Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism

ISSN: 1502-2250 (Print) 1502-2269 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/sjht20

Extraordinary Experiences through Storytelling

Lena Mossberg

To cite this article: Lena Mossberg (2008) Extraordinary Experiences through Storytelling,
Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 8:3, 195-210, DOI: 10.1080/15022250802532443

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/15022250802532443

Published online: 26 Nov 2008.

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Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism,
Vol. 8, No. 3, 195–210, 2008

Extraordinary Experiences through

Storytelling

LENA MOSSBERG
Norwegian School of Management, Oslo, Norway

ABSTRACT A global trend in the experience industry is to build an entire business or parts of a
business around a story. This might apply to a single product, an organization or a destination.
The purpose of this conceptual paper is to discuss and highlight critical issues to reveal new
insights into conceptualizing tourism and hospitality organizations as stories. For the consumer to
be immersed in the story and to have an extraordinary experience, two preconditions are proposed
which relate to the type of service and the setting: one is the need for the experience to take place
in a hedonic service consumption setting and the other is a servicescape that allows the consumer
to step away from everyday reality. It is also proposed that involvement and co-creation, as well
as a guide, can be used to facilitate a tourist’s immersion in a story and a servicescape. Should the
organization succeed in creating a unique story, the benefits include the difficulty other
organizations face copying the achievement and attention from the media.

KEY WORDS: Storytelling, servicescape, dramaturgy, extraordinary experiences, strategy,

hospitality

Developing Products, Organizations and Destinations around a Story

Organizations have used stories for many years in their work to create a corporate
culture. Apart from stories such as these used internally within organizations (see
Denning, 2001), there are also other types of storytelling used in management and
marketing. These include stories about organizations or products, such as branding
stories (Salzer-Mörling, 2004), advertising stories (Escalas, 2004), or stories about
the story, as when a well-known company founder explains how he created the
company. An example of the latter is the story of J. Carlzon (1986) and how he
applied service management to Scandinavian Airlines in 1980s. Other types of story
include consumer stories (Stern, 1995) and the development of a concept around a
story (Deighton, 1992; Mossberg & Johansen, 2006). This paper aims to provide an
insight into the latter type of story, as a global trend in the experience industry is to

Correspondence Address: Lena Mossberg, BI–Norwegian School of Management, Oslo. Email: lena.mossberg
@bi.no
1502-2250 Print/1502-2269 Online/08/030195–16 # 2008 Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/15022250802532443
196 L. Mossberg

build an entire business or parts of a business around a story. This might be a hotel, a
restaurant, a tourist attraction, an event or a destination.
Today we can see many concepts developed around, for example, fictitious
characters, a phenomenon particularly common in the tourist industry. Joe Farelli,
Arn and Kapten Klassen are examples of men who have become well known in
Sweden despite never having actually existed in reality. Stories have been created
about these men and we can meet Joe Farelli at his restaurant in Göteborg
(www.joefarelli.com), Arn on a journey through Västergötland (www.arnmagnus-
son.se) and Kapten Klassen at Stora Hotellet in Fjällbacka (www.storahotellet-
fjallbacka.se). Many theme park concepts are built around stories from sagas and
comic strips. We have Kardemomme village in Norway (www.dyreparken.com),
Astrid Lindgren’s World in Sweden, and Mumin World in Finland. We can also find
many examples related to destination development. Internationally popular films
and books such as Star Wars, The Da Vinci Code, Notting Hill and Crocodile Dundee
have all led to a huge interest in visiting the locations where the films or books are
set. Organizing events based on stories and myths, such as medieval and chivalry
events, is also popular. Stories are also central to many museums and exhibitions,
different types of guided tours and theatrical guided tours.
Managers argue that the story not only communicates the cues of the
organization; by working with storytelling and dramaturgy, an organization can
create a holistic image of the concept, shape the brand and generate an experience in
the servicescape for consumers (Mossberg & Johansen, 2006). Servicescapes are
constructed physical surroundings intended as sites in which commercial exchanges
are to take place and include ambient, social and design factors. According to Bitner
(1992), the servicescape affects consumers’ behaviour and is rich in clues regarding
what the organization has to offer. It can also be influential in communicating the
organization’s image. A stream of research has developed around servicescapes and
themed retailing environments. Many previous studies have focused on the
characteristics of extraordinary retail spectacles and how these themed environments
build relationships with consumers and impact on their behaviour (Hollenbeck et al.,
2008). Kozinets et al. argue that retail marketers need to pay more attention to the
servicescape by which consumers create meaning from their physical experience of
place as ‘‘stores tell stories’’ (Kozinets et al., 2002, p. 17). Consumers are being
offered a ready-made story that they can use as a source to make sense of some
aspects of their lives (Ritson & Elliott, 1999; Shankar et al., 2001). In general, stories
speak to our human needs and make our lives meaningful. Our values and principles
are transferred from generation to generation through stories. Stories give continuity
to our lives and reveal our background and history. They stimulate our imagination,
involve us emotionally and amuse us (Jensen, 1999; Salzer-Mörling, 2004; Twitchell,
2004). Therefore, as ‘‘servicescapes can tell stories’’, managers are interested in
continuously planning and controlling the servicescape.
Servicescapes linked to storytelling in tourism and hospitality consumption
situations can be seen as a competitive tool that reaches new dimensions, an area
that marketing literature in the past left almost untouched. Arnould (2007) asks for
more research into the value of experiences to consumers. To be able to co-create
experiences with consumers, he argues marketers need to know more about
 Extraordinary Experiences through Storytelling 197

‘‘…different types of consumers’ narrative frames and devices that consumers

employ, the operation of transportation or immersion, the ways in which narrative
frames and devices facilitate value-adding performances by firm-provided resources,
and how marketer-provided resources cue consumer narrative practices that turn
performances into experiences’’ (Arnould, 2007, p. 191). Organizations create a
servicescape for both the consumer and for what they offer (Ek et al., 2008). This is
done, according to Carù and Cova (2007) through detailed attention to the
environmental design and the atmosphere at the point of sale. This in-depth work
has to be done when the servicescape is developed around a story, but there are also
other factors to be considered as fundamental elements in dramaturgy.
Not all organizations can be conceptualized as stories, and the purpose of this
conceptual paper is to discuss some fundamental conditions, summarized as
propositions, for storytelling related to servicescapes in tourism and hospitality
settings. By integrating theories and empirical findings, some critical issues are
pointed out: First, the question of whether a servicescape built on a story can be used
in all tourism and hospitality contexts is discussed. Second, some themed
environments are built on a story and some are not. Differences are pointed out
and characteristics of narrative techniques and dramaturgy in this concept
development context are considered. Third, the qualities that constitute the
underlying foundations of the storytelling context that make it easier for the
consumer to be immersed are highlighted. Fourth, there is a discussion on how a
servicescape built on a story can facilitate consumer immersion. Finally, the way in
which conceptualization around a story can be achieved is illustrated, using a hotel
as an example. The aim of using this hotel example is to shed light on the
propositions and to reveal insights into conceptualizing tourism and hospitality
organizations as stories. The study is anchored in a body of literature that considers
consumers’ extraordinary experiences, typologies of and behaviours in servicescapes,
the hedonic and utilitarian benefits of consumption offerings, tourist behaviour and
dramaturgy, as well as the use of storytelling in marketing.

Servicescapes and Extraordinary Experiences in a Special World

One critical issue is the form and use of servicescapes. Bitner’s (1992) typology of
service organizations based on variations in form and usage of the servicescape is
discussed in relation to hedonic and utilitarian benefits as well as duration and
importance in a tourism context.

Servicescapes and Storytelling in Tourism and Hospitality

There are variations in form and usage when it comes to servicescapes. Bitner’s
(1992) typology of servicescapes categorizes service organizations based on two
dimensions. One dimension relates to who is performing actions within the
servicescape. She distinguishes between the customer, the employee and those times
when both are participating in so-called interpersonal services. One extreme is self-
service, when the customer acts with no or only a few interactions with employees,
e.g. on a golf course. Another extreme is remote service (such as insurance
198 L. Mossberg

companies), when customers never see or experience the organization’s physical

environment. The other dimension captures the complexity of the servicescape. Some
service environments are lean (simple), while others are more elaborate (compli-
cated). The latter includes most tourism and hospitality services.
Wakefield and Blodgett (1994) focused on servicescapes in leisure service
settings and developed a typology. They looked at the time spent in the facility and
the importance of servicescape for functional (utilitarian) services and leisure
services (which are mostly hedonic). According to Wakefield and Blodgett (1994),
one of the main reasons why individuals consume leisure services is to experience
excitement and stimulation. In other words, they are seeking hedonic benefits,
which refer to the aesthetic, experiential and enjoyment-related benefits of
consumption offerings (Hightower et al., 2002). Their findings point out that the
servicescape is more important for leisure (hedonic) services compared to
functional (utilitarian) services. It also shows that hedonic services often have a
long duration (Wakefield & Blodgett, 1994). The tourist stays at the hotel for a
week, for instance, participates in the guided tour for many days, or stays several
hours in the restaurant and therefore has a good chance of examining the physical
setting as well as the story. Consumers visit themed servicescapes not only to buy
products but also to engage in fantasies, feelings and fun (Holbrook & Hirschman,
1982; Pine & Gilmore, 1999). The important role of fantasy elements in
constructing contemporary retail environments has also been emphasized by
Kozinets et al. (2002) and Hollenbeck et al. (2008). The latter authors focus on a
brand museum which, according to them, tells stories and creates a set of
culturally-related brand meanings. Wakefield and Blodgett (1994) imply that when
consumers are seeking more hedonic benefits, the level of excitement has a direct
effect on their satisfaction with the servicescape. On this basis we can establish the
subsequent proposition:

P1: Servicescapes built on storytelling are more relevant when consumers are
seeking hedonic benefits compared to utilitarian benefits.

Servicescapes and Dramaturgy

The second issue relates to servicescapes and storytelling, and the discussion on
narrative techniques is based on fundamental elements in dramaturgy.
Consumer researchers have explored various types of themed retail environments.
Malls are becoming theatres, argue Badot and Filser (2007), and in this marketplace
consumers can create their own world and fantasize in a play. Retailers, on the other
hand, provide the staging, props, lighting, music, design, etc. Disneyland and
Venetian in Las Vegas are examples of themed environments (e.g. Gottdiener, 1998).
Peñaloza (1999) explores retail theatrics in brandscapes and Kozinets et al. (2002) in
flagship brand stores. Later Sherry et al. (2008) continue with a study of gendered
behaviour in a sportsworld. A themed entertainment brand store is, for instance,
Rainforest Café, according to Hollenbeck et al. (2008). The primary retail mission
for a themed entertainment brand store is to sell branded products in an entertaining
context and to build and merchandise a brand (Hollenbeck et al. 2008). The same
 Extraordinary Experiences through Storytelling 199

primary mission is assumed to be the same for tourist attractions, hotels and
restaurants conceptualized as stories.
Is there a difference between themed environments and environments built on a
story? Both can be dramaturgical. The theme can be an idea, a subject or an underlying
theme that permeates something. In a themed environment, a narrative form might be
used but it is not necessary. A story, on the other hand, is built on common
fundamental elements in dramaturgy, such as message, conflict, division of roles and
action (see, for example, Fog et al., 2003). These basic elements can be found in almost
any kind of story. A good story has believable basic elements and these are what makes
some stories more successful than others (see Table 1). A good story often begins by
creating a scene: the hero is introduced and certain details are uncovered so we get an
idea of what to expect. A presentation of the conflict then follows and something
changes in the ordinary world, creating a conflict that shows the direction of the rest of
the story. We are now also introduced to the opponent. The conflict accumulates over
time until the story reaches its climax (in the special world) and the hero contributes
with something that solves the conflict. When the conflict is solved, it’s often here that
the hero reaches a goal and the giver plays his part. We are then on our way back to the
ordinary world. The story slackens off, marking its end (Vogler, 2004). Gergen and
Gergen (1988) and Shankar et al. (2001) believe that the following features are
important to the construction of narratives (see Table 1).
Thus, a fictitious or real story can be played out in a themed environment such as
a store or a restaurant. The restaurant might not be built up around a story but
instead be based on a sport theme, for instance. A restaurant built on a story has a
point to be made, a script, characters (often a hero) and a sequence in which the
story is told (e.g. Joe Farelli). The sequence does not have to be linear – it can be
built on non-linear dramaturgy. This dramaturgy is often freer when it comes to
rules; it can be built on several parallel events, be non-chronological and lack
movements from the start to the end. A teller ties the various events together to make
the point, such as in a documentary film, in a theme park, in a hotel

Table 1. The key features of narratives.

Feature Brief Description

The establishment of
a valued end point
Selection of events relevant
to the goal state
The ordering of events
Establishing causal sequences
Demarcation signs
Every story must have a ‘‘point’’ to make. Moreover this
point must be valued, negatively or positively, by the people
involved in the narrative process
Once we have decided the ‘‘point’’ to our story, we then
select only those events that help us to make our point
Once we have decided the point of our story and selected the
events with which we will tell our story, we tend to place
them in ‘‘linear, temporal sequence’’
The order in which we put the events of our story also tend
to be causally linked, that is event ‘‘b’’ only happened
because of event ‘‘a’’ and so on
Stories tend to have well recognized beginnings, (middles)
and ends

Source: Shankar et al. (2001, p. 443).

200 L. Mossberg

(www.storahotellet-fjallbacka.se) or on an Arn tour with an accredited Arn-guide

(www.arnmagnusson.se).

P2: Servicescapes created around a story are built on narrative techniques and
dramaturgy.
P3: Servicescapes created around a story are built on either linear or non-linear
dramaturgy.

Extraordinary Experiences in a Special World

The third issue focuses on consumer immersion. For the consumer to be immersed
there are, regardless of the type of experiential context, three qualities that constitute
the underlying foundations of the context: the context must be thematized,
enclavized, and secure (Carù and Cova, 2007; Firat & Dholakia, 1998). It is obvious
from the above discussion that the first quality dimension exists – the concept is
thematized around a story.
In this paper, the concept of extraordinary experience is used since the focus is
on tourist experiences outside the realms of the everyday. According to Wang
(2002), it’s a question of unusual and non-routine consumption in tourism.
Spontaneity separates extraordinary experiences from daily routines (ordinary
experiences) and contributes to a perception of the event as something extra
(Arnould & Price, 1993), which makes it memorable. Larsen (2007) argues that an
experience is made up of memory process functions. According to Larsen, a tourist
experience is ‘‘…a past personal travel-related event strong enough to have entered
long-term memory’’ (Larsen, 2007, p. 15). It might be something unexpected that
happens, leading to a heightened state of interest or excitement, or a surprise that
causes a positive response (Oliver, 1999). Often this extraordinary experience takes
place in a special world. In tourism research, many researchers describe how
tourists leave the ordinary for a temporary escape to the non-ordinary (e.g.
Abrahams, 1986; Graburn, 1983; Jafari, 1987; Hanefors, 2001; Quan & Wang,
2004). In the non-ordinary, structures fall apart and positions, roles and status
disappear (Turner, 1973). In such an environment, tourists can relax, leaving social
hierarchy and status behind and meeting others in a natural and friendly way
(Wang, 1999).
There is also a move between the ordinary world and the special world in
dramaturgy. For instance Vogler (2004) describes a twelve-step model using the
classic heroic journey based on Campbell’s observations of patterns and myths
(1973). The journey starts in the ordinary world and then moves over to the special
world. This model has proven to be a usable structure for almost any story. A
story develops over time and has various acts, such as the beginning where the
characters are presented, the middle with the point of no return and then the third
act, with the end of the story and the return to the ordinary world. This move from
the ordinary to the special world and later back to the ordinary again became very
obvious in Arnould and Price’s study (1993) focusing on river rafting. Rafting
represented an absolute point of no return in the special world. For extraordinary
 Extraordinary Experiences through Storytelling 201

experiences, they emphasize the necessity of studying the process because it is there
that meaning is created. They specifically emphasize: (1) affect, (2) narrative, and
(3) ritual understanding (Arnould & Price, 1993). The same authors describe the
river rafting experience as ‘‘…the opportunity to participate, in rites of
intensification and integration and to return to an everyday world ‘transformed’’’
(Arnould & Price, 1993, p. 41). Van Gennep (1960) discusses rituals and a
transition from reality to a state outside normal norms. Individuals then pass back
to reality again.
Badot and Filser (2007) differentiate between the ordinary and the special world
when talking about public places. Their opinion is that some shopping centres,
funfairs, cultural and holy sites, museums and tourist sites are developing towards
becoming ‘‘utopian islands’’. They can foresee the shopping malls of the future as
over-coloured and funny ‘‘urban islands’’, providing consumers with safe,
autonomous and aesthetic substitutes for everyday life conditions. ‘‘These ‘islands’
would be oriented to a prophylactic society of hedonic and spiritual value as well as
leisure and friendliness, full of simulacra, where the ideas of fear and death will be
absent’’ (Badot & Filser, 2007, p. 177). Kozinets et al. (2002, p. 20) argue that
‘‘Through these staged experiences, consumers draw brands and products into their
fantasies. By playing on this playfulness in new ways, information technology allows
an entrée into the fantasy life of the consumer, entailing a sophisticated use of
meaningful symbols’’. Eco’s (1986) work on hyperreality illustrates Disneyland and
Disneyworld as a typical model of hyperreality, born out of fantasy and imagination.
In the Disney context, it is irrelevant whether it is real or false, since no original can
be used as a reference (Wang, 1999). According to Cohen (1995), tourists have
become less concerned with the authenticity of the original. Despite the environment
being different, it must, according to Carù and Cova (2007), feel safe and controlled.
It should feel meaningful and the special world (enclave) should be unique, but
shouldn’t feel enclosed (Firat & Dholakia, 1998).

P4: To be immersed in and captivated by a story, a tourist needs to step out of

the ordinary. The servicescape can be considered a special world which is
exciting, safe and controlled and which allows tourists to observe, participate
and play roles outside normal norms before passing back to the ordinary again.

Facilitating Consumer Immersion in a Story and in a Servicescape

The consumer who steps into the special world must be ready to dive straight into it
and have knowledge of the theme or context in order to have an extraordinary
experience (Carù & Cova, 2007). For consumers who are novel and not familiar with
the context, it is more difficult to become immersed, according to the same authors.
As many hotel guests, restaurant guests and visitors to tourist attractions will visit
for the first time without being experts – they might not know the story – the fourth
issue is: how should organizations develop the means to facilitate consumers’
immersion in these contexts?
The guide can be used to facilitate immersion in an experiential context (Carù &
Cova, 2007). They can provide support or, with a dramaturgical term, act as a
202 L. Mossberg

helper. In order for consumers to have a positive experience in the special world,
there is a process that includes personnel and other consumers (Arnould & Price,
1993). The stimuli of the senses and the social interaction of the process affect
consumers’ feelings and emotions. Ladwein (2007) argues that the consumer
experience in the special world is mediated by the guide who initiates the relation to
the servicescape and with one another. The guide can help to keep the parts together,
involve the consumer and influence feeling and experience (Ap & Wong, 2001; Geva
& Goldman, 1991; Mossberg, 1995; Quiroga, 1990). A guide’s involvement and
knowledge can also increase the tourist’s competence (Ryan, 1997). He shows, with
the help of the theory of flow (Csı́kszentmihályi, 1990), how the tourist can avoid
feelings of non-adventure, for instance, if the guide is helping out with his/her skills
and knowledge in various guiding situations.
The guide and the organization cannot create experiences. It’s the consumer who
creates his experience, but the guide and the organization provide the prerequisites.
The consumer produces different meanings and identities that he/she wants to play
and experience (Firat & Dholakia, 1998). There must be room for the consumer to
personally be able to influence the details and render the interaction between
organization and consumer. Competition, according to Prahalad and Ramaswamy
(2004), will focus on experiences that the consumer is co-creating, resulting in a
value unique to every individual. They feel that the consumer’s role has changed
from being isolated to becoming united, from uninformed to informed and from
passive to active. Many consumers want to become integrated and enter a dialogue
with the company and thereby participate in creating value. They like to be part of
the creative process and co-create. This may involve anything from creating your
own coffee experience at Starbucks to creating your own identity and playing
someone else at a medieval event. At a medieval tournament, for example, a person
can be anonymous but a new status can be ‘‘legalised’’ with different symbols
(Jafari, 1987). Identities can be changed by changing into medieval costume and
even using medieval names (names that the person might always use and be known
by in the physical and/or virtual ‘‘community’’ he or she is part of). The person,
who is now correctly masked, dressed, equipped and transformed, can now enact
the story. Sometimes individuals can also play the hero of the story (Ladwein,
2007). The hero wins the competition, defeats the opposition, has the best shot, etc.
Sometimes the hero needs help (possibly from volunteers) just like in the world of
film or literature. In this context, it is perfectly acceptable to play another role –
perhaps to discover oneself or perhaps as some kind of liberation process. The
person has the opportunity to ‘‘act’’ and let go of the real world for a while.
Wakefield and Blodgett (1994) found in their study on servicescapes in leisure
settings that involvement had a strong influence on excitement and repatronage
intentions. Based on their results, they suggest that the servicescape should be
designed to enhance entertainment and involvement.

P5: A guide can be used to facilitate a tourist’s immersion in a story and a

servicescape.
P6: By involvement and co-creating in a servicescape, a tourist can get more
immersed in and be captivated by a story.
 Extraordinary Experiences through Storytelling 203

Storytelling and the Development of a Hotel – An Illustrative Example

Klaus K in Helsinki (www.klauskhotel.com) is a Finnish hotel that has invested in
storytelling. The concept was created by Stylt Trampoli AB (www.stylt.se) and the
following description, obtained from Mossberg and Johansen (2006), explains this
creation. A discussion follows after the case about the creation process, the effects
and authenticity.

Klaus K
Background/Assignment
We were contacted by a property owner in Helsinki who’d decided to start a new
kind of hotel in Finland. It needed to be a modern, different hotel, independent of
the traditional chains. The aim was instead to join Design Hotels – a collection of
independent modern hotels with a major focus on art, interior design and
innovative service. Meanwhile, they’d decided on a hotel with ‘‘style and story’’
and there were detailed plans for using the Finnish national epic ‘‘Kalevala’’ with a
twist. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that the hotel to be renovated was
named after a character on the periphery of this epic – namely Knight Klaus Kurki.
Hotel Klaus Kurki had been in business in a classy part of central Helsinki for over
70 years. It was, however, never more than an ordinary hotel, with small, quite
rundown rooms and in recent years had become part of the Finnish hotel chain
Sokos. The company had meanwhile recruited a pre-opening manager from the US
with extensive experience from a range of lifestyle hotels around the US. His most
recent assignment, before moving to Finland, was running Hotel W Union Square
in New York. W Hotels is Starwoods lifestyle brand that has become very
successful in recent years. W on Union Square was New York’s most profitable
hotel for three years in succession. The steering committee also consisted of a
former manager from the Scandic hotel chain in Finland, a man who had
successfully run a number of concept restaurants throughout Finland. In other
words, we had a client with exceptional experience, who clearly understood what
they wanted to achieve. The assignment was to transform a run down hotel into
Finland’s first lifestyle hotel with three themed restaurants, bar, nightclub, spa and
conference facilities. The hotel should also reach such a high class and exciting
design that it would be welcomed as Finland’s first member of Design Hotels.

The Solution/The Story

The client had decided that they wanted to create a hotel with both ‘‘style and
story’’, as they put it. They were clear about the fact they wanted to use Kalevala
in some way or another, but didn’t know how. They wanted to clearly emphasize
that guests were staying in Helsinki and that the Finnishness should be
highlighted. They were also scared that the finished product would be considered
ridiculous, museum-like or too arts and crafts. They wanted to create a modern,
exciting and comfortable top class hotel – but they wanted to add a touch of
Kalevala, which is deeply rooted in Finnish life. To succeed they chose to use
204 L. Mossberg

outside influence, us to be more precise. We started by trying to understand

Finland and the Finnish, we tried to find out what Kalevala actually was, what it
means to modern Finns and its historical importance. What was the competition
like in Helsinki and what characterized the Finns’ and visitors’ image of the city
and the country? We had many questions, but the learning curve was, as usual,
very steep as soon as we found the right sources of information. We read
Kalevala, Kanteletar and a lot more that was written during Finland’s fight for
independence in the late 19th century. We spoke to researchers and museum
officials about Elias Lönnrot’s reasons for writing Kalevala. We learned a lot
about textiles from Karalen and about Gallen-Kallelas’ paintings illustrating
Kalevala. We visited museums, galleries and craftsmen in and around Helsinki.
We listened to Sibelius and music from the modern Finnish club scene. In brief we
tried to create a picture of modern-day Finland and why it is like it is.
We also realized that the country and Kalevala is about strong contrasts –
between life and death, light and dark, rural and urban life, old and new, pleasure
and sorrow, pride and humility. This duality should naturally be taken onboard in
the interior design and in marketing. We created an interior design that partly
reflects the Finnish nature, temperament and the country’s modern history. The
hotel rooms were sectioned into categories like ‘‘passion’’, ‘‘jealousy’’, ‘‘desire’’
and ‘‘mysticism’’.
The main restaurant was called Ilmatar after the Finnish first mother of
mythology and another restaurant received a more family atmosphere, created
around the very special Finnish film industry.
As in all good dramaturgy, the most important ingredients of Kalevala are the
contrasts between good and evil, and light and dark. We therefore split the hotel
into a light part and a dark part and the dividing line runs straight through the bar.
On one side it’s completely white where they serve clear spirits and on the other
side, where the bar is black they serve just dark spirits. Further into the dark side of
the bar is the Ahjo nightclub (Ahjo is the fire that spreads happiness in Kalevala).
We thought it was important to make use of the Finnish melancholy – but to
do it with a touch of humour. Our US client, for cultural reasons, found it
difficult to understand our dark humour, while the Finns completely under-
stood and revelled in our way of dealing with their background and the way
they present themselves to the world. Our conceptual idea for the entire hotel
can be summarized by:

A personal, contemporary hotel inspired by the emotional contrasts of

Finland’s national epic, its nature and drama.

Media Attention
The hotel was completed a few years ago. It can be said that the PR plan to use
an ancient saga for the interior design and for marketing a modern design hotel
has been successful. Six months before the hotel opened there had been a lot
written in the Finnish and international press about a hotel that nobody had
seen. Before the opening, the New York Times, Wallpaper, CNN and Financial
 Extraordinary Experiences through Storytelling 205

Times wrote about the hotel. A month before the opening the London-based
magazine Arena called, desperately wanting pictures from Klaus K. They had
just included the hotel in its list of ‘‘Top five things to do on New Years Eve’’.
It’s also interesting to note that 95% of what the press has reported includes the
link with Kalevala. No focus was put on the membership of Design Hotels.
Though Design Hotels is new in Finland, it is not international news compared
to building an ultra-modern hotel based on an ancient saga.

Discussion
The first and second issues discussed in this paper concern the form and use of
servicescapes and narrative techniques. The organization that created the Klaus K
hotel concept used narrative techniques and dramaturgy. One of the secrets why Klaus
K received so much media attention is the business’ link to Finnish folklore. It took
them a long time to understand what Kalevala means to Finnish people today. They
realized that Kalevala was very important for their identity, even though most Finns
have a fairly vague perception of what Kalevala really stands for and how it all began.
When the organization developed the script, they created a picture of modern-day
Finland and tried to understand why it is like it is. The script focused on Klaus Kurki,
as related to Kalevala, and the strong contrasts between life and death, light and dark,
rural and urban life, old and new, pleasure and sorrow, pride and humility. This
duality was used in interior design but also in marketing. A hedonic consumption
setting was created and the script outlined the interior design, which to some extent
reflects the Finnish nature, temperament and the country’s modern history. This is
built on non-linear dramaturgy. Hotel guests move from room to room; each can tell
stories linked to Kalevala but it is non chronological and lack of movements from the
start to the end. It’s an interesting story for both domestic and international visitors.
Finnish visitors might feel proud, while foreign visitors are curious. It’s a far cry from
visiting a standard room in any of the major international hotel chains.
The third and fourth issues emphasized consumer immersion. The guests, when
arriving at the hotel, step into an exciting, safe and controlled special world
influenced by the contrasts portrayed in the Kalevala story. The story comes through
in the whole hotel, both in the public spaces but also in the individual hotel rooms.
The personnel act according to the story. They are taught about Kalevala (a
handbook explaining the story has been developed for the personnel), and hotel
guests are invited to take part in and create their own story.
Anyone working with storytelling in conjunction with corporate development and
branding strategies has often been asked if the story is true. Does the story about the
hotel need to be true? In films and literature we relate to characters, who we can
sometimes identify with. They affect us even though we know they’re not real and
their affect on us as observers, listeners and readers becomes real. We are drawn
along by the stories and spellbound by the content. Organizations that choose to use
storytelling should be aware of their reason for doing that, and whether the process
is accomplished with mutual understanding. In the case of Klaus K, the hotel guests
can read about the story in media and at the hotel but also, if they are interested, be
guided around by the personnel. The personnel are, in this case, the teller of the story
206 L. Mossberg

and link the various situations/rooms together. Tourists are in search of authenticity
but it is not a search for authenticity as originals. Instead, it is symbolic authenticity,
which is a result of social construction (Wang, 1999). It relates to the stereotyped
images held by tourists. These images are constructed by the media, as the media
influence our pictures of the world, as well as by advertising from tourism
organizations and other types of marketing activity.
The purpose of Klaus K was to create a modern, exciting and comfortable top-
class hotel with a touch of Kalevala, which is deeply rooted in Finnish life. It’s
important to clarify what’s real and what’s make-believe so that the hotel guest
doesn’t feel tricked. In general, the concept of truth needs to be separated from the
concept of authenticity. Whether we allow ourselves to be captivated by a story
depends not on whether it’s true or not, but rather whether it’s believable. A
narrative transportation occurs that builds on a consensus between producer and
consumer. For consumers to be involved, he/she must interpret the story and live the
part. This consensus means that there must be mutual understanding of the format
and content shared by the person communicating the story and the recipient.
Klaus K succeeded in creating a unique story, which has received a lot of media
attention and it has been one of the best performing hotels (revenue per room) in
Finland during the last few years. The power of attraction depends, therefore, on the
story, which makes it difficult for others to copy.

Conclusions, Implications and Suggestions for Future Research

There are many examples of storytelling in the hotel and restaurant industry. Others
have evolved due to the power of literature or film and people’s desire to remain in a
fantasy world after reading a book or after watching a film. Yet others include events
and tourist attractions that build on stories. This paper points out how organizations
can be conceptualized as stories but also differentiated on the market. Critical
concerns about servicescapes, storytelling and consumer immersion have been
discussed. It was proposed that if storytelling is going to work, tourists have to seek
hedonic benefits. In hedonic consumption settings, the servicescape is important
(Wakefield & Blodgett, 1994). The design of the servicescape should be directed by
the story, and tourists’ temporary visit to the non-ordinary to enhance entertain-
ment, fantasy, and joy. Often a guide can be used to facilitate consumer immersion.
The guide can be a mediator between the ordinary and the non-ordinary and initiate
the relationship to the servicescape and with other consumers. The guide acts as a
helper and keeps the parts of the story together.
The main advantage is if the company succeeds in communicating a good story,
consumers might become involved and want to join in and create the experience for
themselves. If they get a positive feeling, then it often involves moments of excitement
or surprise. Marketers have often focused on consumers’ rationality and argued for
products’ favourable pricing, quality and other benefits that might be attractive to the
consumer. In the case of Klaus K, we see that it’s not the question of rationality or
utilitarian services that the consumer is looking for, but rather that consumers are
captivated by the story. It is largely a question of fantasy and entertainment. When a
business is built around a story, the servicescape can tie together the consumption
 Extraordinary Experiences through Storytelling 207

setting by visualizing cues from the story. It can serve as a facilitator that enhances the
activities in the servicescape, as a socializer that facilitates the interaction between the
tourists as well as the tourists’ interactions with the personnel and as a differentiator
when comparisons are made to competitors.
This discussion has interesting implications for managers in tourism and
hospitality organizations at three levels. First, on a general marketing and
management level, some dimensions of consumers’ extraordinary experiences have
been discussed in relation to the role of servicescapes in tourism and hospitality and
the link to storytelling. All product development, no matter if it is a highly-advanced
technical product or services in the hospitality area, should depart from the
consumers’ attitudes, feelings, behaviours, etc. Tourists’ need for fantasies and
dreams, their consumption in the non-ordinary, their degree of involvement and
their search for authenticity should be understood in the design process. Marketers
can develop their products with greater specificity if they understand the various
dimensions influencing extraordinary experiences in general and in tourism and
hospitality contexts in particular.
Second, the paper has described how the story can act as a framework for tying
together entire businesses. This paper suggests several strategies to add value for
consumers in a special world or an enclave, which exists outside the everyday world
of consumers where the story takes place. Through the story and its prerequisites, the
personnel need to know how to meet and serve consumers. In dramaturgical terms,
consumers can see and act on the scene but cannot see what is behind the scene or
stage. The managers, on the other hand, need to organize according to the script and
direct the performance of the actors on the stage – the consumers and the frontline
personnel. The personnel should have clearly defined roles that are drawn up using
the story as a basis. The parts are played out in the special world space, which can
help enhance the role staging. This space contains design and décor that reflect the
story as well as music, artefacts and colours that may encourage the consumer to
take an interest in the story and co-create.
Third, storytelling can be used by organizations to communicate stories at various
levels. On a strategic comprehensive level, the story can clarify why the company
exists and how value is created for its owners. On a marketing level, the story can
clarify how the organization differentiates itself on a market where not only products
but also organizations need to distinguish themselves through their stories. A unique
story means that the concept is difficult for others to copy. Making another version
of Klaus K, for example, would be very difficult. Another advantage with stories is
that if they are sufficiently unique or different, they will spread by word-of-mouth
and might generate major media attention, as has been the case for many
Scandinavian hotels and restaurants (Mossberg & Johansen, 2006). On the next
level, it is a question of how management and employees have to communicate who
they are and how they want to realize their visions.
This conceptual paper, which includes a hotel example mostly for illustrative
purposes, has shortcomings. It is explorative and aims to describe a phenomenon
which has started to become common in the tourism and hospitality industry. The
discussion tries to encapsulate why it can be fruitful to build a concept around the
story. However, the link between servicescapes, storytelling, dramaturgy and
208 L. Mossberg

marketing, especially when focused on concept development, seems to be almost

untouched in international research. This study takes a first step in this direction in
order to bridge the gap, but there is a great need for future research to understand
this conceptualization trend. One of the limitations of the study is the lack of
research into consumers’ perceptions. Two preconditions for a consumer to be
immersed in a story and have an extraordinary experience are proposed. They relate
to the type of service and to the setting. One is the need for the experience to take
place in a hedonic service consumption setting. The other precondition focuses on
consumption in a special world that allows the consumer to step away from everyday
reality. These preconditions, which are based on research into consumer behaviour
in general and tourism behaviour in particular, need to be tested in various hedonic/
utilitarian tourism and hospitality contexts. A first step would also be to distinguish
thematic environments based on whether they are built on narratives techniques and
dramaturgy. Both theoretical and empirical research in this area is needed to be able
to understand the phenomenon taking place in the market today. Extensive research
into tourist experiences has been carried out, but a variety of concepts and
frameworks is used, mainly from anthropology, ethnology, marketing and
psychology. Even deeper insight into consumers’ extraordinary experiences in
different tourism and hospitality contexts is required – both for tourists experiencing
services based on a story and for those experiencing something else.

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