Advertising and Promotion Management Commons^™

The Korean Language And The Effects Of Its Honorifics System In Advertising: Deferential Vs. Informal Speech As Regulatory Prime On Persuasive Impact, Jin K. Han, Yong Seok Sohn, Kun Woo Yoo

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

A very prominent feature of the Korean language is its extensive honorifics system, where the speaker is obliged to adopt a level of speech (deferential vs. informal) befitting the status of the target audience. As the context for using deferential (informal) speech parallels the setting for prevention (promotion) focus, we set out to examine whether the Korean honorifics system itself functions as a natural prime for regulatory orientation. In Study 1, we find that deferential (informal) speech style activates prevention (promotion) focus in the addressee. Accordingly, we show that ad copies in deferential (informal) speech style resulted in regulatory fit …