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Sound symbolism effects across languages: Implications for global brand names

Author

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  • Shrum, L.J.
  • Lowrey, T.M.
  • Luna, David
  • Lerman, D.B.
  • Liu, Min

Abstract

Selecting good brand names for products is a critical step for marketers, and many aspects of a brand name influence brand perceptions. Three experiments investigated the effects of phonetic symbolism (the impact of sound on meaning) on brand name preference, the extent to which these effects generalize to other languages, and the processes that underlie these effects. When choosing brand names, French-, Spanish-, and Chinese-speaking participants who were bilingual in English preferred words in which there was a match between the phonetic symbolism of the words and the product attributes. These results were unaffected by whether participants completed the study in their first or second language, by second-language proficiency, or by whether the Chinese language representations were in logographic or alphabetic form. These findings replicate those of Lowrey and Shrum (2007) and indicate that phonetic symbolism effects for brand name perceptions can generalize across languages, and thus suggest that marketers may be able to embed universal meaning in their brand names.

Suggested Citation

  • Shrum, L.J. & Lowrey, T.M. & Luna, David & Lerman, D.B. & Liu, Min, 2012. "Sound symbolism effects across languages: Implications for global brand names," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 275-279.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ijrema:v:29:y:2012:i:3:p:275-279
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2012.03.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Abel, Gregory A. & Glinert, Lewis H., 2008. "Chemotherapy as language: Sound symbolism in cancer medication names," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1863-1869, April.
    2. Tina M. Lowrey & L. J. Shrum, 2007. "Phonetic Symbolism and Brand Name Preference," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 34(3), pages 406-414, June.
    3. Luna, David & Peracchio, Laura A, 2001. "Moderators of Language Effects in Advertising to Bilinguals: A Psycholinguistic Approach," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 28(2), pages 284-295, September.
    4. David Luna & Torsten Ringberg & Laura A. Peracchio, 2008. "One Individual, Two Identities: Frame Switching among Biculturals," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 35(2), pages 279-293, March.
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    8. Stacey Baxter & Jasmina Ilicic & Alicia Kulczynski, 2015. "What’s in a name? Examining the effect of phonetic fit between spokesperson name and product attributes on source credibility," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 525-534, December.
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    10. Lynch, John G. & Bradlow, Eric T. & Huber, Joel C. & Lehmann, Donald R., 2015. "Reflections on the replication corner: In praise of conceptual replications," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 333-342.
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