Effects of multilingual product packaging and product communication on consumers
Final Report Abstract
Due to the increasing globalization and the resultant widespread dissemination of international brands and products, the role of languages within the marketing discipline has changed considerably. Traditionally, advertising materials and product packaging were predominantly printed in the native language of their respective target groups. However, consumers now encounter foreign languages more frequently. This includes content that consumers process in a foreign language, such as globally used brand slogans (e.g., "Just do it") or social media commercials. Additionally, there are internationally standardized marketing strategies where consumers process information in their native language, with translations in foreign languages also provided. The latter include multilingual product packaging designed for multiple country markets, thereby reducing localization costs. From the consumer's point of view, multilingual product communication differs from monolingual marketing measures in various ways. For example, they are associated with greater visual complexity, which results from the increased amount of text due to the presence of multiple translations. In addition, consumers are also confronted with additional, possibly incomprehensible content. In order to identify the consequences of the presence of foreign languages, empirical studies on various forms of multilingual product communication were carried out as part of this research project. The studies provided evidence that the use of multilingual product packaging impacts the mental processing experience of consumers. The presence of a large number of foreign languages, and in particular foreign languages with which consumers are not familiar, leads to higher difficulty and lower fluency of mental processing. This also results in a poorer evaluation of the product and a lower willingness to buy. These effects occur in particular for products where consumers expect fluent processing (e.g., fast moving consumer goods). With regard to the communication of information in a foreign language, the results of this project indicate that unfavorable messages are evaluated less negatively if they are processed in a learned foreign language. For example, information about unethical corporate behavior communicated in English triggers fewer negative emotions in native German speakers than identical information in German. The findings of this research project are relevant for decision-makers in marketing as well as consumers, and can contribute to a better evaluation of the possibilities and limitations of multilingual product communication. They also enable adjustments to prevent negative impacts on consumer purchasing behavior and shopping experience. Furthermore, recommendations can be derived for the appropriate use of communication in a learned foreign language.
Publications
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Lost in translation? A closer look at multilingual packaging and its impact on consumers' product and brand evaluation, 19th ICORIA: International Conference on Research in Advertising, June 2021, Bordeaux (online).
Munz, R. & Hüttl-Maack, V.
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Please calm down! The impact of foreign language use in public communication on affective response and its consequences - Evidence from COVID-19 mitigation instructions, 19th ICORIA: International Conference on Research in Advertising, June 2021, Bordeaux (online).
Saile, K., Munz, R. & Hüttl-Maack, V.
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How providing public COVID-19 mitigation instructions in a foreign language can increase people’s sense of control. PLOS ONE, 17(11), e0277366.
Saile, Katharina; Munz, Rafael & Hüttl-Maack, Verena
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Lost in translation? Effects of multilingual packaging on consumers’ product and brand evaluation. Proceedings of the European Marketing Academy, 51st, (107074)
Munz, R. & Hüttl-Maack, V.
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Native, foreign, or both? How language comprehension reduces persuasion knowledge when consumers process multilingual packaging, 20th ICORIA: International Conference on Research in Advertising, June 2022, Prague.
Saile, K. & Hüttl-Maack, V.
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Do good and talk about it (in the right language) - How foreign language processing attenuates the affective response to (im)moral firm behavior, Proceedings of the 21st ICO- RIA: International Conference on Research in Advertising, June 2023, Bordeaux.
Munz, R.
