English in Dutch Online Advertising: A comparison of appreciation and persuasion effects between advertisements completely in English, completely in Dutch, and in Dutch with English words and phrases

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the difference in appreciation and persuasion effects of digital advertisements written completely in English, completely in Dutch, or in Dutch with English words and phrases. An overview of previous research on the subject of using foreign languages in advertisements is given, along with information about related concepts such as digital marketing goals and prescriptiveness in language attitudes. Based on previous research, it is determined that there is as of yet no consensus about the effects of the use of English in advertisements aimed at Dutch consumers. Moreover, as previous research was almost all done using traditional media outlets, a need for research on digital advertising media becomes clear. Using a between-subjects design, the concepts of appreciation, purchase intention, and click intention in relation to three versions of a Facebook advertisement are measured among Dutch young adults. The results of the study show that there is no difference in appreciation and persuasion between the three linguistic versions of the Facebook advertisement. This points the academic discussion in the direction that the use of English has neither a positive nor a negative effect on the appreciation and persuasion effects of this advertisement on Dutch young adult consumers. Further research into possible effects of foreign language use in digital advertisements is recommended.