The Effect of Healthy and Sensory Language on the Perception of Food.

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2021-06-25
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en
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The aim of this study was to examine the effect of sensory, healthy, and neutral language in L1 and L2 on the perception of plant-based products. By marketing plant-based products better, consumers may increasingly choose to consume these products instead of meat-based products. This is important because plant-based products are less harmful to the environment than meat production and consumption. Moreover, replacing meat with plant-based products would be healthier for consumers as well. Based on previous research, it was predicted that sensory language would result in the highest attitude towards the product description, desirability, and purchase intention. Healthy language, on the other hand, was expected to negatively impact these variables because healthy translates to less tasty and filling. Moreover, it was assumed that L1 would be more effective than L2 because it is easier to process and people experience a stronger emotional connection to L1. In an online experiment, participants listened to auditory advertisements, which contained the different types of description in L1 (Dutch) or L2 (English) and answered questions in regard to attitude towards the product description, desirability, and purchase intention. It was discovered that sensory language resulted in a higher attitude towards the product description, desirability, and purchase intention compared to neutral language. Furthermore, sensory language also resulted in a higher desirability compared to healthy language. The results showed no difference between L1 and L2, which may have been caused by the high English proficiency of the Dutch participants. The findings suggest, therefore, that the best strategy to promote the increased consumption of plant-based products in the Netherlands may be to use sensory language in either L1 or L2.
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