The Role of Language in Black Friday Consumer Behavior

Written by Natalia Basiuk, follow her on LinkedIn.

 

One of the biggest shopping events before the holiday season is Black Friday. Businessmen and businesses across the globe prepare for this season's shopping extravaganza, providing consumers with markdowns and early bird specials. Nevertheless, the use and perception of language can influence consumer behavior in this all-important shopping period.

Leveraging Scarcity and Urgency

The language is significant in how shoppers perceive and react to the Black Friday promotions. The name itself went from the reference to when retailers got "in the black" (profitable) through an old craze over no-time sales items. How advertisements, signage and marketing materials are worded can set consumer expectations and encourage purchasing decisions.

Look for instance at the release words such as ‘while stock lasts,’ or ‘only a few pieces in stock,’ this frightens the shoppers to get out of their homes perceiving that they stand the risk of losing on the best deal due to an impending shortage. At the same time, it is equally possible to target some of those consumers through the use of more liberal language like ‘shop early and avoid the crowds’.

The Power of Percentages vs. Dollar Amounts

Language also affects an individual's perceptions and responses toward discounts and pricing. This research compares the use of percentage discounts such as 50% off with flat dollar discounts including saving $50, among customer segments. The studies also posed the reason as to why people prefer to be associated with a percentage tag such as ‘50 percent off,’ which sells the same value as an equivalent dollar amount.

Highlighting Product Features and Benefits

Also, the written or oral explanation of product characteristics and the advantages and disadvantages of a product affects the ordering of the buying criteria. These implications are useful for theory and practice, stating that different types of retailers, who use persuasions, positive and negative emotions, and the benefits of promotional items, may achieve better Black Friday performance by attracting and maintaining customers.

Language-Based Tactics: Doorbuster & Flash Sale

An instance when our wording affects how we buy is "doorbuster." Meaning when it comes to the most severely marked down or hottest merchandise (when you bust down your door to buy one), this term connotes urgency and competition among shoppers. It plays on an idea of exclusivity, that consumers will be missing out if they do not buy fast.

A further language-centric tactic retailers use is a "limited-time offer," or "flash sale." These phrases induce time-limited pressure that the deals will only be available for limited amounts of time. It can also encourage shoppers to buy right away, due to a fear of missing out on the chance.

The Framing of Discounts and Deals

Other than this, as far as language is concerned from a marketing and advertising point of view; the Black Friday promotions and offers announcements are also capable of producing other positives to your consumers. For the episode, a public purpose trader might speak adult around a customer that the rapper is profuse so or other commission less inexpensive than make’s dubious tariff while in it furthermore serves as pearly in its third notice.

Perhaps this is a partial translation of "Black Friday", which in Italian transforms into "Venerdì Nero" (way more aggressive than the soft English version). Such a minor detail in the language however is likely to affect how it is even thought about and responded to by consumers, evoking cooler emotions for it than that which the English-speaking world can muster for "Black Friday".

To find the best Italian translation services, visit https://translationreport.com/italian-translation-services The Takeaway: The Language of Persuasion

All in all, the origin of Black Friday purchasing behavior would be down to language. The event is an objective reality, but the language that retailers (or anybody else) employ to market their wares can change the lens through which customers view and respond to it. With this knowledge, the retailers would be able to spin more relevant marketing narratives and offer their customers a shopping experience that will intrigue them as well as keep them engaged.