Linguistic aspects of English slogans in Indonesian products

Abstract

Slogans use a variety of language features to entice potential purchasers. For Indonesian products to compete worldwide successfully, companies must engage in more efficient marketing strategies, such as using English slogans. This study examines the linguistic aspects of English slogans produced by Indonesian brands. The question addressed in this research is related to linguistic aspects that occur in slogans. We collected a slogan corpus data consisting of 225 slogans. The slogans were taken from the Indonesian company’s product websites and marketplaces. The data were classified manually based on the linguistic aspects covering phonological style (Wales, 2011), word formation process, figurative language (Knowles & Moon, 2006), and speech acts (Searle, 2005). We present the data in both qualitative description and quantitative analysis using simple statistical measures. The results show that alliteration, hyperbole, and assertive statements are noticeable patterns that Indonesian companies use to promote their products. The reason why sound repetition occurs in slogans is to make the slogan more memorable. A simple morphological process is employed to generate slogans, which also helps readers remember them. Furthermore, the use of hyperbole makes the audience feel connected to the product. Finally, assertiveness as a primary pragmatic strategy promotes product quality and buyer benefits. From a linguistics perspective, our findings shed light on the criteria for slogans to be memorable.