions.
- To discuss persuasive language strategy within identified themes.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The Role of Language in Advertising
Languages play a significant role in a wide range of fields and sectors. The advertising sector is one of the language-use containers for advertising products and services. Language in advertising is seen as one of the forms of communication aimed at attracting consumer attention and persuading consumers to buy products and services [26]. Advertisers tend to use various visual and linguistic techniques to emphasize in addition to achieving a remarkable impact on a specific audience [13]. At the same time, the language used in advertising can express messages, arouse emotions, and influence consumer decisions [27].
One of the main functions of language in advertising is persuasion. The usual advertising pattern of persuasion is because the primary objective of the product advertised is to persuade consumers or audiences to act such as buying products [27] To achieve this purpose, advertisers employ several linguistic methods, including figurative language, emotional phrases, and analogies, to instill desire and urgency in their consumers’ minds. Studies reveal that around 50% to 70% of the advertising-specific influence on consumers is generated from the title, which is developed using language [43] So, it clearly shows that language has a significant function and role in responding to the attention of consumers or audiences in addition to delivering the central message of something advertised. The use of language in advertising that is usually informative can build consumer knowledge as well as help in making any purchase decisions [27], [32], [43].
The Impact of Language in Advertising on Purchase Intention.
Advertising is a form of communication that plays a significant role in influencing consumer behavior. At the same time, the use of language during the advertising creation process is seen as highly important. How language is creatively designed in advertising specifically impacts how consumers receive, process, and respond to the messages they encounter. Using persuasive language, code-switching, bilingualism, gender-specific language, and positive emotional elements can influence consumers’ evaluation of a particular product or service, mainly their purchase intentions.
In the context of emotional appeal, advertising can affect attitudes toward the brand while increasing the likelihood of a consumer making a purchase [31] Positive emotional reactions such as happiness, nostalgia, and excitement can result in positive consumer attitudes and enhance the chances and intentions to buy, compared to advertisements that evoke neutral or negative emotions [5]. Based on these studies, it is evident that the emotional impact of the language used in advertising is significant to consumer behavior. Through it, emotions build a solid connection between consumers and the brand while enhancing purchase intentions.
Additionally, the use of different language styles, such as figurative language, metaphors, jargon, and narrative, has a significant impact on the development of an advertisement. For example, using metaphorical elements improves the efficacy of the persuasive process by clarifying and improving the clarity and memorability of the information delivered in the advertising. Simultaneously, metaphors provide a captivating framework that profoundly connects with consumers, increasing the possibility that the marketed product or service will attract attention [5]. Advertisements that focus on narrative can provide consumers with an immersive experience. Compelling tales can engage consumers and foster positive views toward a product. However, using language in a narrative style may increase purchase intentions by triggering more intense emotional responses and strengthening relationships [10].
Other than that, code-switching and multilingual advertising have gained popularity in recent multicultural and multilingual markets. Code-switching, alternating between languages within a single advertisement, can effectively develop a deep connection with multilingual consumers by appealing to their culture and making the message more relevant. Some studies discovered that bilingual consumers prefer to purchase when advertisements employ code-switching [23]. This is because using code-switching in advertising fosters a sense of cultural identification and personal relevance. A study on bilingual advertising also shows positive impacts on consumers’ emotions and their inclination to make purchases [7]. Advertisers can enhance their communication and establish a more profound connection with consumers by utilizing the languages spoken to their target consumers. This approach leads to increased engagement and higher purchase intentions.
Subsequently, some researchers have analyzed the utilization of linguistic and visual metadiscourse in social media advertisements. By emphasizing these characteristics that enhance persuasive messaging, it is evident that visual components like chunking and consistency, with linguistic features like engagement markers and directives, are essential in captivating consumers and augmenting the persuasive efficacy of commercials. This result was evidenced by analyzing 50 Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter advertisements [52]. Meanwhile, Vueling utilizes foreign languages for advertising purposes, and these languages create symbolic meanings relevant to consumer behavior. English, French, and Italian are all present in the Vueling ads as elements of Spanish cultural idioms, and there is an excellent degree of resonance between the languages and the ideas of modernity and globalization. These languages are seen as global or belonging to a highly prestigious culture by the public, which accounts for their popularity. Under these circumstances, foreign languages become signs and objects that are consumed, and they also affect purchasing decisions in conjunction with local culture, having some significance for younger consumers [53].
In conclusion, the use of language in advertising is multifaceted. Discourse analysis, gendered language, code-switching, and language’s emotional appeal have all been studied regarding its use in advertising. In addition, language choice plays a big role in enhancing the overall quality of advertisements, therefore it’s important to pay close attention to it [51]. Recent studies have also shown that using language in advertising relevant to the target consumers’ interests can increase persuasiveness and persuade customers to purchase. However, most research has only focused on individual linguistic elements in isolation (e.g., metaphor, code-switching, gender-specific language), and more research is needed to systematically categorize the impact of various linguistic strategies through thematic analysis. Also, few studies have comprehensively explored how different persuasive language strategies interact to influence consumers’ purchase intention. Therefore, this study fills a gap by applying Braun & Clarke’s [8] six-step thematic analysis to categorize ad language strategies through themes and their effects on consumers’ purchase intentions. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a holistic understanding of how language in advertising affects consumer purchasing intentions across multiple thematic dimensions, such as emotional appeal, cultural resonance, and informal language, and its relation to persuasive language strategies in each dimension.
Thematic Analysis and Its Relevancy in Advertising Research.
Thematic analysis is a qualitative data analysis technique that involves reading over a dataset to discover patterns and themes. This method is a manual evaluation of qualitative data on themes and patterns. However, it is frequently misinterpreted owing to a lack of clarity in how the method is defined, complicating its implementation and acceptability among researchers. Braun and Clarke further state that this process entails discovering patterns, subsequently reported as themes developed by the researcher [8]. Furthermore, thematic analysis can be considered a method for identifying, analyzing, and reporting data. The researcher generalizes the material through a coding process based on code repetition and patterns [22]. The more frequently a code appears in the data set, the more likely it is to be identified as a primary theme.
Researchers have conducted numerous studies in advertising involving thematic analysis. Researchers use thematic content analysis to investigate advertisements’ patterns, themes, and meanings systematically. Researchers familiarise themselves with the data under analysis by adhering to appropriate procedures, including developing codes, generating themes, reviewing themes, and reporting findings [42]. When researchers execute the analysis process correctly, they can develop a profound understanding by identifying patterns and themes and comprehending the messages conveyed in the advertisements [33].
For instance, a study on playful advertising strategies in print advertising [19], perceptions of sports bettors towards sports batting marketing strategies [21], and an exploration of the perception of media messages by preschool children [37]. These studies demonstrate that thematic analysis provides a means of comprehending the advertising landscape by examining the themes and patterns in the advertisement’s content. Simultaneously, their research influences advertisers’ comprehension of the significance of language in advertising.
Furthermore, researchers can investigate the relevance of advertising messages and their ramifications for the public and justify the findings to have a higher-quality impact. For example, the effects of advertising on a company’s brand and corporate image have been successfully investigated [14]. Also, a study on the factors influencing the effectiveness of fast-food video advertisements from the perspective of young creative industry practitioners has utilized thematic approaches [47]. These studies demonstrate that thematic analysis can provide a broader perspective on comprehending the area of advertising.
Persuasive Language Strategy
Persuasive language strategy is one of the crucial aspects of advertisement practices. There are 21 distinctive persuasive strategies, and among them are Hyperbole, Neologism, Long Noun Phrases, Short Sentences, Ambiguity, Weasel Words, Imperatives, Euphemism, Avoidance of Negatives, Simple and Colloquial Language, Familiar Language, Present Tense, Simple Vocabulary, Repetition, Alliteration, Rhyme, Rhythm, Syntactic Parallelism, Humor, Association, and Glamorization [18].
Hyperbole, for instance, involves intentional exaggeration, using adjectives and adverbs to make claims that are not meant to be taken literally. On the other hand, neologism introduces fresh impact by coining new words, as exemplified by terms like “Beanz Meanz, Heinz” or “Schoweppervescence.” Long Noun Phrases, frequently employed in advertisements, enhance descriptions through the interplay of nouns and modifiers, as seen in phrases like “I love old house” and “The boy in the blue shirt.” The power of Short Sentences lies in their immediate impact, mainly when employed as headlines or slogans, effectively capturing readers’ attention with succinct subject-verb structures. Ambiguity, often strategically wielded, adds a layer of memorability by offering multiple interpretations, such as the intriguing phrase “This item is OK,” which prompts readers to question the intended meaning of ‘OK.’
Weasel Words suggest meaning without precision, utilizing open comparisons or bogus superlatives. Examples like “Meatloaf is better” and “Brown’s Jackets are best” show how this technique piques curiosity through deliberate vagueness. Starting with verbs, Imperatives command readers to act, as in “Buy Brown boots now!” Euphemism softens language, creating a polished effect, as in “clean round the bend” or the abbreviation “B.O – Body Odour.” The Avoidance of Negatives emphasizes positivity, as demonstrated by the statement, “Feel the happiness from drinking the soda.” Similarly, Simple and Colloquial Language, like “It ain’t half good,” resonates with ordinary individuals, though its ambiguity may spark intrigue. Familiar Language, employing second-person pronouns, establishes a friendly rapport with the audience, as shown in the phrase, “A healthy life is the only way to get your family happy.”
Present Tense imbues emotion and the writer’s perspective, such as the assertion, “The future is now.” Simple Vocabulary, which combines simplicity with complex noun phrases, aids accessibility, as in the example, “My mate fluorite, the new four-wheel servo-assisted disc brakes.” Repetition reinforces memory by restating brand names and slogans, like the playful “bye-bye fever.” Alliteration creates rhythm and resonance with repeated consonant sounds, as in “The best four by four by far.” Rhyme adds musicality, such as “mean machine.” Rhythm, marked by syllable stress and timing, imparts movement, as in “The curfew tolls the knell of parting day.” Syntactic Parallelism involves structural consistency in related words or clauses, enhancing clarity and impact, as in the phrase “Stay dry, stay happy.” Humor injects levity and positivity, exemplified by the witty statement, “This milk is so good, the cat wants it.” Association leverages emotional transfers by linking products with existing preferences, such as “All good babies use Johnson’s baby products.” Glamorization, frequently employed in advertisements, transforms the perception of a concept to a more luxurious state, captivating readers’ interest, as seen in the assertion, “Small houses become compact houses”.
METHODOLOGY
Research Design
This study employs Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis method to explore and identify recurring themes in the existing literature on the use of language in advertisements affecting customers’ purchase intention. Based on that, persuasive language strategy will be discussed within identified themes and sub-themes.
Data Collection
This study is conducting a systematic search on Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, and Science Direct using specific keywords such as “language in advertising,” “language use in ads,” “language use affects purchase intention,” “advertising language,” and “consumer behavior.” The results will be filtered to include only articles published between 2019 and 2023 (5 years) for 31 research articles.
The selection of the literature only for accessible (free) research papers directly addresses the research topic. Studies not available in full text (paid) or outside the specified time frame were excluded.
Data Analysis
Step 1: Familiarization with data
Familiarization with the data is the first stage of the thematic analysis process. Here, the researchers read and understand the dataset and begin familiarising it. Researchers work intensively with the data to identify any initial themes and significant sections supporting the final themes. Here, the researchers pepper through the content, pick quotes that best bring out the data, and represent various perspectives and patterns critical to the report.
Step 2: Generate initial codes.
This step of the analysis would focus on identifying interesting features of the data and systematically labeling them across the whole dataset. In the case of this research, this would likely focus on the language used and strategies in advertisements.
Example :
Rational Persuasion: Use fact-based, logical arguments to influence purchase decisions (e.g., “95% organic components”).
Social Norms Influence: Impact of socially-driven messages on consumer attitudes (e.g., “Your family will thank you for it”).
Step 3: Searching for themes.
In this section, the goal is to gather all the codes in each potential theme to check if the themes are supported by data.
Example:
The Role of Rational Information: How providing clear, fact-based information in advertisements and reviews influences consumer purchase intentions.
Impact of Social Norms: Exploration of how advertisements that leverage social expectations or norms can drive purchase intentions.
Step 4: Reviewing themes.
In this step, the study focuses on refining each theme to represent the data accurately. Finally, it discusses the themes from the data that answer the research objectives of language used in ads impacts consumers’ purchase intention.
Example:
Core Theme: Routes of Persuasion Language
Sub-theme: Rational Information (e.g., detailed product benefits)
Core Theme: Cultural Resonance
Sub-theme: Social Norms (e.g., messages appealing to family and community expectations)
Step 5: Defining and naming themes.
At this point, the researcher developed a thematic map of the analysis to check if the themes worked with the coded extracts and the whole dataset.
Example:
Core Theme: Routes of Persuasion
Sub-theme: Central Route – Logical Appeals
Core Theme: Cultural Resonance and Social Identity
Sub-theme: Social Norms and Expectations
Step 6: Producing the report
The last step would involve weaving together the narrative of the themes and examples from the data, relating them to the research objective of how advertising language impacts consumers’ purchase intention and aligns with persuasive language strategy.
FINDING AND DISCUSSION
Themes and Patterns
This section will discuss themes and patterns based on Braun & Clarke’s 6-step Thematic Analysis Model in exploring recent literature on the language used in advertising. The analysis demonstrates a range of recurring themes and patterns during the five-year research papers (2019-2023) on language used in advertising, particularly in influencing customer purchase intentions. Based on the analysis, the themes and patterns of research on language used in ads are extracted below:
Table 1: Exaggeration as a Persuasive Technique
Theme | Sub-Theme | Example |
Exaggeration as a Persuasive Technique | Claims of Product Superiority | “Increase your face value” [17]
“World’s No.1 Tea Brand” [6] |
Emotional Amplification | “Ready to take a fairness bet with us?” [17]
“Made to Keep the Party Going” [29] |
Table 1 demonstrates the identified sub-theme “Claims of Product Superiority” in the literature, which shows that advertisers use hyperbole to make the customer believe that the level of a product is increased, although there is no clear evidence. “Exaggeration” is practiced through language in advertisements as persuasive techniques and strategies. For instance, employing certain language styles in ads shows the importance of improving social status with outrageous claims [17], and a slogan such as “Increase your face value” can create a sense of insecurity. Meanwhile, advertisers use the tagline “World’s No.1 Tea Brand” to convey their significance accurately as tea products are implemented as a prominent global commodity [6].
Furthermore, in the second sub-theme, “Emotional Amplification,” exaggeration connects customers’ emotions with the product offered. The connections are made through language to achieve success and happiness in customers’ lives. For instance, the discussion in the literature shows that the implementation of the slogan “Ready to take fairness bet with us?” [17], and “Made to Keep the Party Going” [29] shows the presence of an exciting environment and a sense of competition. Hence, employing language that emphasizes “exaggeration” can influence and shape the customers’ intention to buy a product, and it is aligned with Kannan and Tyagi’s persuasive strategy of “hyperbole” [18].
Table 2: Cultural Resonance and Social Identity
Theme | Sub-Theme | Example |
Cultural Resonance and Social Identity | Cultural Familiarity | “Your family will thank you for it” [24] |
Identity and Modernization | Beauty vlogger ads frequently mix traditional beauty practices with modern-looking, Western inspirations to reach a younger audience, negotiating between ethnicity and having the latest looks [36] | |
Social Norms and Expectations | Advertisements for ecological cosmetics emphasize socially accepted norms about the environment, and on a broader level, they nod to encouraging consumers to support their purchases with these values in mind. [24]
Using social norms in digital beauty marketing to reinforce these desires, for example, by promoting images of youthful beauty and ads implying one will be more socially successful with a good face on the internet. [11] |
There are three sub-themes, including “Cultural Familiarity,” “Identity and Modernization,” and “Social Norms and Expectations.” It is derived from the central theme “Cultural Resonance and Social Identity” as mentioned in Table 2. “Cultural Familiarity” refers to the language used when familiar cultural components are applied, and advertising is designed to guide buyers through the product and familiarise them with it. For example, the slogan “Your family will thank you for it” shows that the family culture is a crucial part of society and is applied in the advertisement through language.
Meanwhile, the sub-theme “Identity and Modernization” explains cultural elements and demonstrates that equal traditional culture and modern lifestyle are used in advertisements to meet a broad customer. For instance, beauty vlogger ads often blend conventional beauty practices with contemporary-looking and Western-style inspirations to appeal to a younger audience [36]. Similarly, “Social Norms and Expectations” emphasizes using specific social norms in the advertisement to lead and influence customers’ purchase intention through products and the community, behaving in a certain way and making the right choices. As a result, we can see that emphasizing cultural resonance and social identity through language can influence and shape the user’s intention to buy a product, and it is aligned with Kannan and Tyagi’s persuasive strategy of “familiar language” [18].
Table 3: Emotional and Sensory Appeal
Theme | Sub-Theme | Example |
Emotional and Sensory Appeal | Emotional Triggers | “Ready to take a fairness bet with us?” [17] |
Sensory Language | Maybelline – “bold saturated pigments” [29] |
Table 3 shows that “Emotional and Sensory Appeal” is derived from a dataset through thematic analysis. There are two different sub-themes under the central theme. The first sub-theme is “Emotional Triggers .” Advertisers use language as an emotional unit to persuade customers by creating relationships with customers through elements of happiness, aspirations, and nostalgia. For example, the phrase “Ready to take a fairness bet with us?” shows the combination of language and emotional elements fostering competitiveness and self-improvement, as well as connecting customers with their emotional levels [17].
Meanwhile, “Sensory Language” refers to a form of communication in advertising that can react to the sense of sight, making a product appear appealing to customers. For example, a slogan from Maybelline, “bold, saturated pigments,” aims at igniting a clear sensory feeling while making a product look impactful [29]. Impactful slogans lead to purchasing products. In summary, promoting emotional and sensory appeal through language can influence and shape the consumers’ intention to buy a product, and it is aligned with Kannan & Tyagi’s persuasive strategy of “association” [18].
Table 4: Informal Language
Theme | Sub-Theme | Example |
Informal Language | Slang | “YOLO” and “lit” [38] |
Informal Engagement Strategies | “Tell us how you feel about going green!” [24]
“Tag us in your best look!” [38] |
Based on Table 4, “Informal Language” can be identified through a thematic analysis of the literature dataset on language used in ads. Two sub-themes under the central theme are “Slang” and “Informal Engagement Strategies”. For the first sub-theme, the literature shows that advertisers use slang to bring their products closer to young customers. Advertisers create informal communication while making their products more relevant to the current situation. For instance, the use of slang words such as “YOLO” and “lit” can help the brand of a product communicate specifically to Gen Z [38].
Furthermore, “Informal Engagement Strategies” refers to using informal language to enhance product and customer relationships. For instance, using informal language in social media comments, hashtags, and questions directly to customers can create customer engagement with their products. In addition, cosmetic products that are concerned with ecological advertisements make posts on social media such as “Tell us how you feel about going green!” shows that the function of informal language is to invite customers to engage with their products while creating a supportive community for green products [24]. Similarly, a slogan that uses informal language, such as “Tag us in your best look!” can encourage customer-generated social media content [38]. At the same time, it makes the advertising more interactive. As a result, employing language that focuses on informal language in advertising can influence and shape the user’s intention to buy a product, and it is aligned with Kannan & Tyagi’s persuasive strategy of “colloquial language” [18].
Table 5: Routes of Persuasion
Theme | Sub-Theme | Example |
Routes of Persuasion | Central Route – Logical Appeals | “95% organic components” [24]
“up to 16-hour wear” [29] |
Peripheral Route – Emotional Appeals | “Vital Piyo, Zindagi Jeo” [6] |
There are two routes of persuasion: the Central Route and the Peripheral Route [30]. In Table 5, we can observe two sub-themes directly relating to these two types of persuasion routes. The Central Route—logical appeals refer to the language used in advertisements providing customers with detailed information on a product, especially its features, advantages, and benefits. Such type of language seeks to persuade customers through a policy analysis. For instance, the ad for an organic cosmetic is provided with the phrase “95% organic components”, and an ad for a beauty product is provided with an example of “up to 16-hour wear”. As we observe from the slogans above, companies tend to persuade customers by using logical information while accentuating the durability of a product. As for the Peripheral Route, emotional appeals refer to the use of emotional and sensory-driven language to persuade customers who are more influenced by the benefits of a particular product, not its logical and concise details. For instance, the slogan of tea products, “Vital Piyo, Zindagi Jeo,” is aimed at persuading on the emotions of warmth and family bonding, not the technical characteristics of tea. In conclusion, it is clear from the data above that persuasive language strategies are used to determine customers’ intentions and perceptions of a product. This persuasive language comprises several strategies, such as Long Noun Phrases, Present Tense, and Association [18].
Language Use in Advertising
Language is used for communication purposes. Communication can take place orally or in writing. In this study, most forms of language communication in advertisements are in written form. From the dataset explored involving studies on the use of language in advertisements that influence consumers’ purchase intentions, we found that the results of thematic analysis conducted on 31 research articles from 2019 to 2023 successfully classified the study of language use in advertisements into five main themes. These five themes are Exaggeration as a Persuasive Technique, Cultural Resonance and Social Identity, Emotional and Sensory Appeal, Informal Language, and Routes of Persuasion. Each of these themes consists of sub-themes, as shown in the thematic map below:
Figure 1: Thematic Map of Language Used in Advertisement
Based on Figure 1 above, the themes and sub-themes classified through thematic analysis over five years (2019-2023) on the use of language in advertisements show that exploring language in advertisements provides a detailed understanding of the identified themes. Through this understanding, advertisers can adopt a more strategic approach to creating more effective advertisements while incorporating culturally resonant campaigns to optimize the success of an advertisement, particularly in influencing consumers’ purchase intentions.
Additionally, it is widely known that using language in advertisements is a form of persuasion. Persuasive language is a text that invites or influences someone or the reader to follow the writer’s feelings [46]. By classifying the above themes, we find that the following themes and sub-themes align with several persuasive language strategies. Based on the 21 persuasive language strategies [18], six persuasive strategies align with the themes and sub-themes identified through thematic literature analysis. These six persuasive strategies are hyperbole, familiar language, association, colloquial language, long noun phrases, and present tense. The diversity of analyses and studies on the use of language in advertisements over five years of literature provides perspectives on the persuasive elements in advertisements, where language plays a significant role in influencing consumers’ purchase intentions. At the same time, advertisers can plan and create more specific persuasive language usage based on the key themes explored in the literature to maximize the impact of their advertisements.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this thematic literature analysis has shown that language can be used as one of the crucial factors in determining the selling points that make consumers purchase within specific themes. From the discussion on five main themes, Exaggeration as a Persuasive Technique, Cultural Resonance and Social Identity, Emotional and Sensory Appeal, Informal Language, and Routes of Persuasion, it is evident that advertisers can use different types of language to appeal to consumers. More specifically, language can persuade, appeal to emotions, associate a product with a culture, or be more familiar and informal to establish a rapport with the consumer. The use of different persuasive language techniques described in the paper, such as hyperbole, association, and colloquial language, helps make advertisements more effective and appealing to the audience. Clearly, different types of language, such as slang and emotional appeal phrases mentioned in this paper, also have a measurable impact on consumers’ purchase intentions and can be used effectively by advertisers to create appealing advertisements.
Most importantly, if the linguistic analysis of an advertisement is deeply rooted in specific cultural or emotional concepts, it will successfully be able to drive purchase intention. Future studies can examine how much of an advertisement’s claim can be exaggerated before it loses appeals and the impact of emotional appeals on consumer intentions in the long run. Overall, even the use of language is one of the most central and common factors that can be used in developing effective advertisements.
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