Multi-Lingual Ads

In the increasingly competitive world of global marketing, how does a multinational company based in the United States, Belgium or Japan decide what language to use in television advertisements aimed at selling products in India? Is it best to advertise in Hindi, the native language of India, or English, the language that most urban people in India also speak and understand?

Researchers from the Universities of Minnesota and Michigan have
discovered that the answer depends a lot on the product being sold.
Luxury products, like high-end chocolate, sell better in bilingual
countries if English is used, but necessities such as detergent sell
better if advertised in a country's native language, the researchers
found. But the best choice may be a blend of the languages.

"The issue of bilingual consumers is increasingly crucial for multinational corporations," said Rohini Ahluwalia, a marketing researcher at Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. "To someone in Spain, an advertisement for a luxury item from a foreign firm could have a more positive impact if delivered in English or 'Spanglish' than if it were delivered only in Spanish," Ahluwalia said. "Conversely, if the advertised product was a necessity, the
native language may be more persuasive."

A study Ahluwalia and University of Michigan marketing researcher Aradhna Krishna conducted in India revealed that language choice is loaded with symbolism and sorting out what works is difficult. The Hindi
language was associated with "belongingness," while English was
associated with "sophistication," the researchers said. The
implications for those multi-million dollar advertising budgets can
be serious. English-only ads by foreign companies work better than
local language ads, which "may backfire, invoking skepticism in the
consumer" Ahluwalia said. But "the safest bet is to use
mixed-language ads."