The Role of Language in Brand Identity Construction Among Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprises in Ibadan

This study investigates the role of language in brand identity construction among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria. Branding language, including business names, slogans, and marketing copy, constitutes a significant communicative resource for Nigerian enterprises, yet the linguistic strategies deployed by SME operators in constructing brand identities have not been formally studied. The research adopts a qualitative discourse analysis approach informed by semiotics and the framework of commercial language. Data were collected through structured interviews with 40 SME proprietors in Ibadan's main commercial districts, supplemented by documentary analysis of 200 business names, signage, and promotional materials. The analysis examines naming strategies, language choice, creative wordplay, and cultural reference in SME brand language. Findings reveal that Ibadan SMEs demonstrate sophisticated code-mixing strategies in brand naming, combining Yoruba cultural concepts with English commercial registers to construct identities that simultaneously signal local rootedness and cosmopolitan aspiration. Religious language, particularly references to Christian and Islamic blessings, is documented as a dominant naming strategy across sectors. The study contributes to commercial linguistics scholarship in Nigeria and recommends that business development training for SMEs incorporate language strategy as a component of brand management education. Keywords: brand identity, language, small and medium enterprises, Ibadan, commercial linguistics.