Native Language Connects To Consumers' Emotions

In our world we are exposed to several languages each day. For example, television ads, billboards, ads, ect… All of these are presented in different languages. What authors Stefano Puntoni, Bart de Langhe, and Stijn van Osselaer, found out was that we perceive out native language more emotionally that foreign languages. These authors that studied bilingual and trilingual populations tested different slogans with consumers and found differences in how the messages were perceived. They reached the conclusion that it was not that they did not understand, or understood less the message in a second language, instead it had to do with memory. This means that the words in a consumer’s native language made the person unconsciously relate that word to a memory they had. Because we mostly have memories with words of our native language, the message containing that language we use the most and have most memories about is perceives more emotionally. Their tests also prove that this effect was found more on woman than men because woman have more efficient memory of emotions. This does not only help us understand why we feel more related to a message using our native language, but also this tells us that we should communicate to consumers using their native language because they will feel emotionally related.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081215111433.htm