Creating luxury brand names in the hospitality and tourism sector: The role of sound symbolism in destination branding

TY - JOUR

T1 - Creating luxury brand names in the hospitality and tourism sector

T2 - The role of sound symbolism in destination branding

AU - Motoki, Kosuke

AU - Park, Jaewoo

AU - Pathak, Abhishek

AU - Spence, Charles

N1 - ©2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PY - 2023/12

Y1 - 2023/12

N2 - Service firms can use sensory cues to provide a perception of luxury in terms of quality and service. In the area of destination branding, brand names are one of the core elements of brands that help communicate their image to a consumer in the hospitality and tourism sector. Psycholinguistics research demonstrates that linguistic cues embedded within brand names can be used to convey the image of a brand. Relying on the latest literature on psycholinguistics, branding, and hospitality services, the present study investigates the sounds and/or letters present in fictional brand names that may enhance their perception of luxury. The results demonstrate that higher-frequency sounds (e.g., i, e, f, s, v, z) appear to increase the perception of luxury brands more than lower-frequency sounds (e.g., u, o, b, d, g). Among various speech sounds, the letter v in names also increases the intention to visit luxury hospitality services (restaurants, hotels). These findings demonstrate how brands in the hospitality and tourism sectors can use certain linguistic features to signal their perception of luxury to tourists.

AB - Service firms can use sensory cues to provide a perception of luxury in terms of quality and service. In the area of destination branding, brand names are one of the core elements of brands that help communicate their image to a consumer in the hospitality and tourism sector. Psycholinguistics research demonstrates that linguistic cues embedded within brand names can be used to convey the image of a brand. Relying on the latest literature on psycholinguistics, branding, and hospitality services, the present study investigates the sounds and/or letters present in fictional brand names that may enhance their perception of luxury. The results demonstrate that higher-frequency sounds (e.g., i, e, f, s, v, z) appear to increase the perception of luxury brands more than lower-frequency sounds (e.g., u, o, b, d, g). Among various speech sounds, the letter v in names also increases the intention to visit luxury hospitality services (restaurants, hotels). These findings demonstrate how brands in the hospitality and tourism sectors can use certain linguistic features to signal their perception of luxury to tourists.

KW - Destination branding

KW - Brand names

KW - Sound symbolism

KW - Sound branding

KW - Luxury brands

KW - Luxury hospitality

KW - Luxury tourism

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85169824990

U2 - 10.1016/j.jdmm.2023.100815

DO - 10.1016/j.jdmm.2023.100815

M3 - Article

SN - 2212-571X

VL - 30

JO - Journal of Destination Marketing and Management

JF - Journal of Destination Marketing and Management

M1 - 100815

ER -