Have you ever seen an ad without any words? Be it a radio,
TV, cinema, press, Internet or outdoor advertisement, text
is always an element of the utmost importance.
Marked and unmarked words
Usually we consider marked elements as those that occur
more rarely. Thus, between the words "meal" and "feast,"
the latter will be considered marked. Another criterion is
the awareness of choice of a word in a statement. Even if
we choose a simpler word, it might be because it seems more
strongly marked to us. Words which we are compelled to use
are the least marked.
Name = problem
Our final goal is to persuade a person to buy the product,
but an intermediate goal might be the association of a
problem awaiting a solution with our product, e.g. the
following slogan: "Diagnosis: exhaustion. The answer: XY."
The aim of this message is for its receiver to
automatically think of the XY product when they feel
exhausted.
Associations
Psycholinguistic research has shown that the receiver
naturally associates a word with its opposite, e.g. "man -
woman," a hyponym, i.e. a word semantically subordinate,
e.g. "fruit - apple" or a synonym.
Connotations and denotations
Each word has its denotation, that is to say, it names
something. The word "sun" signifies the star closest to us.
However, this word also has its connotations, in other
words, emotional associations. These are very useful in
constructing a persuasive message, because they evoke
emotions.
Sound
Proper connotations might be evoked not only by the
semantic aspect of the word (its meaning), but also by its
sole sound. Crisps seem more crisp if we call them
"crrisp," fabric seem softer if we call them "sofft" and
food tastes better if we say it is "yummmy." Onomatopoeias
(words imitating sounds) are worth mentioning here. This
means of expression is often used, especially by poets. Try
to say "a snake hisses," "the thunder of a shot" or a
"rustling sough of a stream."
Meaning
Generally, though, the semantic aspect has a greater
influence on connotations than the sound aspect. We
perceive words such as "thin" and "slim" or the often
encountered in advertisements "usual" and "natural"
differently. The word "usual" is associated with dullness
and boredom, while "natural" does not evoke such
connotations, even though its meaning is similar.
A proper word to each thing
In the process of creating an advertising message we make
such choices in the case of every single word. They are not
random or intuitive, at least they should not be such. The
choices are influenced by detailed surveys and
psycholinguistic research.
While trying to choose a proper word, we must answer some
questions:
Detailed or general?
A journalist will rather speak about a tall blonde than a
woman, but such details might narrow down the target group.
Consider this sentence: "Woman, do you keep a diary?" This
may be answered by any woman. The case will be different if
we change the question: "Girl, do you keep a diary?"
Expressive, precise and clear or vague, fuzzy and ambiguous
An expressive, precise and clear text can ensure that it
will be perceived in the way we want it to. Nevertheless,
it might prove dangerous at times. If we say "Colgate
toothpaste prevents cavity," then we are in trouble if
somebody who uses this product hears that they have cavity
after all. The case will be different if we say "Colgate
toothpaste helps in preventing cavity." Ambiguity might
also be helpful when we want to express content that cannot
be formulated in a straightforward manner, for example for
social (breaking taboos such as death is not advisable) or
legal reasons (prohibition of advertising of some products,
e.g. beer). Ambiguity is also helpful when we use erotic
associations, which are very effective in advertising,
especially when males are the target group, however
recently, women are more often targeted by such
advertisements as well).
Buzzwords
New - customers like changes, they want to be modern, thus
calling something "new" is usually very effective. The
exception from this rule are advertising texts supposed to
retain the loyalty to the brand.
Cheap - the price of the product is often the most
important criterion of choice on an impoverished market.
However, it should be kept in mind that "cheap" is often
associated with low quality, so the word should not be used
mindlessly, especially regarding durable or luxury goods.
Bargain, opportunity - everyone is glad to make an
advantageous purchase, thus indicating that our offer is a
unique opportunity may prove very effective. Haven't you
ever bought anything totally useless just because "it was a
bargain"?
Perfect, attractive, advantageous - who does not like such
products? Moreover, these words are better than for example
"the best", because assurances that we are "no. 1" will be
treated with reserve. Besides, such claims bear the risk of
a blistering response (either a marketing or a court one)
from competition.
Responsibility, duty - each of us has been taught to be
responsible since childhood, for instance we feel
responsible for our families.
"You deserve it" - everyone wants to be appreciated and
rewarded, so this expression as well as other words
connected with reward are popular among copywriters.
Guarantee, proof - these words often replace proof or
guarantee themselves. Thanks to them we feel safer and more
peaceful.
Secure, sure - these words remind us of danger, but in a
covert way. They do not evoke strong feelings of fear -
that is why they are useful in selling products that are to
keep one safe. Usually we do not like to think about it and
an advertisement that aggressively reminds us of dangers
will be rejected by most.
They are simply words that calm us down, indicate that
something is simple and obvious. After all, each and every
one of us is a bit lazy sometimes...
Really - another buzzword which we have used since
childhood when we want to emphasize our credibility ("I
really didn't smash that window").
Clean, fresh, natural - ecology is "in" recently, so such
words are often helpful.
Style, discreet, subtle, sophisticated - everyone is a bit
snobbish inside, hence words associated with class and
prestige are important, since they indicate the high
quality of the product.
Delicious, fragrant, colourful, smooth - a message is far
easier to perceive if it is sensual and recalls taste,
sight, smell or touch.
There are great amounts of such examples, especially that
buzzwords are often a result of a trend - that is why so
many things are "cool" recently.
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This article was translated by mLingua Worldwide
Translations, Ltd. mLingua provides professional language
translations in all major Western and Asian languages,
software localization and web site translation services.
Please visit http://mlingua.pl
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