• Identify, explain and reflect upon current theories and concepts on how (marketing) language affects consumer behaviour
• Apply these theories and concepts to cases from business, public policy and daily life
• Identify and discuss implications of theoretical work, identify limitations of these theories, and suggest improvements for marketing practice
• Identify potential new research topics and generate his/her own conceptual framework (specifically in regard to the individual assignment and to the student’s own master's thesis)
• Identify, explain and reflect upon research methods applied in these fields

There have probably been many situations in your life where you thought: Did I use the correct tone of voice? Should I have phrased it differently? These questions are not only to be answered in your daily personal life, but also in a future professional life as a marketing and/or communications expert.
 
The kind and tone of language marketers use to frame a message, if they frame it positively or negatively, if they use complex or simple words, and how much suggestive meaning they put in a message – with their choice of language they influence our daily life as consumers tremendously. The choice of language may affect, for example, how consumers think about a new product, if people understand the risk of smoking, and if design processes produce creative outputs. And language goes beyond our lives as consumers: Research even found that your first and last name can have a considerable impact on your success in school or how high you may climb the career ladder!
 
Language is a powerful tool that is sometimes used with too little thought – maybe because we are not always aware of how much a single word or even letter may change our perception. In this course, we will explore different current theories and concepts from the areas of
-          marketing (e.g., branding),
-          cognitive psychology (e.g., information processing, higher and lower order cognition),
-          linguistics (e.g., sound symbolism)
-          consumer behavior (e.g., judgment and decision-making)


These theories/concepts are core in understanding the underlying mechanisms of how (marketing) language affects our perceptions, decisions, judgments, and memory.
Topics will include but will not be limited to the creation and effects of brand names, message phrasing and framing in marketing communications, language in social media, gender-related language issues, and cross-cultural issues (e.g., global brands). Students will also be introduced into the basics of the various research methods that are applied in these fields with a focus on quantitative methods (i.e., experimental research).

Recommended literature:
This is a selection of relevant publications. Specific reading instructions will be given during the course.

Chen, M. K. (2013). The effect of language on economic behavior: Evidence from savings rates, health behaviors, and retirement assets. American Economic Review, 103, 690-731.
Feiereisen, S., Wong, V., & Broderick, A. J. (2008). Analogies and mental simulations in learning for really new products: The role of visual attention. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 25, 593-607.
Gregan-Paxton, J., & Moreau, P. (2003). How do consumers transfer existing knowledge? A comparison of analogy and categorization effects. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 13, 422-430.
Keller, K. L., Heckler, S. E., & Houston, M. J. (1998). The effects of brand name suggestiveness on advertising recall. Journal of Marketing, 62, 48-57.
Laham, S. M., Koval, P., & Alter, Adam L. (2012). The name-pronunciation effect: Why people like Mr. Smith more than Mr. Colquhoun. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48, 752-756.
Lewandowsky, S., Ecker, U. K. H., Seifert, C. M., Schwarz, N., & Cook, J. (2012). Misinformation and its correction: Continued influence and successful debiasing. Psychological Science, 13, 106-131.
Lowrey, T., & Shrum, L. J. (2007). Phonetic symbolism and brand name preference. Journal of Consumer Research, 34, 406-414.
Mattila, A. S. (2000). The role of narratives in the advertising of experiential services. Journal of Service Research, 3(1), 35-45. 
Meline, K. P. (1996). Truth in the Meaning of Advertisements. In K. P. Corfman & J. G. Lynch Jr. NA - Advances in Consumer Research, 23 (pp. 237-241). Provo, UT : Association for Consumer Research.
Miyamoto, Y., & Schwarz, N. (2006). When conveying a message may hurt the relationship: Cultural differences in the difficulty of using an answering machine. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 42, 540-547.
Moreau, C. P., Markman, A. B., & Lehman, D. R. (2001). “What is it?” Categorization flexibility and consumers’ responses to really new products, Journal of Consumer Research, 27, 489-498.
Schuldt, J. P., & Schwarz, N. (2010). The “organic” path to obesity? Organic claims influence calorie judgments and exercise recommendations. Judgment and Decision Making, 5, 144-150.
Song, H., & Schwarz, N. (2009). If it’s difficult to pronounce, it must be risky: Fluency, familiarity, and risk perception. Psychological Science, 20, 135-138.
Wagner, L.C. (2005). "It’s For a Good Cause”: The Semiotics of the Pink Ribbon for Breast Cancer in Print Advertisements. Intercultural Communication Studies, 15(3), 209-216.
Zuckerman, A., & Chaiken, S. (1998). A heuristic-systematic processing analysis of the effectiveness of product warning labels. Psychology & Marketing, 15, 621-642.