Staying true to your word: how brand name pronounceability shapes brand credibility in marketing communication

Building trust is always seen as a firm’s long-term goal. Yet, little is known about creating a credible brand by taking brand name pronounceability design as the starting point. Diverse strategies of brand name pronounceability design widely exist in marketing practice; some are fairly easy to pronounce, while others are strange and mouthful (e.g., “Deloitte” versus “Ernst & Young”). Three main studies were conducted to explore the effect. Drawing on the perceptual fluency/misattribution (PF/M) model, the current research suggests that brand name pronounceability boosts misattribution to ad truthiness, leading to better evaluations of brand credibility. However, this influence does not extend to contexts when the brand name is subtly presented. This research (1) provides deep insight into the dimensions of brand name pronounceability, (2) refines the application perspectives of the PF/M model, and (3) critically supplements the research stream of brand name pronounceability aftereffects. Also, our findings provide practical guidance for marketers and brand managers.