Attempting to cash in on trending slang terms like “67” can actively damage consumer engagement unless a company has already established a genuinely “edgy” brand personality, researchers have warned.
A new study from the University of Texas at Dallas found that while slang now appears in nearly 20 per cent of corporate social media posts, consumers react negatively when formal or family-oriented companies try to adopt street language.
“Slang identifies your social affiliation,” said Dr. Ying Xie, professor of marketing in the Naveen Jindal School of Management. “It’s an identity that tells you who is in the group versus who is not in the group. For someone with whom you don’t have this relationship, slang might be considered inappropriate.”
Deliberately vague
The term “67” — pronounced “six seven” — was recently named Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year for 2025. The phrase carries a deliberately vague meaning, often accompanied by hand gestures interpreted as “so-so” or “maybe this, maybe that”.
The researchers analysed social media data to determine how this linguistic ambiguity plays out in marketing. They found distinct differences based on brand perception: the “exciting” energy drink brand Monster Energy saw less negative impact from using slang than the “sincere” tea brand AriZona.
“Using slang can lower the consumer engagement with social media posts,” said Xie. “A brand does not have that social relationship with you. Consumers who are not familiar with the brand don’t engage with it as a friend.”
The study identified one major loophole: influencers. When fitness brand Peloton used slang in corporate posts, the impact was insignificant. However, engagement rose when the same language came from an influencer, likely because audiences view them as social personalities rather than commercial entities.
“Everybody knows a brand is a commercial entity with monetary motives,” said Xie. “When they start using slang, consumers think, ‘Why are they talking to me like that? That is not my expectation. That’s not very authentic.’”
