Marka isimleri ve ses simgeciliği arasındaki etkileşim ve bu etkileşimin tüketicilerin algısı üzerindeki etkisi

To reduce product uncertainty against increasing number of new brands launched into the market each year, customers would prefer brand names which convey meaning about the products. In such cases, they might also prefer sound symbolic brand names, which convey meaning about the products through sounds in their names. Initiated from this fact, this study attempts to examine whether sound symbolism is an alternative method for creating brand names conveying meaning about products in Turkish. In this context, this study initially analyzes the interplay between sounds of brand names and consumers' perceptions regarding smallness and thinness dimensions which are regarded as two of the main visual product attributes. Then, it analyzes the effects of sounds on brand name preferences for a small, large, thin and thick product. Two studies were conducted and total of 1085 responses were collected. These responses were analyzed with paired samples t-tests, cross tabulation and Pearson chi square tests. Results revelaed that consumers perceive brand names including front vowels (/i/, /e/) and fricatives (/f/, /v/) smaller and thinner than brand names including back vowels (/o/, /u/) and stops (/g/, /k/). Moreover, they would prefer brand names including front vowels and fricatives for smaller and thinner products; and brand names including back vowels and stops for larger and thicker products. In this way, the study contributes to prevailing sound symbolism literature by corroborating the universal sound symbolism effects. Additionally, it contributes to marketing practice by showing that use of sound symbolism could be a way to create brand names conveying inherent meaning about products in Turkish, as well.