Exploring Language Effects In Ethnic Advertising: In Malaysian Environment
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Date
1998-05
Authors
Yap, Eit Thian
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Abstract
This study applies sociolinguistic theories of accommodation to investigate how
consumers in different cultures respond to the use of their ethnic language in
advertising. Specifically, ~ this study involved two dominant cultures in Malaysia,
Malaysian Malay and Malaysian Chinese. Their responses to ethnic language
t
(Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese) compaed to ~ English language usage in print
advertising were examined. It was found that the, effects of the ethnic language
(Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese) usage in the advertising can be explained by
accommodation theory. Advertisements that use Bahasa Malaysia increase Malay
consumers perception of advertiser's sensitivity to Malay culture than English
advertisements. The same phenomena happened among the Chinese consumers,
advertisement that use Chinese increased the perception of advertiser's sensitivity to
Chinese Culture. This perception in tum enhance affect toward the advertisements
that use ethnic language.
In addition, this study also investigated the relationship between demographic
factors such as age, gender, marital status, income, and education level and affect
toward advertisements that used Bahasa Malaysia and English (for Malay
respondents), and Chinese and English (for Chinese respondents). The results of this
study indicated that, there is no relationship between the above demographic factors
and the consumers (both Malay and Chinese) response toward the advertisemetns.
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Keywords
Business administration , Language Effects In Ethnic Advertising