The perceived effectiveness of dubbed and subtitled English-language TV commercials in Turkey and the influence of English proficiency.

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2015-09-30
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en
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Abstract
Multinationals can take the adaptation approach when advertising with linguistically diverse target markets, which not only involves addressing cultural differences, but also involves adapting the (often English) language advertisement to the local languages of the target markets. One cost-effective method to adapt the language in the advertisement is by means of dubbing and subtitling. Although dubbing and subtitling are widely used in films and TV programs, little is known about the effectiveness of these adaptation methods in the context of TV advertising. The effectiveness of dubbing and subtitling in TV advertising may differ from films and TV programs because TV commercials are often watched under different circumstances than films and TV programs. This study compared the effectiveness of dubbed and subtitled TV commercials in a Turkish context. It was also examined to what extent the English proficiency of the pa! rticipant s predicted the effectiveness of dubbed and subtitled TV commercials. As such, the findings of this study may provide valuable insights on how to enhance TV advertising targeted towards foreign markets by means of dubbing and subtitling. In a mixed experimental design, 59 Turkish participants evaluated two dubbed and two subtitled commercials by means of a questionnaire. The findings indicate that overall, dubbing and subtitling are equally effective and that English proficiency did not predict the effectiveness of dubbed and subtitled commercials. However, participants’ involvement in the advertised products and the (differing) verbal and visual complexity of the commercials among others may have influenced the findings of this study. Future research should address these issues in order to draw more definite conclusions about the effectiveness of dubbing and subtitling in TV advertising.
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Faculteit der Letteren