“You Must Try Our Taco!”: Advancing the Power of Language Assertiveness in Food Advertising

Abstract

Assertive advertising messages, such as “You must try our taco!” are ubiquitous in the hospitality industry. However, the effectiveness of assertive language as a food advertising strategy is not well understood. Drawing on language expectancy theory, this research examines how language assertiveness shapes consumers’ responses to food advertisements featuring organic versus conventional food. Findings reveal that assertive (vs. nonassertive) language boosts consumers’ intentions to purchase organic food, whereas nonassertive (vs. assertive) language increases consumers’ intentions to purchase conventional food. Furthermore, our mediation analysis reveals that brand competence inference serves as the psychological mechanism underlying the impact of language assertiveness and food type on purchase intention.