“Gusto” or “Taste”? Anglicisms Change Perceived Product Risk and Product Appeal in Italian Print Advertising

Abstract

This research investigates the influence of anglicisms on the Product Appeal in Italian print advertising. Despite the pervasive use of anglicisms in the Italian advertising industry, little is known about their impact on the precursors to Product Appeal. Two original studies were conducted involving potato chips (convenience product) and stereo speakers (shopping product). The results showed no effect of anglicisms on the relationships between Perceived Product Differentiation, Perceived Price Fairness, Perceived Product Globalness, or Perceived Product Modernity and Product Appeal. However, Anglicisms consistently altered the relationship between Perceived Product Risk and Product Appeal. Specifically, while anglicisms decreased Perceived Product Risk for potato chips, they increased Perceived Product Risk for stereo speakers, suggesting the impact of anglicisms on Perceived Product Risk can operate in an independent mechanism and be product-dependent. This research provides a novel insight on how anglicisms can affect consumer psychology and adds a more nuanced understanding to previous literature regarding language choice in advertising.