The Impact of Language Choice in Advertising on Egyptian Consumers’ Purchase Intention: A Comparative Analysis of Egyptian Colloquial Arabic and English Advertisements

The language used in advertising is not merely aesthetic; it also signals identity, conveys sociological meanings, and positions brands in the marketplace. In Egypt, advertisers frequently alternate between Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA) and English when promoting consumer goods in competitive markets. This integrative literature review examines purchase intention among Egyptian consumers in relation to the use of ECA versus English as the primary advertising language. It explores the psychological and contextual factors that shape how language choice in advertising affects Egyptian consumers’ purchasing decisions. The review synthesizes empirical evidence from experimental studies, content analyses of advertising messages, and theory-driven research on how advertising language influences purchasing intent and related evaluative outcomes. Across the evidence base, English-language advertisements appear to be more influential on purchase intention than ECA advertisements in specific contexts (e.g., high-status products, urban educated consumers), even though consumer attitudes toward the product and the ad itself may not always differ strongly across languages. At the same time, ECA advertisements play a central role in Egyptian advertising practice and cultural communication, especially in mass-market campaigns and relational branding, where accessibility and social proximity are crucial. The review further highlights how variables such as symbolic value, trust, cultural sensitivity, and consumer profiles (education level, language proficiency, socioeconomic status) interact with language choice to shape purchase intention. Rather than supporting the universal superiority of either language, the review proposes a contingency framework specifying when and why each language variety is likely to be effective. These findings underscore the need for Egyptian brand managers to treat language as a strategic element of advertising design, aligning it carefully with target segments, product categories, and positioning goals.