ON LINGUISTIC TOOLS OF CUSTOMER MANIPULATION IN MODERN ADVERTISING

Defining strategies for language manipulation in advertising has become particularly relevant in modern linguistics due to increased demand for the means of persuading potential buyers amid brisk competition in a saturated market. The purpose of the present research is to reveal linguistic tools of manipulating in English-language advertising. Theoretical background for the issue under investigation is based on the critical analysis of literature on modern linguistics and manipulation of customers. The linguistic characteristics of manipulation in advertising are defined by analysing lexical- semantic and pragmatic aspects of the issue under study. The Internet and TV commercials have become the major source of ads that employ the continuous sampling method. This research is in many respects interdisciplinary since its object has the basis in the interaction of linguistics, psychology and marketing. Consequently, the main focus of attention of the present research is on the procedure of persuasion including the choice of certain lexical units and grammar patterns aimed at enhancing the desire of the consumer to purchase certain goods. Special attention is given to the contradictory nature of the verbal components of the advertising text with regard to word frequency, the use of concrete and abstract words and the employment of imperatives and negative forms. Ultimately, the results of this research may not only be successfully used in running university advertising courses but also serve as a guideline for copywriters to communicate with the target audience.