The role of storytelling in the branding of SMEs

PurposeBrand storytelling has been found to be an effective marketing tool. Unlike a brand story that originates from a firm, consumers’ brand storytelling is created, developed and shared by consumers. This research aims to examine whether consumers’ brand storytelling leads to increased favorable brand evaluations and compares its effects on consumer cognition and emotions, to a brand story generated by a firm.Design/methodology/approachThree experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses. In Study 1, a 2 (story: consumers’ brand storytelling vs brand story by a firm) × 2 (product: coffee shop vs airline mileage programs) between-subjects design was used. Studies 2 and 3 replicated Study 1 and investigated different measurements of the constructs using different brands. Additionally, a mediation analysis was conducted.FindingsThe results show that consumers’ brand storytelling increases favorable brand attitudes. Consumers present deeper cognitive processing and higher experienced positive emotions when they read consumer brand storytelling as compared to a firm-created brand story, leading to a more favorable brand attitude.Originality/valueThere is a lack of empirical research investigating how consumers’ brand storytelling is different from brand stories created by firms, and how consumers’ brand storytelling influences brand attitudes. This study extends the literature by clarifying how consumers respond to consumers’ brand storytelling and evaluates brands by exploring the underlying mechanism for the effect of brand storytelling via consumers’ cognitions and emotions.

Storytelling, as an interactive form of communication, is key to delivering product information compellingly and fostering consumer acceptance and engagement. Stories may originate from companies or consumers. Brand storytelling has emerged as a pivotal component of companies' communication strategies, facilitating the expression of values and fostering robust customer relationships. This study explores the effectiveness of consumer storytelling versus brand storytelling in shaping brand attitudes. It was an experimental research involving 384 respondents randomly assigned to two groups that were either exposed to consumer or brand stories. Through comparative analysis, consumer storytelling emerged as superior in eliciting positive brand attitudes, cognition, and emotions. However, its direct impact on brand attitude was not significant. Instead, the study uncovers the mediating role of cognition and emotion, highlighting their crucial influence on shaping favorable brand perceptions. Consumer storytelling, characterized by its emphasis on real values and emotional engagement, enhances cognitive personalization and imagery processing, fostering deeper consumer-brand connections. These insights underscore the imperative for emotionally resonant and cognitively stimulating storytelling in brand communication. This study contributes to the scant literature on examining the comparative effectiveness of consumer brand storytelling versus firm-generated brand storytelling. It elucidates the underlying mechanisms driving the superiority of consumer storytelling in shaping favorable brand attitudes. Contextually situated within the Pakistani market, particularly focusing on clothing buying behavior, this research offers actionable insights for brand managers seeking to harness the power of storytelling to garner favorable consumer responses and enhance brand resonance.

Organizations and brands have long since used stories to communicate and resonate with their audiences. Nowadays, novel interactive media formats are used to enhance these brand-consumer interactions. Augmented reality (AR) holds the potential to aid brands in having immersive and exploratory interactions with consumers. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of AR in brand storytelling on brand attitude and brand associations, and to explore to what extent (the dimensions of) flow can explain these effects. A single factorial (Type of brand storytelling: AR vs. non-AR) between-subjects field experiment is conducted (N = 83). The results show that AR brand storytelling leads to a higher perceived flow than regular brand storytelling. Furthermore, flow mediates the effects of AR brand storytelling on both brand attitude and brand associations. Notably, the flow dimensions control and attention focus are found to be particularly important for explaining the effect on brand associations.KeywordsAugmented Reality (AR)Brand storytellingFlowBrand attitudeBrand associations

Brands and companies are full of precious stories that need to be told. Therefore, businesses necessitate identifying the core elements and emotional heart of their individual story as a basis of their entire brand communication. Nevertheless, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of successful stories. Apart from the role of storytellers and their ability to create substantive story elements and build harmonized narratives through preferred story characters and comprehensible courses of action, the consumption of the story through the story perceiver takes a central role in brand management. The results of our empirical study show that transportation with its two facets as well as a three-dimensional assessment of identification represents a valuable framework to measure the effects of brand-related stories and to determine if different stories are able to take the consumer into a journey throughout the brand’s world. With special focus on implicit and explicit brand-related information processing, the findings reveal that emotional engagement evoked by a story are not able to affect implicit brand attitudes to a significant degree compared with enjoyment through an entertaining experience. Nevertheless, implicit and explicit brand attitudes drive behavioral processes and help to predict behavioral key performance indicators.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the performance effects of brand identity in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approachThe authors examine whether brand identity mediates the relationship between brand orientation and brand performance, and further, whether brand performance leads to better financial performance. The authors also study whether these performance effects are moderated by customer type and industry type. Differing from earlier research, this study analyzes brand identity through its constituent components: brand values, brand vision and brand positioning. The data include altogether 721 effective responses from Finnish SMEs. Structural equation modeling is used for testing the research hypotheses.FindingsBrand positioning and brand vision have a direct positive effect on brand performance, which in turn, positively affects financial performance. Brand orientation drives the components of brand identity. Importantly, there is variation in some of the relationships between brand orientation, brand values, brand vision and brand positioning across business-to-business firms and business-to-customer firms, and across firms in service industries and in production industries.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is based on a single-country sample. Including additional factors for the model with the potential to moderate the described relationships is also called for. Future research could also consider new potential brand identity components currently not addressed in the paper.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by increasing the knowledge of SME branding.

This study aims at testing the effect firm's age, size and growth on its profitability based on the financial data of (22) Jordanian insurance firms that are registered in the Amman Security Exchange (ASE) during the period (2008-2017). They represent 95.2 % of insurance firms. The study relied on secondary data of insurance firms that have been published on their website and on ASE website In the study, the mean, standard deviations were used to describe the characteristics of the variables. Simple regression analysis was used to test the study's hypotheses. Simple. the skewness test of all variable is used to know if they have a normal distribution.The study shows that there is an insignificant effect of the insurance firm's age, size, and growth on its profitability. It recommends financial managers to analyze the relationship between a firm's age, size, growth, and profitability before making any decision in the fields of expanding business, renewing assets, manufacturing high-quality products and appointing new employers. In a recession period, managers should not adopt a strategy to achieve high growth in the short run, they should also reduce the size of the firm's operations. These procedures are important for these firms to maintain a balance between growth and profitability. Keywords : Firm's Age, Firm's Size, Firm's Growth, and firm's Profitability. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-5-10 Publication date: February 29 th 2020

In today’s dynamic digital landscape, brand storytelling has emerged as a compelling strategy for fostering deeper consumer connections, particularly on social media. This study explores the impact of brand storytelling on customer engagement, with Unacademy—a leading Indian edtech platform—serving as the focal case. Drawing insights from existing literature, such as the mediating influence of brand image on storytelling and purchase intention (Future Business Journal, 2025), and the mechanisms through which narrative elements enhance engagement (Journal of Business Research, 2019), the research aims to examine how Unacademy’s storytelling content influences user interaction, emotional involvement, and brand perception on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Building on the framework established in the Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing (2021), which highlights the importance of consumer participation and interaction with brand-owned media, this study adopts a mixed-methods approach. It combines quantitative survey-based regression analysis with qualitative content analysis of Unacademy’s social media activities. The research hypothesizes that brand storytelling significantly enhances customer engagement, and this relationship is mediated by factors such as perceived brand image, content relevance, and emotional resonance. The outcomes are expected to provide valuable implications for marketers in the edtech sector, emphasizing the strategic role of storytelling in driving meaningful engagement and long-term brand loyalty in the social media era. Keywords: Brand Storytelling, Customer Engagement, Social Media Marketing, EdTech

Objective: To examine, for dominant Australian cigarette brands, brand identity (overriding brand vision), brand positioning (brand identity elements communicated to the consumer), brand image (consumers’ brand perceptions) and brand equity...

Purpose Airbnb attempts to stimulate consumer imagination and expectations of home through storytelling before their stay. The purpose of this study is to gain a holistic understanding of the psychological mechanisms by which brand storytelling can evoke consumer imagination of home away from home and their choice of peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodations. Design/methodology/approach By collecting 864 valid questionnaires through two rounds of surveys with Chinese consumers, this study examined the structural relations between narrative elements in the brand story (home characteristics, social interactions in advertising, advertising features), brand perception, self-image congruence and consumption intentions. Findings The results demonstrate that home characteristics, social interactions in advertising, and advertising features positively influence people’s brand perceptions, self-image congruence and consumption intentions through mental imagery processing. Practical implications This study offers helpful implications on how to create a home feeling in P2P accommodations and provides recommendations to promote the connection between consumers and the brand for P2P accommodation providers and hoteliers. Originality/value This study reveals the underlying mechanism of how various narrative elements in brand stories inspire the imagination and feeling of home in consumers during the prestay phase. By analysing the impact of specific trust systems and emotional needs on the construction of a feeling of home, this study is an important complement to existing studies on the study of home in P2P accommodation.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the impact of gamifying brand storytelling on user immersion in the brand narrative, a concept referred to as “narrative transportation”. The aim is to comprehend how transportation influences users’ experience and their responses to the brand, with particular focus on brand attitude and WOM. The study also explores the role of interactivity in brand storytelling and its effects on transportation and user engagement.Design/methodology/approachFour experiments were conducted to sequentially test the proposed hypotheses. Each experiment involves ad hoc gamified brand stories for different product categories (wine, museum, glasses and frozen fruit).FindingsFindings indicate that including gamification elements in brand stories heightens narrative transportation and enhances the information obtained by users as well as their entertainment. Users thus respond more positively to the brand in terms of attitude and WOM. The study also reveals that high levels of interactivity in the game may actually decrease narrative transportation in the story, although this is offset by the perception of greater entertainment.Originality/valueThis research contributes to current understanding of brand storytelling and its impact on branding. It highlights the importance of offering users a gamified experience that can provide them with information about the brand whilst also offering them entertainment. The results also hold implications for gamification literature by emphasizing the need to ensure a balance between game and story vis-à-vis enhancing the impact of gamified storytelling on brand response.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the internal branding process from the perspective of service providers in Thailand. It will reveal the key internal branding mechanisms and empirically assess the relationship between internal branding and employees' brand attitudes and performance.Design/methodology/approachA case study representing the Thai hotel industry is adopted with mixed methodologies. In‐depth interviews are first carried out with 30 customer‐interface employees in six major hotels in Thailand. On a census basis, a quantitative survey with 699 respondents from five major hotels in Thailand follows.FindingsInternal branding coordinating marketing with human resource management has a statistically significant impact on attitudinal and behavioural aspects of employees in their delivery of the brand promise. As employees' brand commitment do not have a statistically significant relationship with employees' brand performance, it is not regarded as a mediator in the link between internal branding and employees' brand performance.Practical implicationsA number of significant managerial implications are drawn from this study, for example using both internal communication and training to influence employees' brand‐supporting attitudes and behaviours. Still, it should be noted that the effect of internal branding on employee behaviours could be dependent on the extent to which it influences their brand attitudes.Originality/valueThe paper provides valuable insights, from the key internal audience's perspectives, into an internal branding process. It has empirically shown the relationship between internal branding and the behavioural outcome as well as the partial meditating effects of employees' brand identification, commitment and loyalty.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the building of consumer–brand identification through the use of two themes (underdog and topdog) in the design of brand storytelling. It proposes that the underdog theme is superior because it is more effective in immersing readers in the story and generates higher emotional responses. The moderating effect of consumers’ implicit mindsets is also explored. Design/methodology/approach An experimental study with a single-factorial design is conducted with 301 consumers assigned at random to one of two brand storytelling conditions: underdog theme or topdog theme. Findings The results show a full mediating effect of the underdog (vs topdog) theme on brand identification through reader immersion and empathic feelings. Research limitations/implications The use of a fictitious brand and a specific product category may limit the generalizability of the results. Practical implications Placing the brand in a story with an underdog plot is more effective in catching consumers’ attention than using a topdog brand story. In particular, using an underdog theme is a good approach for targeting consumers who have a growth mindset. Originality/value This study explains the persuasiveness of brand storytelling in terms of the characteristics of the storytelling itself rather than the individual characteristics of consumers (e.g. their own underdog dispositions). The results also suggest that the implicit mindset of the individual plays a role.

Purpose- The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between corporate sustainability performance and brand performance. By using brand value as a measure of corporate performance, in this study we focus on the crucial question of whether corporate sustainability performance pays off or not.Methodology- The sample comprised of 63 non-financial companies included in Borsa Istanbul 100 Index between 2014 and 2018. We test our hypotheses by simultaneously estimating the panel logit and panel probit models. We have two models to test the hypothesis. In the first model the dependent variable is the brand performance. Brand performance was proxied through Brand Finance data. In the second model the dependent variable is the corporate sustainability performance. The proxy that we used for the corporate sustainability performance was the membership of BIST Sustainability Index. Findings- Analysis results showed that the sustainability performance, financial performance, firm size, firm age and their involvement in the service sector had a positive impact on brand performance. When the determinants of the corporate sustainability performance of companies were examined, it was seen that brand performance, firm size and their involvement in the manufacturing sector had a positive impact on sustainability performance. Finally, the financial leverage of companies with high brand performance and sustainability performance was also found to be high. Conclusion- The empirical results tend to confirm the positive influence of corporate sustainability performance on brand performance. Further, the findings indicate that companies with a leading level of brand performance have a higher sustainability performance.

Purpose: The study was based on understanding how media can be used to select Zimbabwe tourism destination brands against other brands by the tourists. Further, it examined the role of media in improving Zimbabwe tourism brand identity. Factors to use in positioning the Zimbabwe tourism brand were also established. Research Methodology: A quantitative to the qualitative sequential mixed method was used to get research data. The respondents and participants to the study were tourism operators, media organizations and tourists (n=452). Results: The study's findings informed that tourism and media organizations in Zimbabwe are failing to understand the best ways to use media to attract tourists. There was a significant disagreement in the views of tourists and organizations, especially based on choosing a tourism destination brand using media. Even on improving Zimbabwe tourism destination brand identity and positioning, both parties agreed that media could help improve brand identity. Limitations: Getting opinions and views of tourists is difficult considering the divergence in their perceptions. A mixed-methods could help in improving objectivity. Contribution: The study, therefore, recommended an intensive tourism media audit, considering media as a strategic brand identity tool and a nationwide survey to come up with brand positioning elements specifically for Zimbabwe tourism destinations.

The restaurant business is gaining popularity for its capacity to alleviate numerous adverse environmental influences to achieve a competitive edge. Green restaurants can employ a distinctive brand strategy. Nevertheless, additional research is necessary to better understand customer behavior in this subject. This study explores the relationship between brand awareness and brand image, and brand performance from the consumer's perspective. However, it is unknown how this connection is affected by the attitude of green restaurant brands. This research aims to address the research gaps by determining the structure and function of brand attitudes. This study handles the quantitative data analysis to fit the study problem. The data was collected through a questionnaire form, and the questionnaire was collected from the customers from twelve restaurants in Karachi city of Pakistan by utilizing random sampling. In sum, 290 samples were obtained and interpreted with SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) and PLS (Partial Least Squares) to come up with the results of the study. According to the findings, restaurant customers' observed brand awareness and brand image positively impact brand attitude. The results of the structural equation analysis revealed that brand awareness and brand image have a substantial impact on brand performance, whereas brand attitude has a profound effect on meditation. The adaptation of brand attitude to brand management has sparked a lot of interest in the incredibly competitive restaurant business. There is a good likelihood that green restaurants will ultimately find value in using the measuring tools and suggestions offered in this research to analyze and lead their marketing efforts. In practice, it is recommended that green restaurant management cultivate familiar brand awareness and preserve the brand image to create brand attitude and performance.