The article alludes to a series of experiments that explored, "when and why consumers use abstract language in word-of-mouth messages, and how these differences in language-use affect the receiver." Apparently, "when consumers talk to each other about products, they generally respond more favorably to abstract language than concrete descriptions." Just take a look at consumer blogs––we see this all the time.
They gave consumers a description of a positive product experience, and asked them to estimate the sender's opinion about the products. And, the perceived opinion of the sender, or writer, was more positive when the description was put in more abstract terms. For descriptions of negative product experiences, the opinion of the sender was more negative when the description used abstract language––they wanted more proof, something more concrete to convince them otherwise. Since we usually end up depicting positive product experiences, their recommendation is to use more abstract language to convince someone of the consequences of buying your product.
What kind of language are we talking about when we talk about abstract language? Well, "delicious" is a general term; it includes within it many different possibilities. If I ask someone to form an image of "delicious," it could lead to all kinds of responses. Do you imagine an ice cream sundae? A single malt scotch? A dip in the Caribbean? Even if you can produce a distinct image in your mind that matches up with what I have in mind, how likely is that someone else will form the same image? Not very likely.
We can make the responses more predictable with a less general term. How about "sweet." This is still pretty general, but it's easier to imagine something that is delicious because it is sweet.
How about, "chocolaty?" Now your imagine is getting clearer, and it's easier to form an attitude toward the thing. The images we form are likely to be in the same ballpark, so this less general or more specific term communicates more clearly. You mouth may even start salivating.
Now what if all I do is talk about the specific product? What if all I do is talk about the chemistry and the craft of making the chocolate? What if all I do is talk about the price? Crap, crap and more crap. The problem is that your imagination doesn't get engaged. It doesn't discover an idea.
The point is that it's a fine balance. We have to plant just the right terms that guide a consumer's imagination. Too general and our argument is vague; too specific and our argument becomes irrelevant. It's easy to simply tell people specifically what to think; it's also easy to be wishy-washy. But getting the balance right is hard. It's a craft. And a great solution defies crappy labels.
