Imagine a grandfather in his 80s using words like bae, bougie or rizz with a teenage grandchild. The kid likely won’t be receptive and will instead give grandpa the side-eye. The same’s true in business. A University of Iowa study finds when companies try to market themselves as cool using slang, it can be disastrous. Bryce Pyrah, a UI doctoral student in marketing, says people of similar ages use slang with each other as a way to bond and feel closer.
In the U-I study, researchers gauged consumer responses to real and fictional corporate social media posts, some that used slang, some that didn’t. Pyrah says they found brands using contemporary slang — words like slap, bae, ghost and lit — to reach a young audience usually just embarrassed themselves.
The study used a series of online surveys, asking participants to respond to the social media posts of numerous brands. In almost every case, they responded more negatively to those with slang than those without. There are exceptions though, Pyrah says, based on the “personality” of the brand.
The findings were consistent through various age groups, as all consumers found the use of slang inauthentic and failed to connect with it, with the exception of already-edgy brands. Pyrah says the main takeaway is that brands should avoid trying to sound hip in ads, especially when it doesn’t fit the brand’s personality.
