Consumer storytelling as an element of word-of-mouth communication of nostalgic brands: evidence from Poland
-
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/im.16(3).2020.07
-
Article InfoVolume 16 2020, Issue #3, pp. 74-84
- Cited by
- 1288 Views
-
453 Downloads
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Nowadays, brand storytelling is an important element of successful brand management on the business-to-consumer market. Based on brand storytelling, consumers create their own brand stories. Therefore, consumer storytelling becomes an essential component of word-of-mouth communication. The objective of the paper is to evaluate the possibility of using consumer storytelling as an element of word-of-mouth communication of nostalgic brands. The results of the empirical studies concerning 24 international and Polish, generational and transgenerational nostalgic brands, conducted among 1,000 Polish consumers, are presented. The research is based on a personal interview technique, an online survey technique and a focus group interview. Research results confirm that nostalgic brands – that reflect personal history – generate stories more often than their non-nostalgic counterparts. Consumer storytelling is more common among older respondents. Consumers create stories about nostalgic brands and are happy to share them. Given the strength of consumer storytelling, it is worth encouraging consumers to share stories about the brand that can be an important element of word-of-mouth communication.
Acknowledgement
The research project was funded by the National Science Centre (project Opus 9, No. 2015/17/B/HS4/00945, “Nostalgia in brand management”) for the period 2016–2020.
- Keywords
-
JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)M31, M32
-
References35
-
Tables7
-
Figures1
-
- Figure 1. Consumer storytelling for generational nostalgic and non-nostalgic brands in specific age groups
-
- Table 1. Sample characteristic – quantitative study
- Table 2. Operationalization of consumer storytelling
- Table 3. Sample characteristic – qualitative study
- Table 4. Consumer storytelling in case of transgenerational brands
- Table 5. Consumer storytelling in case of generational brands
- Table 6. Consumer storytelling evaluation for nostalgic and non-nostalgic brands
- Table 7. The results of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for nostalgic and non-nostalgic brands
-
- Albert, N. (2014). Le sentiment d’amour pour une marque: déterminants et pertinence managériale. Revue Management et Avenir, 72, 71-89.
- Baker, B., & Boyle, C. (2009). The timeless power of storytelling. Journal of Sponsorship, 3(1), 79-87.
- Barry, D., & Elmes, M. (1997). Strategy retold: toward a narrative view of strategic discourse. Academy of Management Review, 22(2), 429-452.
- Boje, D. (1991). The storytelling organization. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36, 106-126.
- Brakus, J. J., Schmitt, B. H., & Zarantonello, L. (2009). Brand experience: What is it? How do we measure it? And does it affect loyalty. Journal of Marketing, 73(3), 52-68.
- Chang, C. (2009). Being hooked by editorial content: The implications for processing narrative advertising. Journal of Advertising, 38(3), 51-65.
- Cheung, G. W., & Lau, R. S. (2012). A Direct Comparison Approach for Testing Measurement Invariance. Organizational Research Methods, 15(2), 167-198.
- Cristau, C. (2006). L’attachement à une marque: conjonction de la dépendance et de l’amitié. Revue Française du Marketing, 207, 5-24.
- Delgadillo, Y., & Escalas, J. E. (2004). Narrative word-of-mouth communication: Exploring memory and attitude effects of consumer storytelling. Advances in Consumer Research, 31, 186-192.
- Escalas, J. E., & Stern, B. B. (2003). Sympathy and empathy: Emotional responses to advertising dramas. Journal of Consumer Research, 29, 566-578.
- Escalas, J. E. (2004). Narrative processing: Building consumer connections to brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 14, 168-180.
- Fog, C., Budtz, Ch., Munch, Ph., & Blanchette, S. (2010). Storytelling. Branding in practice. Copenhagen: Sigma.
- Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research, 24, 343-374.
- Grebosz-Krawczyk, M. (2018). The impact of nostalgia on brand equity in a post-communist economy. Economics & Sociology, 11(2), 21-32.
- Grebosz-Krawczyk, M. (2019). Attitudes of young consumers towards international nostalgic brands – the comparative study. Economics & Sociology, 12(3), 181-191.
- Hirschman, E. (2010). Evolutionary branding. Psychology & Marketing, 27(6), 568-583.
- Holbrook, M. B., & Schindler, R. M. (1991). Echoes of the Dear Departed Past: some work in progress on nostalgia. Advances in Consumer Research, 18, 330-333.
- Holt, D. B., & Thompson, C. J. (2004). Man-of-action heroes: The pursuit of heroic masculinity in everyday consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 31, 425-440.
- Jaafar, S. N., Lalp, P. E., & Naba, M. M. (2012). Consumers’ perceptions, attitudes and purchase intention towards private label food products in Malaysia. Asian Journal of Business and Management Sciences, 2(8), 73-90.
- Keller, K. L., Apéria, T., & Georgson, M. (2008). Strategic Brand Management. A European Perspective. Harlow: Pearson Education.
- Kessous, A., & Roux, E. (2008). Nostalgia – a connection to the past: a semiotic analysis. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 11(2), 192-212.
- Kessous, A., & Roux, E. (2010). Les marques perçues comme “nostalgiques”: conséquences sur les attitudes et les relations des consommateurs à la marque. Recherche et Applications en marketing, 25(3), 29-56.
- Kessous, A., Roux, E. B, & Chandon, J.-L. (2015). Consumer-brand relationships: A contrast of nostalgic and non-nostalgic brands. Psychology and Marketing, 32(1), 187-202.
- Kohtamäki, M., Vesalainen, J., Henneberg, S., Naudé, P., & Ventresca, M. J. (2012). Enabling relationship structures and relationship performance improvement: The moderating role of relational capital. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(8), 1298-1309.
- Ladhari, R. (2007). The effect of consumption emotions on satisfaction and word-of-mouth communications. Psychology & Marketing, 24, 1085-1108.
- Lambert-Pandraud, D. R., & Laurent, G. (2010). Why Do Older Consumers Buy Older Brands: The Role of Attachment and Declining Innovativeness. Journal of Marketing, 74(5), 104-121.
- Leigh, T., Peters, C. & Shelton, J. (2006). The Consumer Quest for Authenticity: The Multiplicity of Meanings Within the MG Subculture of Consumption. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 34, 481-493.
- Loveland, K. E., Smeesters, D., & Mandel, N. (2010). Still preoccupied with 1995: The need to belong and preference for nostalgic products. Journal of Consumer Research, 37, 393-408.
- Lugmayr, A., Suhonen, J., Sutinen, E., Sedano, C., Hlavacs, H., & Montero C. (2016). Serious storytelling – serious digital storytelling. Proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Semantic Ambient Media Experiences (SAME 2014) – Ambient Media Usability, Interaction, and Smart Media Technologies, Springer, 1-27.
- Moore, E. S., & Bowman, G. D. (2006). Of friends and family: How do peers affect the development of intergenerational influences? Advances in Consumer Research, 33, 536-542.
- Moore, E. S., Wilkie, W. L., & Lutz R. J. (2002). Passing the torch: Intergenerational influences as a source of brand equity. Journal of Marketing, 66, 17-37.
- Pereira, G. (2019). Brand storytelling: A three-dimensional perspective. Journal of Brand Strategy, 8(2), 146-159.
- Stern, B. B. (1992). Historical and Personal Nostalgia in Advertising Text: The Fin de Siecle Effect. Journal of Advertising, 21(4), 11-22.
- Woodside, A. G. (2010). Brand-consumer storytelling theory and research: Introduction to a Psychology & Marketing special issue. Psychology & Marketing, 27(6), 531-540.
- Woodside, A. G., Sood, S., & Miller, K. E. (2008). When consumers and brand talk: Storytelling theory and research in psychology and marketing. Psychology & Marketing, 25(2), 97-145.