1

Running head: LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

To what extent does the language used in advertisements have an impact on audience’s mind and
behavior?

Abdul Ahad Ali

Aleena Irfan

Amna Nasser

Syeda Leeva Abdullah

Ms. Munaza Hasan Nasir

Language, Culture and Society

April 1st, 2019

Lahore School of Economics

 2
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Abstract

The research paper discusses the extent to which the language used in advertisements impacts the
audience’s mind and behavior. Both the visuals and language used in an advertisement can
impact the buying behavior of consumers. Through this research we aim to shed light on the role
that language plays in advertisements and how it affects the mindset and behavior of Pakistani
consumers. Furthermore, whether Urdu or English has a greater impact on the minds of the
audience. Our primary data is collected solely collected from Pakistan while the secondary data
is collected from outside Pakistan as well. We found that the language used can help a consumer
recall and identify a product. Moreover, Pakistani ads are most effective if they use code-
switching since most Pakistanis are bilingual. There is also found to be a strong connection
between the national language, Urdu, and the audience as it has a higher recall rate and can
induce a stronger emotional response. The conclusion is largely based upon the information
collected from questionnaires and two interviews.
 3
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Introduction

Language plays a vital role in the process of communication and conveying messages. It
can have a great impact over people and their behavior especially in the field of marketing and
advertising. The choice of words you select for conveying your message to public is very
important. Visual content does attract consumers in advertisements but it is the language that
helps them to identify a product and recall it. The advertisers should have the capability and the
knowledge to manage linguistic resources to construct a perfect message while also taking into
regard the target audience of that product.

Advertising is used to encourage and convince the people to buy more of their product. It
helps in informing the audience about the new brands that have launched in the market and the
variety of products available for the convenience. It plays a significant role in increasing the
revenues and sales of the company.

Advertising includes variety of things such as the packaging, size, styling, color of the
product being promoted. What makes ads more appealing to the customers is the type of
language they use such as interesting jingles or slogans, rhyming sentences, associations,
alliteration, humor etc.

Marketers frequently use more adjectives in their advertisements such as taller, stronger,
and sharper in the Horlicks ad. Jingles such as the contact number of KFC 11-12-44-622.
Slogans such as “I’m Lovin’ it” by McDonalds and rhyme such as “Beanz Meanz Heinz” by
Heinz Company. By using these techniques, marketers succeed in imprinting their ads in the
consumer’s mind.

Marketers tend to use simple language in their advertisements so it would be easily

understood by the audience. Short sentence have more influence on people and they also end up
memorizing them unconsciously. So, the consumers end up buying that product which retains in
their memory.

The objective of this research is to see that how language is used as a medium to grab
consumer’s attention. Repetition is one of the main factor that helps in retaining the
advertisement in the minds of the consumers. But it should be done in the right proportion
otherwise it may become damaging or risky as an advertising strategy. Repetition can be done by
 4
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

two ways. One way is to broadcast that particular ad in every ad break so that it registers in the
minds of consumers. The other way is to place the brand or the product in all places such as
billboards, magazines, newspapers etc.

Identifying and understanding your target audience is necessary for effective and
successful communicating strategy. If you are aware of the audience for which the advertisement
of the product will be made then you would know what language will be more understandable
for them and would convey the message successfully. Marketers should know the content that
would interest them, their buying behavior and the kind of social media platform they are using.

Advertisements can also have an impact on the buying behavior of the consumers.
Advertising is the source of communication between the marketer and the consumer. Marketers
use mass communication techniques such as sales promotion and public relation and other
promotional activities to compete in the market. Advertising can influence the attitude of
individual behavior, life style in the long run as well as the culture of the country (Latif &
Abideen, 2011). The main aim of the marketers is to influence the consumers and their attitude,
awareness and buying behavior.

The significance of this research is to know the role that language plays in advertising
and what type of advertisements retain in the minds of audience? What techniques do the
marketers use to make such advertisements? And if the advertisements that use L1 have a greater
impact on the minds of the audience or the ads which use English or other L2 are more
influential and easy to grasp for the people.

Significance of the Research:

The significance of this research is to know the role that language plays in advertisements
and how it affects the mindset and behavior of Pakistani consumers. What kind of
advertisements have the highest retention rate and what techniques do the marketers use to make
such advertisements? Furthermore if advertisers use Urdu, does it have a greater impact on the
minds of the audience or the ads which use English are more influential and easy to grasp.
 5
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Research Questions

Main Question:

What impact does the language used in advertisements have on audience’s mindset and
behavior?

Subsidiary Questions:

1. Do marketers make a conscious effort when it comes to the language used in

advertisements?
2. How the language used in advertisements affect its recall rate?
3. How the language used in advertisements have changed over the years?

Literature Review

Advertisement is a form of persuasion which is directed at a large number of people, not

only this but advertisements act as an immense and powerful source of information in today’s
always active world. Advertising is a complex strategy to make people’s minds think in a certain
way because it involves two interacting processes; communication and persuasion; side by side.

Code Switching in Pakistani media:

In the designing of ads, many durable and appealing techniques are used. The use of
English is one of them. It is assumed that the use of English in an advertising context gives them
an attractive look (Anwar, Qureshi, Jameel, & Qureshi , 2016). So, for that purpose a technique
called code-switching is highly used by Pakistani advertisers. Code-switching can be defined as:
moving from one language to another within the similar statement, utterance or within the same
oral or written text. Sometimes more than two languages are mixed up and code mixing becomes
a common feature of language. An example of code-switching in our everyday life could be
using sentences like: Mujhey shikayat hai (I have a complaint) that we are not making studying.
In the example stated, in a single sentence, two different languages have been used.

The study of code switching in Pakistan starts from the phenomena of bilingualism.
According to Yousaf (2004) there is a constant language shift in Pakistan. A Pakistani child
 6
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

learns his mother tongue in home, becomes acquainted to Urdu, and as he grows older, he has to
acquire the knowledge of English language for academic and official purposes. In present
scenario, English is becoming a major part of our discourse. Whether it is a formal setting or an
informal situation, English is being spoken along with Urdu. Studying this behavior, marketers
are also making continuous effort to relate to its target audience and that purpose Pakistani ads
(printed or aired) are bilingual too. Frequent use of English with Urdu is not only obvious in
everyday life but is palpable in media also (Khan, 2014).

Different Appeals used in Pakistani advertisements:

An advertisement fulfills its purpose if it is successfully able to make an impact on the

viewer’s minds. Considering the Pakistani audience, advertisers have to think of an appeal to be
used in the medium. To make an emotional impact on the audience, advertisements are dubbed
in Urdu so the entire nation as a whole could understand the message being conveyed, for these
ads, the voice over, the tagline, and the slogan is all in Urdu so to emotionally appeal the
audience. An example of such scenario could the ads of Zameen.pk, all of the ads are in Urdu
and they evoke emotional feelings in the hearts and minds of the viewers. On the other hand, to
target the younger generation specially, persuasive appeal is used and the language chosen for
this regard is the mixture of both English and Urdu so the younger generation can relate to the
advertisement. For example the ads of Sunsilk and Fair n Lovely uses words like shiny, straight,
fairness, glow, beauty etc. to make a strong impact on the target audience. A survey shows that
the impact of television advertisements on consumer behavior and attitudes shows that
persuasive language and creative designing of advertising messages successfully influence
consumers’ attitude and buying behavior (Khan, 2014).

Western influence over the Pakistani Media:

Code-mixing in speech is not only a linguistic phenomenon but also a major social
function of English in Pakistan and it is bringing a phenomenal linguistic change. This change is
evident in the advertising patterns and promotional programs, which not only depict changing
social norms and practices, but also paint a picture of our cultural and sub-cultural systems
 7
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

(Khan, 2014). The subcontinent being ruled by the British for over 200 years definitely have a
long lasting impact on the Indians. People before partition perceived English language as a
prestigious one, they wanted to learn it so these people could find jobs. That mindset is still
present since even today, nothing has changed. We still think that English is the language of the
elite and so we make our children learn English and use it in their everyday lives.

To study the conversational code-switching, we need to look at socio-cultural perspective

because not only the social identity of the addressor, the addressee, and the person mentioned,
play a role in determining the linguistic choices but also other factors in social context are
closely interrelated to it. (Dilshad, 2007) These factors include gender, geographical background,
socioeconomic class, and education. These aspects also play a vital role in the extent of code
switching when we analyze language of advertisements with reference to the characters and
setting portrayed in advertisements. Language of the data shows that people tend to code switch
and code mix not only because of aptness and fluency but this practice also indicates their
affinity for the language of prestige i.e. English, which is considered an emblem of socio-
economic strength, and sophistication (Khan, 2014).

Evolution of the language used in Pakistani Advertisements:

Advertising in Pakistan has generally followed the trends and innovations adopted
globally. It has responded to the changing business environment and media technologies
(Siddiqui & Siddiqui, 2016). Not only that, but the language used in Pakistani advertisements has
also been evolved over the years. In today’s world, we see a lot slang language and coded
language being used in Pakistani media, the sole reason for this is the increased use of internet
and social media. Talking more about language, today we see more jingles and songs being
incorporated in the advertisements, a very recent example of Coca-Cola using an Indian song
‘Coca-Cola tu’ in their ad, Nestle Cerelac’s ad using a poem to convey the message. All these
things show that due to more exposure, advertisers are bringing in more creativity in the
language. Coming to beauty products like ‘Fair n Lovely’ whose advertisements are based on a
dark skinned girl being neglected or feeling deprived, the remedy for all these ailments is using
the cream for 6-8 weeks and the skin would turn white. In the beginning this strategy was a hit
because society associated beauty with fair skin. To this day this product maintains that very
 8
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

ideology to promote it but the way it conveys the message is now different from the past. In the
ever changing society discriminating by skin color is now frowned upon, people have started
seeing beauty in darker skins. So now, ‘Fair n Lovely’ focuses more on glowing and clear skin
rather than just focusing on fair complexion.

So, it is quite clear that advertisements and the advertising industry survives through
changes and thrives on the triumph of that change.
 9
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Methodology

For the purposes of this research, we used both quantitative and qualitative methods.
Quantitative methods include numerical or statistical information which can be obtained from
sources such as surveys while qualitative methods includes descriptive information from
interviews etc. The reason for opting for both qualitative and quantitative methods was to help
us in better understand and analyze our topic so that we had not only the viewpoints of people
from different spheres of life, but also statistical analysis to better interpret it.

In order to better understand the perspective of the general population about the language
used in advertisements, we distributed approximately 50 questionnaires. The questions asked in
these questionnaires covered areas such as the target audience’s preference over a certain
language, whether they are able to better recall adverts in one language over another (namely
Urdu and English) and if they thought that language plays a part in affecting their perception
while watching a particular advertisement.

The target audience for the questionnaires was primarily the students of Lahore School of
Economics and Lahore University of Management Sciences, along with their families, friends
and neighbors. The age range of the majority was of 17 to 22 years of age. People from all socio-
economic classes will be taken into account while conducting the research.

In addition to that, conducted two interviews of advertising expert to better understand

the motivation behind why they would choose or prefer to film an advert in a particular language
over another. The first interview was of Ms. Faiza Farooq who is a part of the marketing team of
Fauji Fertilizers. The second interview conducted was of Mr. Rizwan Kazmi who is a marketing
manager at Zameen, a real estate company.

Apart of the primary research(fresh/original data) gathered from the questionnaires and
interview, secondary research (data already gathered from primary search) was put to use, such
as from journals and articles found on websites on the internet such as Jstor, Scopus and Emerald
Insight, in the hope to present a research that is relevant, reliable and accurate. In addition, we
also looked advertisements over a time span of 25 years in order find the changing trends in the
language used them over the years (for example slangs and code switching).
 10
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Data was collected over the period of late March to the mid April 2019, with the
distribution and collection of the questionnaires taken place in the first two weeks followed by
the analysis, interpretation and compilation of the data. The collected data was statistically
analyzed and all the numerical values were put in tables and charts to draw comparisons between
the answers.

We however faced a few limitations in our research. Being students who conducted this
research over the course of just a month, we were constricted by not only the time but also by
budget. Furthermore, the information we could have access to in this short time is also thus
limited. Since the questionnaires were distributed amongst students of LSE and LUMS, and the
interviews conducted of learned professionals, only a certain socioeconomic class was targeted
who could afford quality education. The questionnaires may also have not been filled with the
utmost honestly but rather with negligence by the students filling them. Miscommunication can
also exist amongst the interviewer and the interviewee, were the latter may not be able to fully
understand the questions put forth by the former.
 11
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Results and Analysis

The aim of the research was to find out how much the language used in advertisements
impacts the audiences mind and behavior. In order to gain a deeper insight both sides of the
pictures needed to be put in perspective, hence in order to build this discussion both the audience
as well as the marketers’ outlook was considered. Questionnaires were distributed to gain
information from the audience and two professionals were interviewed to lend authoritative
support to the study. Mr. Rizwan Kazmi who is the marketing manager at Zameen.Pk and Ms.
Faiza Farooq who is a part of the marketing team for Fauji Fertilizers were the professionals that
were interviewed. Along with all this, the literature gained from secondary sources was also used
in building the discussion.

An idea is only as great as the words that are stringed together to convey it. Therefore
language plays a vital role in the world of advertisements where words are a man’s most
powerful weapon. 48% of the respondents believed that language is more important than visual
content in an advertisement, when Mr. Rizwan was asked the same questioned he gave a similar
response but Ms. Faiza believed that they both go hand in hand and none has superiority over the
other, they are both important in their own right. As per Robin Lakoffs theory women speak
proper language and therefore language plays a vital role for them, especially (Lakoff, 1973).
Therefore, the gender of the respondents was to be revealed in the questionnaire. 48% of the
respondents were male which explains why the majority believed that visual cues were more
important in advertisements. This can also be seen in the diverging view points of the two
professionals interviewed.

Once the legitimacy of the importance of language is out of the picture the choice of the
language used takes over, Pakistani advertisements heavily rely upon code switching and use two
languages significantly namely Urdu and English. The literature review shows that due to
bilingualism code switching is used extensively in advertisements. Imperialism is another factor
that has led the Pakistani advertisers to use English extensively in their ads but to make them
more approachable and understandable by the masses they add Urdu along with the English
which results in code switching (Khan, 2014). When both the marketers were asked if they
thought Pakistani brands could thrive without code switching they were of the perspective that
 12
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

because Pakistanis are bilingual they can greatly relate to an advertisement if it has been code
switched as they use this technique in their everyday lives so giving up on such a great aid would
not be a good idea. A single question was posed both to the audience as well as the professionals
that whether a conscious effort goes into deciding what language to incorporate in an ad. Both
the professionals claimed that this was an immensely important decision and a lot of thought and
process goes into it. Mr. Rizwan stated that the idea that is to be conveyed also impacts the
language used. 66% of the respondents were also of the view that a conscious effort does go into
choosing a language. The language chosen is impacted by various factors and chief among them
is the target audience, 94% of the answers to the questionnaire supported that the audience
influences the choice of language. Mr. Rizwan believed that research is carried out regarding
how the consumers perceive the brand and how the brand wishes to be perceived and then based
upon this the language is chosen to cause a shift in perception or to reinstate it. Ms. Faiza also
had the same view and she stated that the product as well as the language is chosen in a way that
it is coherent with the audience and its mindset. While exploring the importance of language the
professionals were asked how significant a role does script writing play to which both
interviewees had a similar answer. Ms. Faiza and Mr. Rizwan were of the outlook that once the
idea to be conveyed is decided the next most important factor is the way it has to be conveyed to
the audience and a lot of effort goes into coming up with suitable written material. Along with
target audience the medium at which the advertisement is to be displayed influences the choice
of language. 85.7% of the viewers believed that language used in an advertisement varies from
medium to medium. Mr. Rizwan stated that the message remains the same but yes the words are
manipulated as per the requirements of the medium it will be using, However, Ms. Faiza
believed that the language does not vary greatly for conventional mediums but for the digital
platforms it may have to be altered slightly.

Once the factors effecting language were understood the focus of the research shifted
towards exploring how the choice of language impacts the audience which was the main aim of
the study. Respondents were asked to mention a tagline that they remembered and 51% recalled
a tagline in Urdu. Ms. Faiza believed that the respondents had higher recall rates for Urdu
taglines because they could relate to them because of Urdu being their national language. Mr.
Rizwan said that this was the case because of the existence of a strong linkage between the Urdu
language and the audience itself. To gain a deeper understanding a question was presented to
 13
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

both the audience as well as the marketers, they were asked if an advertisement is more effective
if it’s phrased in Urdu. 70% of the answers supported the view that using Urdu makes them more
effective. Talking about emotional appeal and the usage of the national language, 66% of the
respondents believed using Urdu increased the emotional appeal of an advertisement. Ms. Faiza
believed that the effectiveness and the appeal of the advertisement depend upon the nature of the
brand, the message to be conveyed and the relevant audience and not just the choice of language
itself. Mr. Rizwan claimed that the effectiveness greatly depends upon the nature of the product
being offered and the target audience, if Urdu fits in the mix it’s a great way to create an appeal.
The literature reviewed also states that a well-designed advertisement with the correct language
can greatly impact the behavior of the audience (Khan, 2014). The majority of the people that
filled the questionnaire said that they prefer an advertisement phrased in Urdu with a traditional
song in the background. An example can be National Masala advertisement in which the
traditional Punjabi song “Chitta kukkar” is used which the characters converse in Urdu and the
packaging of the product says “National Chicken Masala.” This advertisement is an excellent
example of code switching.

The last part of the research was to analyze the changes that have come about in Pakistani
advertisements over the years. In order to set the course for the discussion of this portion firstly
the audience were inquired about their age to which it was found out that 58% of the respondents
belonged to the age bracket of 20-22. They were asked if they think that advertisements today
incorporate more slang language. 80% stated that they have noticed this trend of the greater
usage of slang words in advertisements. When the professionals were asked about this, Ms. Faiza
said that today advertisements use more slang words so that they can relate to the audience. In
addition to this Mr. Rizwan said that slang words are used in those advertisements, especially,
that have to be displayed on digital platforms such as the social media where youngsters using
these words are exposed to the advertisements. More and more slang words, jingles and songs
are being incorporated in advertisements because of growing trend of social media. As far as the
question of the progress and change of the Pakistani advertisements is concerned Mr. Rizwan
believes that although there has been significant growth they still have a long way to go and
there is a lack of innovative ideas, most of the inspiration is borrowed from Indian
advertisements. Ms. Faiza stated that there has been a great amount of change in how brands
advertise, today brands use digital media to gage the consumers’ attention as opportunities to
 14
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

interact with the audience directly have risen. The literature review stated that Pakistani
advertisers have followed the global trends (Siddiqui & Siddiqui, 2016).

Conclusion

Keeping our thesis statement in mind: “To what extent does the language used in
advertisements have an impact on audience’s mind and behavior?” We have concluded that
Language used in advertisements have a huge impact on the mindset and behavior of consumers.
This conclusion goes hand in hand with the results of our questionnaire and the perspective of
our interviewees. Furthermore, keeping Robin Lakoff’s theory in mind, women tend to focus
more on language in an ad than visuals so language used in advertisements has a greater impact
on minds and behavior of women as compared to men. Moreover, it is concluded that Pakistani
ads cannot be made without code-switching since Pakistanis are bilingual and there are certain
technical and internet based terms whose Urdu translation is not there from scratch. There is a
strong connection between national language and audience so for emotional appeal, Urdu is
always opted as a language and also the recall rate of Urdu taglines is higher. Moreover, after
comparing ads from the 1900s and today, it is concluded that both the language and visuals have
greatly evolved.
 15
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Recommendations

 When Mr. Rizwan Qazi was interviewed he stated that much of the innovation in
Pakistani advertisements is borrowed from either India or the West, so it is recommended
to the marketers of leading Pakistani brands to come up with new and original ideas for
the content of the advertisements. Recently, Nike came up with an advertisement based
upon women empowerment starring Serena Williams. This is a beautiful example of how
this platform can be used to spread awareness of social causes and act as a catalyst for
social change.
 Words are extremely powerful and can have a great amount of impact upon the minds of
the listeners. The marketers need to ensure they are using them carefully and not hurting
a group of the society by using certain words or even a language, for example after the
recent skirmishes at the India Pakistan border using Hindi might not be a wise choice.
The words and language used to convey the message should be chosen keeping in mind
the audience as well as the perception the brand is attempting to create in the mind of the
consumer.
 Lastly, it is recommended that the reader does not rely upon this research completely due
to the limitations that inhibit its excellence. There were constraints like lack of time and
finance, therefore only 50 people were able to fill the questionnaire and impart their
opinions. However, there may have been a lack of honesty or misunderstanding regarding
some questions.
 16
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

References

Anwar, B., Qureshi, A. H., Jameel, A., & Qureshi , D. T. (2016). LANGUAGE MIXING IN
URDU PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS: A MULTIDIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS .

Khan, A. M. (2014). Social aspects of Code-Switching: An analysis of Pakistani Television

advertisements .

Khattak, A., Farroq, A., & Rafiq, K. (2017). CODE SWITCHING IN ADVERTISEMENTS.

Lakoff, R. (1973). Language and Woman's Place. 45-80.

Siddiqui, K., & Siddiqui, A. (2016). History of Advertising in Pakistan.

 17
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Appendix

Appendix A: Questionnaire

(The information collected is for a research project and will be strictly used for academic
purposes. Your cooperation is appreciated)

Q1) How old are you?

a) 16-19
b) 20-22
c) 23-24
d) Above 24

Q2) Specify your gender?

a) Male
b) Female

Q3) Is visual content more important in an advertisement or the language used?

a) Visual Content is more important

b) Language is more important

Q4) Do you believe that advertisements today incorporate more of slangs and the internet
language?

a) Yes
b) No
 18
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Q5) Do you think if an ad is in Urdu, it is more effective?

a) Yes

b) No

Q6) State a punch line that you remember.

____________________________________________________________________________

Q7) Is the tagline you recalled in Urdu or in English?

a) Urdu
b) English
c) Mix of both languages

Q8) “Using the national language makes the ad more emotionally appealing” Do you agree with
this statement?

a) Strongly disagree
b) Disagree
c) Neutral
d) Agree
e) Strongly Agree

Q9) Do you think the language used in ads varies with different mediums?

a) Yes
b) No
 19
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Q10) Which kind of advertisements do you prefer to watch or hear?

a) An ad with English Language and Voice over

b) An ad with Urdu Language and Voice over
c) An ad with Urdu or any traditional song being played in background
d) An ad with English song in the background

Q11) Do you think advertisers make a conscious effort to choose the language of an ad when
making an advertisement?

a) Yes
b) No
c) Maybe

Q12) Do you think the language used in an advertisement is affected by who the target audience
is?

a) Yes
b) No
c) Maybe
 20
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Appendix B: Graphs, Charts and Figures

 21
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS
 22
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS
 23
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS
 24
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS
 25
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS
 26
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Appendix C: Interview Questions

Q1) Do you put in a conscious effort in choosing a specific language for an ad?

Q2) Does the target audience influence the choice of words used in advertisements?

Q3) How significant a role does script writing play in advisements?

Q4) Does the language used vary from medium to medium?

Q5) According to you, is there an evolution in Pakistani advertisements as compared to the past?

Q6) If an advertisement uses Urdu, does it make it more effective and emotionally appealing?

Q7)How are the taglines decided? On the basis of the attributes of the product or on the basis of
the target audience?

Q8) According to you, is visual content more important for an ad or the language used?

Q9) According to the results of our questionnaire, people tend to remember Urdu taglines more.
What do you think is the reason behind that?

Q10) In today’s world, do you think advertisers can live without code switching?

Q11) Do you think that advertisements today incorporate more slang words. If yes, then why?
 27
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Appendix D: Interview Transcript I

(This interview was taken from Mr. Rizwan Kazmi, a marketing manager at Zameen.pk)

Q1) Do you put in a conscious effort in choosing a specific language for an ad?

Obviously, we take the language into consideration. For instance, first we sit down with
the top management and discuss what idea they have in mind and deduce a marketing
communication that is relevant to our target audience. (Kazmi, 2019)

Q2) Does the target audience influence the choice of words used in advertisements?

It depends. If it is an IMC (integrate marketing communication) campaign, we do

research at the ground level about what the consumers perceive our brand to be and what we
want them to perceive it as. After this we a backward working and we analyze and see what the
best communication can be.

A difference does occur on whether we choose Urdu or English depending on our target
audience. For Zameen, our communication is mostly in English but sometimes it is also in Urdu.
For instance the tagline for our previous campaign was in Urdu called’ “Har Pata Humain”. So
when we do use Urdu, we tend to write it in Roman English form.

We used Fawad Khan in our previous campaigns as we believe we are the best, so we
work with the best. (Kazmi, 2019)

Q3) How significant a role does script writing play in advisements?

I think script writing is the most important thing for an advertisement. We have specific
people hired for that purpose (Kazmi, 2019)

Q4) Does the language used vary from medium to medium?

Obviously, campaigns used for social media are designed different as compared to those
for print media. Our Facebook campaigns are mostly branding campaigns so they are customized
to that medium. (Kazmi, 2019)
 28
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Q5) According to you, is there an evolution in Pakistani advertisements as compared to the past?

I think Pakistani ads have improved a lot over the recent five years, but I also think there
is a long way to go. India is far ahead. The innovation we have experienced is that we take
reference from a Western or Indian ad and we mold to according to our culture. (Kazmi, 2019)

Q6) If an advertisement uses Urdu, does it make it more effective and emotionally appealing?

It depends not only on the audience, but also on the kind of product you are offering.
(Kazmi, 2019)

Q7)How are the taglines decided? On the basis of the attributes of the product or on the basis of
the target audience?

This depends from campaign to campaign. For instance, our first two campaigns were for
branding purposes only and our current campaign is a totally functional ad (Kazmi, 2019)

Q8) According to you, is visual content more important for an ad or the language used?

Visual is more important. Many people watch the ad breaks on their TV on mute so the
visual content is important to capture their attention. Even while driving, you only see the boards
and while browsing on social media, you only see the banners. (Kazmi, 2019)

Q9) According to the results of our questionnaire, people tend to remember Urdu taglines more.
What do you think is the reason behind that?

Because Urdu has more relevance to us, it’s our national language and what we normally
talk in in our homes and with friends. (Kazmi, 2019)

Q10) In today’s world, do you think advertisers can live without code switching?

In my personal capacity, I think it is every important because that is how we as Pakistanis

talk and read now. We need Roman English/Urdu to text and it is extremely hard for me to read a
newspaper written solely in Urdu. (Kazmi, 2019)

Q11) Do you think that advertisements today incorporate more slang words. If yes, then why?
 29
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Yes, Pakistani ads have started to use more and more slang words and I think this is done
because of the growing reach of social media. Slang words are especially used when a
campaign is designed for social media platforms like Facebook because such campaigns
are exposed to youngsters that actually use these slang words. (Kazmi, 2019)
 30
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Appendix E: Interview Transcript II

(This interview was taken from Ms. Faiza Farooq who is a part of the marketing team for Fauji
Fertilizers)

Q1) Is a conscious effort put in while choosing a specific language for an ad?

Yes the use of language and the correct use of words make a huge difference in the
conveying the right message (Faiza, 2019).
Q2) Does the target audience influence the choice of words used in advertisements?

Every concept and ad is made keeping the specific target group in mind; the product is
aimed for. Subsequently the choice of words is derived (Faiza, 2019)
Q3) How significant a role does script writing play in advertisements?

Once the message that needs to be conveyed gets decided- it’s just a matter of choosing
the right language and tone to set the mood (Faiza, 2019).
Q4) Does the language used in an ad vary from medium to medium?

No, one campaign needs to convey the same message which is then fabricated onto out of
home and media campaigns for conventional advertising whereas for digital the message can
vary but not necessarily (Faiza, 2019).
Q5) According to you, is there any evolution in Pakistani advertisements as compared to the
past?

Digital Media and even digital signs have become the priority for gaging consumer’s
attention since you can directly interact with them (Faiza, 2019).
Q6) If an ad uses Urdu, does it make the ad more effective and emotionally appealing?

Again, depends on the nature of brand and their guidelines. The message that needs to be
conveyed and the relevant audience. For a Media campaign, using a local language can impart
the message in an emotional manner if the product is for masses (Faiza, 2019).
 31
LANGUAGE USED IN ADVERTISEMENTS

Q7) How are the taglines decided, on the basis of the attributes of the product or on the
basis of the target audience?

Combination of both (Faiza, 2019).

Q8) According to you, is visual content for important in an ad or language being used is more
important?

They both go hand in hand (Faiza, 2019).

Q9) According to the results of our questionnaires, people tend to remember Urdu taglines more.
What could the reason behind that?

Reliability (Faiza, 2019).

Q10) In today's world, do you think that advertisers can live without code switching an ad?

I think it’s a great tool that has been handed to the advertisers in Pakistan owing to
bilingualism and giving it up is not a very smart idea (Faiza, 2019)

Q11) Do you think that advertisements today incorporate more slang words. If yes, then why?

Yes, slangs are used as a bridge to create an association with the audience (Faiza, 2019)