Executive Summary

This executive summary provides a comprehensive overview of study’s rationale, method, key findings, and implications for researchers and practitioners.

Rationale and Research Gap

Despite the prevalence of verbal ambiguity devices like wordplay in modern communication and advertising, there is a lack of cumulative synthesis concerning their specific effect on authenticity perception in branding and messaging. Existing knowledge on this topic is often fragmented across disciplines, with marketing research focusing on persuasion outcomes, linguistic studies examining structural properties, and psychological research exploring cognitive mechanisms without integration (McQuarrie & Mick, 1999; Warlaumont, 1995; Puntoni et al., 2011). Most importantly, this SLR reveals that two parallel streams of authenticity research rarely talk to each other: clarity-based authenticity versus ambiguity-based authenticity, with almost no studies integrating both pathways into a single theoretical model. This fragmentation prevents comprehensive understanding of how different message types influence authenticity perception, creating a significant gap between theoretical insights and practical application in brand communication strategy.

Research Aims and Objectives

This study systematically investigates and synthesizes extant literature concerning the relationship between verbal elements (ambiguous and ordinary) and perceived authenticity. The review aims to map out what is known and identify methodological and theoretical gaps, with specific objectives to: (1) compare effects of ambiguous versus ordinary messages on authenticity perception; (2) identify cognitive and affective mechanisms mediating these effects; (3) map boundary conditions that moderate each pathway’s impact; (4) develop an integrated dual-pathway conceptual framework to guide future research and practice; and (5) synthesize findings from 42 empirical studies using broadened definition (credibility, trust, sincerity, clarity, realness, honesty, congruence, legitimacy, or deception).

Methodology

A PRISMA-compliant systematic literature review was conducted using explicit and systematic methods to minimize bias. The search, selection, and reporting process followed PRISMA guidelines, with structured screening of 1,461 initial records identified through comprehensive database searching (primarily Scopus) and reduced according to predefined inclusion criteria. Studies were coded for message type (ambiguous vs. ordinary), ambiguity type (metaphorical, rhetorical, polysemic, pun-based), authenticity relevance (presence of credibility, trust, sincerity, clarity, realness, honesty, congruence, legitimacy, or deception constructs), and additional variables including methodology, sample characteristics, and contextual factors. Quality assessment followed established guidelines for systematic reviews in marketing and communication research, with inter-rater reliability calculated for screening decisions.

Key Findings

Quantitative Evidence

The final dataset comprised 42 empirical studies published between 1988-2025, with 17 studies (40.5%) specifically examining authenticity-related outcomes. Analysis revealed two distinct pathways to authenticity operating through different mechanisms and contextual conditions.

Dual-Pathway Synthesis

The most significant contribution is the identification of two distinct pathways to authenticity:

Pathway A (Clarity-Oriented): Ambiguous messages undermine authenticity when they reduce perceived clarity, diagnosticity, or transparency. Consumers interpret vagueness as evasion, manipulation, or lack of sincerity, particularly in high-stakes contexts (health, climate, safety), utilitarian product categories, or when factual transparency is expected. This pathway operates through straightforward cognitive processing where authenticity emerges from perceived honesty and transparency.

Pathway B (Meaning-Oriented): Ambiguous messages can enhance authenticity when they enable interpretive freedom, depth, and personal resonance. Consumers perceive ambiguous messages as more meaningful, sophisticated, or sincere when they invite reflection, allow moral nuance, or facilitate identity-based interpretation. This pathway operates through more complex cognitive engagement where authenticity emerges from perceived sophistication, moral nuance, identity alignment, and interpretive freedom.

Mechanistic Pathways

Multiple mechanisms linking message characteristics to authenticity were identified through thematic synthesis:

For Clarity-Oriented Pathway:

1. Ambiguity → Lower Clarity → Lower Authenticity: Vague, unclear communication reduces perceived sincerity, credibility, diagnosticity, and trustworthiness
2. Contextual Sensitivity: Effects amplified in high-stakes domains, utilitarian products, and when factual transparency is expected
3. Negative Intention Attribution: Consumers interpret ambiguity as deliberate obfuscation or manipulation

For Meaning-Oriented Pathway:

1. Ambiguity → Perceived Sincerity/Identity Alignment → Higher Authenticity: Interpretive engagement enhances perceived authenticity
2. Strategic Multi-Audience Appeal: Different audiences find “their own truth” in messages, producing perceived inclusiveness
3. Positive Intention Attribution: Ambiguity perceived as moral nuance, thoughtfulness, or artistic expression
4. Linguistic Depth Appreciation: High need-for-cognition consumers value interpretive complexity

Dual-Pathway Conceptual Model

Based on synthesized findings, an integrated conceptual model is proposed recognizing two distinct pathways to authenticity:

Foundation Mechanism: Ambiguity → Perceived intention → Authenticity evaluation

Pathway A (Clarity-Oriented): Negative intention attribution (evasion, manipulation) → Lower authenticity

Pathway B (Meaning-Oriented): Positive intention attribution (thoughtfulness, moral nuance, inclusivity) → Higher authenticity

This dual-pathway model represents a major theoretical contribution by integrating two parallel streams of authenticity research that have previously operated in isolation.

Boundary Conditions

The effectiveness of each pathway varies significantly across contexts:

Clarity-Oriented Pathway Dominates When:

• Consumers want clear facts
• Product is utilitarian
• Stakes are high (health, safety, climate)
• Trust-recovery situations
• New brand introduction

Meaning-Oriented Pathway Prevails When:

• Product is hedonic/symbolic
• Message is identity-based
• Consumers enjoy interpretive meaning-making
• Brand voice is artistic/poetic/philosophical
• Topic requires moral nuance
• Message must resonate with diverse audiences

Theoretical and Practical Implications

Theoretical Contributions

This review makes several significant theoretical contributions. First, it introduces a dual-pathway framework that resolves previous contradictions by recognizing that authenticity operates through different mechanisms for ambiguous versus ordinary messages. Second, the model identifies perceived intention as a critical moderator that determines whether ambiguity enhances or undermines authenticity. Third, the model specifies contextual boundary conditions that determine when each pathway is more effective. Fourth, the recognition that almost no studies integrate both pathways into a single theoretical model represents a significant gap in literature that this review begins to address.

Practical Applications

These findings highlight that authenticity can emerge through fundamentally different pathways depending on message characteristics and contextual factors. The review provides theoretical integration across fragmented disciplines and practical guidance for implementing both ordinary and ambiguous messaging strategies in brand communication.

Marketers should consider pathway selection criteria based on brand category assessment, target audience analysis, and competitive context evaluation when deciding whether to deploy ordinary versus ambiguous messaging. The dual-pathway framework provides decision frameworks for marketers seeking to navigate the tension between strategic communication and authentic brand relationships.

Limitations and Future Research

While this review provides comprehensive synthesis, several limitations should be noted. The search was limited to English-language publications, potentially missing relevant research in other languages. The predominance of Western contexts in existing research limits generalizability to non-Western cultural settings. Future research should address these limitations through cross-cultural validation, longitudinal studies examining sustained effects of both pathways, and investigation of how ordinary and ambiguous messaging function in digital and interactive contexts.

Conclusion

This systematic literature review provides the first comprehensive synthesis of evidence regarding the relationship between linguistic ambiguity and authenticity perception in brand communication. By analyzing 42 empirical studies across multiple disciplines and methodologies, this review reveals that authenticity operates through two distinct pathways that have previously been studied in isolation.

The most significant contribution of this SLR is the identification of dual pathways to authenticity: clarity-based authenticity through ordinary messaging, and interpretation-based authenticity through ambiguous messaging. This dual-pathway model resolves apparent contradictions in existing literature by recognizing that authenticity can emerge through fundamentally different mechanisms depending on message characteristics and contextual factors.

The theoretical framework integrates multiple mechanisms—interpretive engagement, perceived intention, symbolic meaning construction, and clarity-based credibility—into a comprehensive model that explains when and how different message types enhance authenticity perceptions. The identified boundary conditions provide practical guidance for marketers considering when to deploy ordinary versus ambiguous messaging strategies.

Key findings reveal that ambiguity enhances authenticity when consumers enjoy interpretive meaning-making, products are hedonic or symbolic, brand voice is artistic or philosophical, topics require moral nuance, or messages must resonate with diverse audiences. Conversely, ambiguity undermines authenticity when consumers want clear facts, products are utilitarian, stakes are high, ambiguity is perceived as deceptive, or clarity norms are violated.

This review contributes to both theoretical advancement and practical application by providing the first integrated dual-pathway framework for understanding authenticity in brand communication, offering a foundation for future research while providing actionable insights for marketing practitioners seeking to navigate the tension between strategic communication and authentic brand relationships. The recognition that almost no studies integrate both pathways into a single theoretical model represents a significant gap in literature that this review begins to address.

Keywords

Ambiguity, Wordplay, Polysemy, Slogans, Authenticity Perception, Brand Communication, Systematic Literature Review, Interpretive Engagement, Symbolic Meaning, PRISMA, Dual Pathways Model, Conceptual Framework