Rhetorical Repetition: A Fluency Perspective on Marketing Communications
(A2025-125829)

AUTHORS

Lennart Kehl, Goethe University Frankfurt; Niklas Schröder, Goethe University Frankfurt; JAN LANDWEHR, Goethe University Frankfurt

ABSTRACT

Consumers exhibit preferences for sounds associated with brands. This phenomenon finds particular application in a brand’s slogan, which is usually intended to positively contribute to the two pillars of brand equity: memorability and likeability. We suggest that the presence of rhetorical repetition (i.e., the strategical usage of sound repetition in marketing communications) is an unexplored yet effective means to achieve these important branding goals. Further, we propose that processing fluency, the subjective experience of ease or difficulty of processing information, acts as the underlying mechanism. We demonstrate the positive impact of rhetorical repetition across real-life phenomena, a survey study, and an experiment. The results suggest, however, that not all forms of rhetorical repetition (i.e., alliterations, rhymes, pure repetition, brand repetition) are created equal.