Say no to highly processed foods: do difficult-to-pronounce brand names lead to health concerns?

Purpose Grounded in the Fluency Heuristic (FH) theory, this research aims to examine the negative effect of difficult-to-pronounce (vs easy-to-pronounce) brand names on food preference across diverse food categories (candy, juice, potato chips and wine). Design/methodology/approach To reveal the FH mechanism underlying the brand name pronounceability effect, this research designed and conducted a series of studies: a focus group study, an implicit association test and four scenario-based experiments. The rationale for this approach is detailed below. Findings The results suggest that difficult-to-pronounce (vs easy-to-pronounce) brand names hurt food preference because of increased inferred food processing degree (IFPD) and health concerns. In addition, the brand name pronounceability effect does not extend to contexts of healthy (vs hedonic) food and traditional (vs nontraditional) production. Research limitations/implications This research acknowledges limitations in its singular theoretical focus, potentially confounding the cross-cultural sample, and methodological ecological validity (cross-modal stimuli and binary food categorization). Future research should integrate diverse theoretical perspectives, use comparative cultural designs, and use refined experimental measures to advance understanding of brand name pronounceability effects. Practical implications This work offers actionable guidance to practitioners (e.g. brand managers, food manufacturers, advertisers, retailers and marketers). For hedonic or nontraditionally produced foods, easy-to-pronounce names offer a competitive edge in consumer preference; besides brand name pronounceability, other cues of IFPD need to be leveraged; beyond instant inference, generating positive impressions of healthiness in consumers’ minds could be a long-term goal. Originality/value This research contributes to the field of food marketing and brand name speech by extending the application perspective of FH theory, substantially enriching the research stream of consumer responses to food name speech and demonstrating that the principles of brand name pronounceability generalize to the food context.