Does the Use of Foreign Languages in Different Types of Products Lead to Different Consumer Perception?

Abstract

The language used in brand names and product labels has various effects on consumer perceptions. A language that is spoken all over the world such as English is one of the most widely spoken and used languages in advertising. Another view regarding the use of foreign languages is that consumers spend more effort mentally because they attract more attention than their language and thus the memorability of the products is higher. Consumers' perception of the language used in brand names and product labels may not be the same for all products. Since the motivation of consumers to buy these products will be different, it can be expected that the effects of the language used will be different. In this study, a scenario-based experiment is utilized by manipulating brand name, product label, and product type. According to the results, there is a significant two-way interaction effect of brand name and product label; consumers' product evaluation and purchase intention are higher for foreign brand names (vs. local) and Turkish–English product labels (vs. just in Turkish). Although not hypothesized, there is also a three-way interaction among brand name, product label, and product type.