ABSTRACT
A brand name is a powerful tool for shaping consumers' attitudes toward a product, particularly in the currently exploding ecommerce domain and in digital marketing. One important superficial feature of a word is its complexity, which is determined by features such as a word's length or pronounceability. Most recently, Silva and Topolinski explored the impact of word complexity in the digital consumer domain, using eBay as an example where superficial features of words, namely of the usernames of the sellers, play a role for consumer attitudes. A word's sound can affect consumer attitudes and should therefore be considered an important factor when searching for the right brand or product name. The articulation direction of words seems to be a robust determinant of attractiveness of the words. In one line of research exploring the managerial implications of brand name articulation directions, Topolinski and Boecker presented participants with images of food items and asked how palatable participants felt the food to be.
