Cement Shoes

Abstract versus concrete language can make a brand sink or swim.

When consumers describe a product or customer experience using abstract, rather than concrete language, listeners perceive the item more positively, a study from Erasmus University, The Netherlands, reveals. When examining consumer attitudes and language, researchers Gaby A. C. Schellekens, Peeter W. J. Verlegh, and Ale Smidts found that consumers were more likely to use concrete language when describing a positive experience with a product or brand that they don’t like. Consumers who had a good experience with a product by a brand that they already liked, used abstract language to describe the item, and perception of experiences were deemed more positive when the descriptive language was abstract.

Management consultant Rosemarie Truman, managing partner at RHT Consulting, says that abstract messages “hit home” more than specific ones.