Marken als Kulturträger. Die kulturvermittelnde Rolle von österreichischen und ungarischen Produkten – eine kontrastive sprachpragmatische Untersuchung

Brands as culture carriers. The culture-mediating role of Austrian and Hungarian products - a contrastive linguistic-pragmatic study.

Brands are not only consumer goods, they also have a role as bearer of cultural values and as cultural mediators: they create cultural identity through their name and the associations consumers make connect with them. In this respect, brands act in two directions: on the one hand, consumers transmit specific cultural values or cultural 'preferences' to the outside world through brands. On the other hand, by perceiving and accepting brands (and their product categories) on the basis of our cultural "preferences", brands influence consumers' cultural identity and thus their worldview.

For a brand to convey cultural identity, it must be associated with a particular culture. This link can be created through different linguistic and non-linguistic means.

In our research, we want to explore the process of "cultural branding" in an interdisciplinary way and answer the following research questions:

1) To what extent do brands in Austria and Hungary carry cultural values?
1a) How are international brands perceived in Austria and Hungary?
1b) What cultural values do Hungarian brands convey to Austrian consumers?
1c) What associations are made with Hungarian brands in the mental lexicon of Austrian consumers?
1d) What cultural values do Austrian brands convey to Hungarian consumers?
1e) What associations are made with Austrian brands in the mental lexicon of Hungarian consumers?

2) Is the perception of the cultural role of brands dependent on the product category?

3) What is the role of explicit (brand name, national flag) and implicit (e.g. advertising figure dressed in traditional costume, typical landscape images) cultural marketing elements in cultural branding?

4) To what extent are the values carried by culture transferable to unfamiliar brands?

5) How do foreign words influence product descriptions on packages?

6) To what extent does the acceptance of a culture influence brand acceptance?

7) What information is transmitted though brand names and their advertising about Austrian and Hungarian culture

The research is supported by the Austrian-Hungarian Action Foundation.

The project leaders are:

Dr. habil. KOVÁCS László; Eötvös Loránd University

Dr. habil. KEGYES Erika, Universität Innsbruck