The Role of Storytelling in Brand Experience Creation

Öz

This study aims to determine the relationship between the concepts of brand experience and storytelling. The emotional and behavioral effects (such as satisfaction, experience, trust, and loyalty) of these concepts on the relationship between the brand and the customer are examined. As a data collection method, focus group interviews (three sessions) which is a qualitative research method, were used. The focus group consists of total of 16 participants, 8 women and 8 men, aged between 20 and 30. Due to budget and time constraints, convenience sampling method, which is one of the non-random sampling methods, was employed. A total of 18 questions were asked to the participants. Participants initially responded to questions encompassing the concept of the brand, followed by questions related to storytelling within the brand experience process. The findings were analyzed and interpreted. According to the study's results, storytelling serves as a catalyst in brand experience. It was revealed that a well- fictionalized and authentically conveyed story targeting consumers' emotions through appropriate channels enhances empathy and persuades consumers.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Brand experience
• Brand communication
• Storytelling
• Experience

Etik Beyan

In line with the “COPE-Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors” the following statements are included: The Izmir Kâtip Çelebi University Social Research Ethics Committee confirmed that there is no ethical problem in conducting this research. (The Resolution Number and the date of Board Meeting: 2022/19-10 – 29.11.2022).

Marka Deneyimi Yaratma Sürecinde Hikâye Anlatıcılığının Rolü

Öz

Bu çalışma, marka deneyimi ve hikâye anlatıcılığı kavramları arasındaki ilişkiyi tespit etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Marka deneyimi ve hikâye anlatıcılığı kavramlarının, marka ile müşteri arasındaki ilişkide yarattığı duygusal ve davranışsal etkiler (memnuniyet, deneyim, güven ve sadakat gibi) incelenmiştir. Veri toplama yöntemi olarak nitel bir araştırma yöntemi olan odak grup görüşmeleri (üç oturum) kullanılmıştır. Odak grup görüşmelerinde 20 ile 30 yaş aralığında bulunan 8 kadın ve 8 erkek olmak üzere toplam 16 katılımcı yer almıştır. Bütçe ve zaman kısıtlarının olması nedeniyle tesadüfi olmayan örnekleme yöntemlerinden kolayda örnekleme yöntemine başvurulmuştur. Katılımcılara toplam 18 soru yöneltilmiştir. Katılımcılardan öncelikle marka olgusunu kapsayan soruları, daha sonra marka deneyimi sürecinde hikâye anlatıcılığına ilişkin soruları yanıtlamaları istenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular detaylıca analiz edilmiş ve yorumlanmıştır. Çalışma sonuçlarına göre, hikâye anlatıcılığının marka deneyiminde bir bakıma katalizör görevi üstlendiği görülmektedir. Tüketicilerin duygularına hitap eden, iyi bir şekilde kurgulanmış ve doğru kanallarla ifade edilen gerçek bir hikâyenin tüketicilerde empatiyi arttırdığı ve onları ikna ettiği ortaya konulmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Marka deneyimi
• Marka iletişimi
• Hikâye anlatıcılığı
• Deneyim

Etik Beyan

“COPE-Dergi Editörleri İçin Davranış Kuralları ve En İyi Uygulama İlkeleri” çerçevesinde aşağıdaki beyanlara yer verilmiştir: Bu araştırmanın gerçekleştirilmesinde etik açıdan sakınca bulunmadığı İzmir Kâtip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sosyal Araştırmalar Etik Kurulunun 29.11.2022 tarihli 2022/19-10 kararıyla tespit edilmiştir.

Kaynakça

1. Akbayır, Z. (2016). Bana bir hikâye anlat: Marka iletişiminde hikayeleştirme ve internet. Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi İletişim Araştırmaları Dergisi, 6(2), 67-84.
2. Alexander, B., & Levine, A. (2008). Web 2.0 storytelling: Emergence of a new genre. EDUCAUSE Review, 43(6), 40-56.
3. Alloza, A. (2008). Brand engagement and brand experience at BBVA, the transformation of a 150 years old company. Corporate Reputation Review, 11, 371-379.
4. Andreu, L., Bigné, E., Chumpitaz, R., & Swaen, V. (2006). How does the perceived retail environment influence consumers' emotional experience? Evidence from two retail settings. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 16(5), 559-578.
5. Arnould, E. J., Price, L., & Zinkhan, G. M. (2002). Consumers. McGraw-Hill.
6. Arslan, C. (2015). Şehir markalaşmasının pazarlama açısından öne çıkan faktörlerinin değerlendirilmesi ile ilgili bir araştırma [Yüksek lisans tezi, Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi]. YÖK Ulusal Tez Merkezi Veri Tabanı.
7. Bapat, D., & Thanigan, J. (2016). Exploring relationship among brand experience dimensions, brand evaluation and brand loyalty. Global Business Review, 17(6), 1357-1372.
8. Başfırıncı, Ç. (2011). Sembolik tüketim ve tüketim öykülerinin hermeneutik yaklaşımla yorumlanmasına ilişkin bir uygulama. International Journal of Economic & Administrative Studies, 4(7), 183-210.

9. Batı, U. (2018). Markethink ya da farkethink. Destek Yayınları.
10. Beckman, E., Kumar, A., & Kim, Y. K. (2013). The impact of brand experience on downtown success. Journal of Travel Research, 52(5), 646-658.
11. Beig, F. A., & Nika, F. A. (2019). Brand experience and brand equity. Vision, 23(4), 410-417.
12. Benjamin, W. (2006). Son bakışta aşk Walter Benjamin’den seçme yazılar. (Ed. N. Gürbilek), İstanbul: Metis Yayınları.
13. Boje, D. M. (1991). The storytelling organization: A study of story performance in an office-supply firm. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36, 106-126.
14. Brakus, J. J., Schmitt, B. H., & Zarantonello, L. (2009). Brand experience: What is it? How is it measured? Does it affect loyalty?. Journal of Marketing, 73(3), 52-68.
15. Consoli, D. (2010). A new concept of marketing: The emotional marketing. Broad Research in Accounting, Negotiation and Distribution (BRAND), 1(1), 52-59.
16. Coricelli, G., Dolan, R. J., & Sirigu, A. (2007). Brain, emotion and decision making: The paradigmatic example of regret. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 11(6), 258-265.
17. Crespo, C. F., Ferreira, A. G., & Cardoso, R. M. (2023). The influence of storytelling on the consumer–brand relationship experience. Journal of Marketing Analytics, 11(1), 41-56.
18. Davis, D. M. (2020). The action generation: How gen Z really feels about race, equality, and its role in the historic George Floyd Protests, based on a survey of 39,000 young Americans. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-gen-z-feels-about-george-floyd-protests-2020-6
19. Munuera-Aleman, J. L., Delgado-Ballester, E., & Yague-Guillen, M. J. (2003). Development and validation of a brand trust scale. International Journal of Market Research, 45(1), 1-18.
20. Dias, P., & Cavalheiro, R. (2021). The role of storytelling in the creation of brand love: The PANDORA case. Journal of Brand Management, 29(1), 58-71.
21. Drengner, J., Gaus, H., & Jahn, S. (2008). Does flow influence the brand image in event marketing?. Journal of Advertising Research, 48(1), 138-147.
22. Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1-4.
23. Gallo, C. (2016). Ted gibi konuş. (Çev. Figen Bingül), Aganta Kitap.
24. Gao, F., & Shen, Z. (2024). Sensory brand experience and brand loyalty: Mediators and gender differences. Acta Psychologica, 244, 104191.
25. Garczarek-Bak, U., Szymkowiak, A., Jaks, Z., & Jansto, E. (2024). Impact of product vs brand storytelling on online customer experience. International Journal of Wine Business Research, 36(3), 370-405.
26. Herskovitz, S., & Crystal, M. (2010). The essential brand persona: Storytelling and branding. Journal of Business Strategy, 31(3), 21-28.
27. Holbrook, M. B., & Hirschman, E. C. (1982). The experiential aspects of consumption: consumer fantasies, feelings, and fun. Journal of Consumer Research, 9(2), 132-140.
28. Hong, J.J., Yang, J., Wooldridge, B. R., & Bhappu, A. D. (2022). Sharing consumers’ brand storytelling: Influence of consumers’ storytelling on brand attitude via emotions and cognitions. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 31(2), 265-278.
29. Howard, E. (2007). New shopping centres: Is leisure the answer?. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 35(8), 661-672.
30. Hultén, B., Broweus, N., & Van Dijk, M. (2009). Sensory marketing. Palgrave Macmillan.
31. Hwang, J., & Hyun, S. S. (2012). The antecedents and consequences of brand prestige in luxury restaurants. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 17(6), 656-683.
32. Iglesias, O., Markovic, S., & Rialp, J. (2019). How does sensory brand experience influence brand equity? Considering the roles of customer satisfaction, customer affective commitment, and employee empathy. Journal of Business Research, 96, 343-354.
33. Kabadayı, E. T., & Alan, A. K. (2014). Deneyimsel pazarlama: Pazarlamadaki artan önemi. İşletme Araştırmaları Dergisi, 6(1), 203-217.
34. Kara, G., & Kimzan, H. S. (2016). Marka deneyimi ve tekrar satın alma niyeti arasındaki ilişkide müşteri tatmininin rolü. Anadolu Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 17(4), 73-90.
35. Karampournioti, E., & Wiedmann, K. P. (2022). Storytelling in online shops: The impacts on explicit and implicit user experience, brand perceptions and behavioral intention. Internet Research, 32(7), 228-259.
36. Kelly, S. E., Bourgeault, I., & Dingwall, R. (2010). Qualitative interviewing techniques and styles. İçinde I. Bourgeault, R. Dingwall & R. de Vries (Ed.), The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Methods in Health Research (ss. 307-326). Sage.
37. Kim, H. J., Park, S.Y., & Park, H. Y. (2018). A study on the effect of storytelling marketing on brand image and brand attitude. The Journal of Economics, Marketing and Management, 6(4), 1–16.
38. Kocheilas, A. (2018). The ways customers use products have changed—but brands haven’t kept up. Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 15, 2-5.
39. Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2002). Designing and conducting focus group interviews. İçinde R. A. Krueger, M. A. Casey, J. Donner, S. Kirsch & J. N. Maack (Ed.), Social Analysis Selected Tools and Techniques (ss. 4-23). Social Development Papers.
40. Küçüksaraç, B., & Küçüksaraç, H. (2014). Sosyal medya pazarlamasında deneyim yaşatma: Popüler bloglarda deneyimsel pazarlama pratiklerinin yansımaları. I. Uluslararası İletişim Bilimi ve Medya Araştırmaları Kongresi (725-752).
41. Laming, C., & Mason, K. (2014). Customer experience—an analysis of the concept and its performance in airline brands. Research in Transportation Business & Management, 10, 15-25.
42. Langford, J. & McDonagh, D. (2003). Introduction. İçinde J. Langford & D. McDonagh (Ed.), Focus Groups: Supporting Effective Product Development (ss. 1-18). Taylor & Francis.
43. Lundqvist, A., Liljander, V., Gummerus, J., & Van Riel, A. (2013). The impact of storytelling on the consumer brand experience: The case of a firm-originated story. Journal of Brand Management, 20, 283-297.
44. Madeline, S., & Sihombing, S. O. (2019). The impacts of brand experiences on brand love, brand trust, and brand loyalty: An empirical study. Jurnal Bisnis dan Manajemen, 20(2), 91-107.
45. Mancuso, J., & Stuth, K. (2014). Storytelling and marketing: The perfect pairing?. Marketing Insights, 26(3), 18.
46. Mathew, V., & Thomas, S. (2018). Direct and indirect effect of brand experience on true brand loyalty: Role of involvement. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 30(3), 725-748.
47. Mayangsari, A., & Harti, H. (2022). The effect of brand trust and brand experience on brand loyalty through emotional brand attachment to Wardah Cosmetics. Jurnal Mantik, 6(1), 448-458.
48. McColl, D., & Legorburu, G. (2019). Hikaye tasarımı. (Çev. M. Benveniste), İstanbul: MediaCat Kitapları.
49. Miller, J. (2005). Storytelling evolves on the web: case study: EXOCOG and the future of storytelling. Interactions, 12(1), 30-47.
50. Mishra, L. (2016). Focus group discussion in qualitative research. TechnoLearn: An International Journal of Educational Technology, 6(1), 1-5.
51. Morrison, S., & Crane, F. G. (2007). Building the service brand by creating and managing an emotional brand experience. Journal of Brand Management, 14, 410-421.
52. Mucundorfeanu, M. (2018). The key role of storytelling in the branding process. Journal of Media Research-Revista de Studii Media, 11(30), 42-54.
53. Nagasawa, S. Y. (2008). Customer experience management: Influencing on human Kansei to management of technology. The TQM Journal, 20(4), 312-323.
54. Neuman, W. L. (2014). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Pearson.
55. Oklevik, O., Nysveen, H., & Pedersen, P. E. (2024). Exploring the relationship between co-creation (DART), brand experience strength, and brand satisfaction: A brand engagement perspective. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 32(1), 1-24.
56. Ong, C. H., Lee, H. W., & Ramayah, T. (2018). Impact of brand experience on loyalty. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 27(7), 755-774.
57. Onobrakpeya, S. A., & Okechukwu, O. C. (2024). Effect of brand storytelling on customer retention in non-alcoholic beverage industry in Delta State, Nigeria. Lafia Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 9(1), 153-181.
58. Papadatos, C. (2006). The art of storytelling: How loyalty marketers can build emotional connections to their brands. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 23(7), 382-384.
59. Park, K. (2001). Focus on practice: Oliver Twist: An exploration of interactive storytelling and object use in communication. British Journal of Special Education, 28(1), 18-23.
60. Park, Y., & Njite, D. (2010). Relationship between destination image and tourists’ future behavior: Observations from Jeju island, Korea. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 15(1), 1-20.
61. Pine, B. J., & Gilmore, J. H. (1999). The experience economy: Work is theatre and every business a stage. Harvard Business School Press.
62. Qi, J., Li, L., Li, Y., & Shu, H. (2009). An extension of technology acceptance model: Analysis of the adoption of mobile data services in China. Systems Research and Behavioral Science: The Official Journal of the International Federation for Systems Research, 26(3), 391-407.
63. Rodrigues, C. (2018). Multisensory brand experiences and brand love: Myth or reality?. İçinde Garg, R., Chhikara, R., Panda, T. K., & Kataria, A. (Ed.), Driving customer appeal through the use of emotional branding (ss. 1-21). IGI Global.
64. Sanders, E. B. N. (2005). Information, inspiration and co-creation. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference of the European Academy of Design. Bremen: University of the Arts.
65. Schank, Roger C. & Abelson, Robert P. (1995) Knowledge and memory: The real story. İçinde R. S. Wyer, Jr (Ed.). Knowledge and Memory: The Real Story (ss.1-85). New York: Psychology Press.
66. Schmitt, B. (1999a). Experiential marketing. Journal of Marketing Management, 15(1-3), 53-67.
67. Schmitt, B. (1999b). Experiential marketing: How to get companies to sense, feel, think, act, and relate to your company and brand. The Free Press.
68. Schmitt, B. (2011). Experience marketing: Concepts, frameworks and consumer insights. Foundations and Trends in Marketing, 5(2), 55-112.
69. Schmitt, B. and Zarantonello, L. (2013). Consumer experience and experiential marketing: A critical review. İçinde N. K. Malhotra (Ed.) Review of marketing research (review of marketing research vol. 10) (ss. 25-61), Emerald Group Publishing.
70. Schmitt, B. H., Rogers, D. L., & Vrotsos, K. L. (2003). There’s no business that’s not show business: Marketing in an experience culture. FT Press.
71. Shamim, A., & Butt, M. (2013). A critical model of brand experience consequences. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 25(1), 102-117.
72. Shoemaker, S., & Lewis, R. C. (1999). Customer loyalty: The future of hospitality marketing. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 18(4), 345-370.
73. Singh, S., & Sonnenburg, S. (2012). Brand performances in social media. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 26(4), 189-197.
74. Smith, B., & Sparkes, A. C. (2016). Interviews: Qualitative interviewing in the sport and exercise sciences. İçinde B. Smith & A. C. Sparkes (Ed.). Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise (ss. 125-145). Routledge.
75. Srinivasan, S. R., & Srivastava, R. K. (2010). Creating the futuristic retail experience through experiential marketing: Is it possible? An exploratory study. Journal of Retail & Leisure Property, 9, 193-199.
76. Suryana, P. (2024). Building a strong brand image: The role of storytelling in marketing. Journal of Economics and Business (JECOMBI), 4(02), 107-115.
77. Thompson, C. J. (2004). Marketplace mythology and discourses of power. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(1), 162-180.
78. Türk Dil Kurumu (n.d.). Türkçe Sözlük. https://sozluk.gov.tr
79. Veloutsou, C., & Guzman, F. (2017). The evolution of brand management thinking over the last 25 years as recorded in the Journal of Product and Brand Management. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 26(1), 2-12.
80. Wang, J., Choe, Y., & Song, H. (2020). Brand behavioral intentions of a theme park in China: An application of brand experience. Sustainability, 12(11), 4500.
81. Williams, A., Atwal, G., & Bryson, D. (2020). Developing a storytelling experience: the case of craft spirits distilleries in Chicago. International Journal of Wine Business Research, 32(4), 555-571.
82. Woodside, A. G., Sood, S., & Miller, K. E. (2008). When consumers and brands talk: Storytelling theory and research in psychology and marketing. Psychology & Marketing, 25(2), 97-145.
83. Yao, Y. (2013). Assessing tourist experience satisfaction with a heritage destination [Yüksek lisans tezi, Purdue University]. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_theses/107
84. Zarantonello, L., & Schmitt, B. H. (2010). Using the brand experience scale to profile consumers and predict consumer behaviour. Journal of Brand Management, 17, 532-540.
85. Zha, D., Melewar, T. C., Foroudi, P., & Jin, Z. (2020). An assessment of brand experience knowledge literature: Using bibliometric data to identify future research direction. International Journal of Management Reviews, 22(3), 287-317.