The Social Meanings of Urban Vernaculars: Differentiating Effects of Citélanguage in Advertising

• In Event: Communication in Public: From the Streets to Institutions and Businesses

Abstract

Many urban areas have become multilingual, as is the case in the former ghettoized areas (cités) of Flemish Limburg. The urban vernacular, Citélanguage, has gained popularity in mainstream media targeting Flemish youth, including advertising. Yet, its effectiveness has hardly been studied. In this experimental study we join language accommodation theory, sociolinguistics and advertising studies to examine its persuasiveness. Next to sociodemographic variances, local and ethnic identities are singled out as possible predictors of advertising responses. Moreover, the social meanings attributed to Citélanguage (cf. affective norms studies) are quantified by means of afree response task. The results suggest that language accommodation is a viable strategy to address the wider youth population in Flanders. Yet, the valence attributed to Citélanguage accounts for most variances in advertising attitudes and particularly steers the behavioral intentions of non-ethnic Flemish youth. This confirms a de-ethnicization of the vernacular itself, paving the way for inclusive advertising as well as an interdisciplinary research agenda.

Authors

• Joyce Koeman, KU Leuven

• Stefania Marzo, Katholieke U Leuven