Personalized advertising and cultural branding: Apragmatic analysis of language strategies used in brand advertisements

Abstract

The importance of language in advertising is apparent in contemporary print, electronic, and internetbased visual media. How specific use of language in advertisements influences the consumer perception and influences their consumption behavior is a relevant socially-oriented investigation. Thisarticlefocuses on a pragmatic analysisofthe use of persuasive language in advertising.It analyses the impact of such language on the consumers and examines assignment of gender roles in brand advertisements in Pakistan. A clothes brand (“J.”) and a food product brand NFL are analyzed to investigate their customer communication strategies as used in advertisements. Data findings show that the brands personalize their business messages through the use of interpersonal language
although brand advertisement is an impersonal form of communication. They use local cultural and gender features to lend authenticity and local embeddedness to their brands. These findings suggest that linguistic forms, semiotic features, and cultural elements play an important role in the business world. Through strategic use of these pragmatic features of language use, brands effectively influence individual behavior, increase sales and maximize profit.