COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ADVERTISING SLOGANS OF INTERNATIONAL BRANDS IN KAZAKHSTAN: LOCALIZATION AND CULTURAL ADAPTATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52301/2957-5567-2025-4-4-86-97Keywords:
advertising localization; slogan; cultural adaptation; trilingualism; sociolinguistic markers; Kazakhstan; intercultural communicationAbstract
The study examines the localization and cultural adaptation of advertising slogans of international brands in Kazakhstan, based on a corpus of 100 units recorded in 2023–2025 It employs a mixed design: linguistic analysis plus sociolinguistic verification (survey and focus groups) with age- and language-based segmentation. A typology of four cross-linguistic strategies is identified – literal translation, calquing, adaptive, and innovative. Literal and calque versions reduce perlocutionary impact and appear stylistically artificial, whereas adaptive and innovative ones improve effectiveness by reworking metaphors, restructuring syntax, and anchoring in local codes. Stable markers of effectiveness include family and collectivist values, respect for tradition, path/health symbolism, and use of Kazakh (including bilingual constructions). Group differences are clear: Russian-speaking audiences emphasize accuracy and normativity; Kazakh-speaking audiences prioritize cultural relevance and emotional naturalness; younger respondents welcome code-switching and global elements, whereas older ones prefer monocode Kazakh versions.
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