See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/345389198

Mastering Storytelling: An Exploratory Study of Content Marketing in the

Luxury Hotel Segment

Thesis · January 2020

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.29789.64489

CITATION READS

1 5,115

1 author:

Paul Boden
IU International University of Applied Sciences
2 PUBLICATIONS 1 CITATION

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

traveler of now View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Paul Boden on 06 November 2020.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Bachelor Thesis

International University of Applied Sciences Bad Honnef – Bonn

IUBH Campus Studies

Hospitality Management

Mastering Storytelling: An Exploratory Study of Content Marketing

in the Luxury Hotel Segment

Paul Boden

Student ID: 9150289

Austraße 2a

53604 Bad Honnef

Supervisor: Prof. Magda Sylwestrowicz

Date of Submission: January 16th, 2020

 Abstract
People are confronted with constant information overload, so the author decided to
bring to the attention of a wider audience, the concept of storytelling.

The purpose of this research is to investigate what connection the telling of a

compelling story as a marketing tool has, in relation, to the customer’s perception and
attractiveness to a brand or a product.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five Hotel Marketing Managers

and Directors and three Professional Storytellers. This study analyzed the point of view of
a multitude of industry professionals, and the researcher gathered valuable insights on how
to write a powerful story, how to market the narrative, and about the benefits and successes
of a well-structured story.

The study revealed that it is indispensable for any organization or marketeers to

detach from traditional marketing, which focusses mainly on facts and figures and to move
on to a story-based marketing approach, which involves and hooks the customer in a
company’s storytelling. Even if another company’s product is better, the company that has
the best story will win the customer as he or she can relate and identify him or herself with
the narrative.

Consequently, to efficiently dominate the market, any Marketeer, Manager, or

Brand itself, need to understand and master the concept of storytelling fully.

Keywords: Storytelling, Story, Narrative, Hospitality Industry, Branding Process, Brand

Story, Marketing Communications, Content Marketing, Tourism Marketing,
Advertisement

ii
 Table of Contents

Acknowledgment ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Abstract .................................................................................................................................. ii

Table of Contents ................................................................................................................. iii

List of Figures and Tables ..................................................................................................... v

List of Appendices ............................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

1. Topic Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1

1.1. Rationale ................................................................................................................. 1

1.2. The Aim and Objectives of the Research ............................................................... 1

1.3. Outline of the Chapters ........................................................................................... 2

2. Literature Review ........................................................................................................... 3

2.1. Integrated Marketing Communications .................................................................. 3

2.1.1. Content Marketing................................................................................................ 4

2.2. Storytelling in the Branding Process ...................................................................... 6

2.2.1. The Role of Public Relations in Branding ....................................................... 9

2.2.2. Brand Journalism............................................................................................... 10

2.3. Segmentation, targeting and positioning in the Hotel Industry ............................ 11

2.4. The Art of Storytelling .......................................................................................... 12

2.4.1. The Essence of Stories and Visuals in the Tourism Industry ........................ 13

2.4.2. Develop and Implement Storytelling in Tourism Marketing ........................ 17

2.4.3. Storytelling for the Luxury Hotel Segment ................................................... 20

2.5. Summary of the Review of the Literature................................................................. 22

3. Methodology ................................................................................................................ 23

3.1. Research Approach ............................................................................................... 23

3.2. Research Design ................................................................................................... 24

3.3. Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 25

iii
 3.4. Secondary Data Collection ................................................................................... 25

3.5. Primary Data Collection ....................................................................................... 25

3.6. The Interviews ...................................................................................................... 26

4. Data analysis and Research findings ............................................................................ 27

4.1. Qualitative Analysis of Interviews (Strategic Storytellers) .................................. 27

4.1.1. Professional Background ............................................................................... 28

4.1.2. Core Elements in Storytelling........................................................................ 28

4.1.3. Storytelling in Branding ................................................................................ 29

4.1.4. Strengths of Storytelling ................................................................................ 31

4.2. Qualitative Analysis of Interviews (Hotel Marketing Managers Directors)......... 32

4.2.1. Marketing Initiatives ..................................................................................... 33

4.2.2. Benefits and Key Components of Storytelling .............................................. 33

4.2.3. Storytelling in Progress ................................................................................. 34

4.2.4. Implementation of Storytelling...................................................................... 34

4.2.5. Feedback on Storytelling ............................................................................... 35

4.2.6. Strengths of Storytelling ................................................................................ 35

5. Conclusion.................................................................................................................... 35

5.1. Research Limitations ............................................................................................ 37

5.2. Recommendations for Potential Future Research ................................................. 37

References ........................................................................................................................... 38

Appendices .......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

iv
 List of Figures and Tables
Figure 1: The Marketing Communication Mix
Figure 2: Freytag’s Pyramid
Figure 3: A Process and Component Model of compelling Brand Storytelling for
Luxury Hotels
Table 1: List of Interview Participants (Professional Storytellers)
Table 2: List of Interview Participants (Hotel Marketing Managers and Directors)

v
 1. Topic Introduction
1.1. Rationale
“Imagine if we invented a device that could record my memories, my dreams, my
ideas, and transmit them to your brain. That would be a game-changing technology, right?
But, in fact, we already possess this device, and it’s called the human communication
system and effective storytelling.” (Hasson, 2016, 0:12)

The primary motivation for the research resulted in an interest-driven to find out
how to convince people of an idea and how to make them remember. This is especially
useful when it comes to traditional marketing and advertisement, where a multitude of
marketeers, till today, try to convince the customer of their product by throwing as many
facts as possible at them.

The author of the study introduces the concept of storytelling in the corporate world
to the readers, lays down the critical components of how to construct and market a
compelling story, presents the benefits and shows how businesses can use the power of a
narrative to succeed and gain a competitive advantage in the market place.

1.2. The Aim and Objectives of the Research

The “fact-based” marketing is used in almost every industry. The research aims to
show Managers, Directors, and CEO’s, that there is a more efficient way to successfully
advertise their products or services to their customer segment. Namely by acquiring a skill
set of how to tell compelling stories about the business, the product or the service.
The following research objectives will be examined in the study:
i. The literature will be closely examined to lay down what was previously found out by
academics and researchers.
ii. The core elements of a compelling story, that are being used to successfully advertise
or promote a brand, will be identified and explained.
iii. The perspectives of several industry experts will be analyzed and interpreted.
iv. The benefits, that result from the effective use of storytelling, are being outlined and
clarified.

The findings of the research will benefit all kinds of industry professionals, from
big organizations to small business owners, as they are constantly confronted with fierce

1
competition. Therefore, mastering storytelling can give any business a huge advantage and
distinguish themselves in the eyes of the customers and employees.

1.3. Outline of the Chapters

The following Thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is meant to
introduce the reader to the subject, give an overview of the problems and solutions that are
going to be discussed. In the second chapter, the existing literature will be reviewed,
summarized, and the different concepts explained. The third chapter outlines the research
method that has been used to gather primary data on the topic. The analysis and findings of
the primary data collected in the course of the study constitute chapter four. Lastly, the
author provides a compulsive conclusion, with a recap of the most critical points of the
study, and further recommendations for future research.

2
 2. Literature Review
2.1. Integrated Marketing Communications
“Probably the most powerful form of communication we have at our disposal is
storytelling. It has been incorporated by virtually every civilization into their culture. It is
the simplest, most memorable device we have for engaging, learning, entertaining and,
persuading” (Hegarty, 2013, p. 499).

Good communications are the very essence of successful market-oriented

companies. A company uses those skills to inform, persuade and remind customers about
the product they are trying to sell (Keller, 2001, p. 819) while simultaneously targeting
their customer base through effective communication means (Pelsmacker et al., 2013, pp. 3
- 4). Marketing communications are the most efficient way companies can communicate
about brands with their customers (Keller, 2001), and help the sender to speak with only
one voice (Finne and Grönroos, 2017).

Integrated marketing communications focus on how a brand message, the

marketing communication tools, and the various media channels are managed, and merged
into coordinated communication strategies to be promoted efficiently to customers (Jobber
and Ellis-Chadwick, 2013, p. 500). The customer learns the backstory of the product, what
its purpose is, and enables them to create a link between the brand, the people, places, and
experiences associated with the label (El-Rehman and Ibrahim, 2011). With the help of an
integrated marketing communication system, the company can reach the right customer at
the right time, in the right place, with the right message (Rehman and Ibrahim, 2011).

Kitchen and Schultz (1998) describe integrated marketing communications as

marketing communications “dressed up in new clothes and given a new title” (p.469),
meaning that communications are nothing new, and their main purpose remains the
advertisement of a message through the use of multiple channels that support and interact
with each other.

However, marketing communications should be integrated to deliver a consistent

message and result in strategic positioning (Kotler and Keller, 2012, p. 501). Armed with
the right message, integrated marketing communications have the potential to influence
experiences, enforce customer loyalty, and ultimately drive sales (Kotler and Keller, 2012,
p. 501).

3
 Figure 1: The Marketing Communication Mix, by Camilleri, M. A., 2018, Travel
Marketing, Tourism Economics, and Airline Product, 5, pp. 85 – 103.

2.1.1. Content Marketing

Information has become a dominant player in marketing exchange (Rowley, 2008;
Elisa, 2014).

Content marketing exists as a traditional and digital medium. Traditional content

marketing’s presence is traced back to the year 1895, when John Deere, an agricultural
entrepreneur, launched the first magazine of its kind, which focused on providing targeted
solutions to farmers (Kuenn, 2013), and later was followed by editorials and newspapers.
Later, John F. Oppendahl coined the term content marketing in 1996, as technological
innovations helped to create and to deliver content, which gave birth to the term digital
content marketing (Rakic et al., 2014; Koiso-Kanttila, 2004; Rowley, 2008).

In traditional content marketing, the companies directly inform the customer about
the product they are selling and try to persuade them to decide (Kaurav and Thakur, 2019,
p. 290). Whereas, in digital content marketing, the companies sell the product directly,
present all the relevant information to the customer, and simultaneously enforce brand
awareness (Kaurav and Thakur, 2019, p. 290).

With the help of content marketing, companies can produce unique, valuable, and
dynamic qualitative content, which enables them to distinguish from competitors (Handley
and Chapman, 2010, 2011; Lieb, 2011; Jefferson and Tanton, 2013; Rose and Pulizzi,
2011; Rancati, 2014).

4
 The published content must be relevant and value-adding to the customer’s needs
(Ružkevičius and Guseve, 2006; Chasser and Wolfe, 2010; Gagnon, 2014; Abel, 2014;
Creamer, 2012; Schui-Nanni et al., 2014; Pazeraite and Repoviene, 2016). Besides, when
customers perceive the delivered content as valuable, unique, and in line with their
interests and goals (Ružkevičius and Guseve, 2006), the multiplier effect is likely to set in,
and eventually, customers spread word of mouth about the company’s skills. In that case,
customers are active participants in the co-creation of value by exchanging resources and
information among each other (Vargo and Lusch, 2004).

Content with an emotional factor, either positive or negative, has an appealing

effect on costumers. However, research shows that positive content has a more powerful
and viral effect than negative content (Berger and Milkman, 2012).

Sharing content over social media enables the use of a smooth and broad range of
channels to promote a company and its products (Barefoot and Szabo, 2010), facilitating
the purchasing process, and thereby adding value to the overall customer experience
(Odden, 2013). The tourism industry greatly relies on information, therefore underlining
the fact that social media is of vital importance in the field (Hays, Page and Buhalis, 2013;
Gretzel et al., 2000, p. 147; Wang, Quaechee and Fesenmaie, 2002), as it allows its users to
share information, opinions, and thoughts anytime and anywhere.

Hence, it highlights the importance of implementing social media channels within

the marketing strategies of tourism organizations to provide targeted and useful content to
its customers (Hays, Page and Buhalis, 2013; Gretzel et al., 2000; Hjalager, 2010; Ruzic
and Bilas, 2010; Schegg et al., 2008).

Nowadays, the deciding factor of a hotel or destination success is mainly dependent

on the content generated on social media (Gillin, 2007), either by organizations or regular
users, thus further underlining the importance of content marketing in the tourism industry.

Storytelling is deeply rooted in the content marketing strategy, as it is one of the

most powerful and effective ways to breathe new life into brands and to boost the market
(Fog, Budtz and Yakaboylu, 2005).

5
 2.2. Storytelling in the Branding Process
According to Fanning (1999), the definition of a “brand” was first published in the
Harvard Business Review by B.V. Gardner and S. J. Levy (1955), who state that: “A band
name is more than a label employed to differentiate among the manufacturers of a product.
It is a complex symbol that represents a variety of ideas and attributes. It tells the customer
that many things – not only by the way it sounds (and its literal meaning if it has one) but
more important by the body of associations if it has built up and acquired as a public object
over a period of time. The net result is the public image, the character or personality that
may be more important than the overall status (and sales) of the brand than many technical
facts about the product.” (p, 3)

The author wants the reader to understand that not only the sales volume of brands is
decisive for its success, but factors like public image and character traits are equally
important.

The term “branding” describes a key management and marketing activity, in which
a name, a symbol or a design is created that identifies and differentiates a product from
other products. Additionally, branding is about extraordinary customer service and every
single experience the customer has with the brand (Walter and Giolio, 2019, p. 3).
According to Olins (2009), the strategy of the organization to brand a product serves as a
messaging instrument and lays down a clear vision for the audience (p.21), that helps the
organization to reach its goal (Fritz, 2011). Furthermore, it creates identification and raises
brand awareness (Onkvisit and Shaw, 1997).

Traditional marketing does hardly work on brands because it is simply too

complicated. Stories trigger secretions of hormones which can be felt in the entire body
and ultimately facilitate the decision-making (Miller, 2017, p. 6). People get emotionally
involved with the narratives, which then plant ideas in the heads and result in the brains of
the narrator and the listener to synchronize (Sammer, 2015, pp. 29 - 34). Furthermore,
stories are more convincing and compelling than the pure enumeration of facts and figures
(Sammer, 2015, pp. 5 - 6)

A powerful story can help the brand to “help build awareness, comprehension,
empathy, recognition, recall, and provide meaning” (Singh and Sonnenburg, 2012, p. 189).

6
 A powerful story helps to connect with the customers who share the same values
and beliefs (Walter and Gioglio, 2019) and to communicate what the brand stands for (Fog
et al., 2010). In furtherance, potential new customers are attracted, and existing ones
retained (Jensen, 1999; Delgadillo and Escalas, 2004).

Stories are viewed as mental stimulation, and experts from the field of cognitive
psychology state that people tend to remember stories better than facts (Sammer, 2015, p.
27). People understand the world around them not only through logic structures but also
with the help of stories and images (Wala, 2015, p. 169), which brands make use of, to
trigger memories in people’s minds.

Many brands engage in the storytelling process, but not all succeed in creating a
distinctive brand identity. Developing the right story for a brand can be challenging for
most companies (Rosen, 2000). According to Huang (2010), a compelling story is told by
using persuasive and well-structured information to help people understand what the brand
is all about, wants to deliver, and finally helps retains all the information (p. 309).

Strong brands include their brand value in their stories, extend their stories through
their servicescape (Baker and Boyle, 2009), and let it resonate with customers at a deeper
level (Barksy and Nash, 2002). Furthermore, Escalas (2006), claims that customers who
read brand stories, have less critical thoughts on brands, and enhance their brand
acceptance (Loebbert, 2005).

A compelling brand story consists of three crucial elements, according to Stern

(2003), namely a telling, a tale, and a teller.

The telling consists of a plot, a beginning, a middle, and an end (Boje, 2014;
Dowling, 2006; Kent, 2015; Matthews and Wacker, 2007; McKee and Fryer, 2003;
Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). A so-called structural perspective (Stern, 1995; Kent, 2015;
White, 1973) which uses a reliable narrator to guide the reader through the story (Stanzel,
1986), and to finish it consistently with the story’s overall meaning (Stern, 2003).
Followed by the tale, which explains that customers tend to believe in brand stories
when they rely on historical events, and their history appears reasonable to them (Loebbert,
2005). The so-called contextual perspective (Boje, 2014; Dowling, 2006; Kent, 2015;
Matthews and Wacker, 2007; McKee and Fryer, 2003; Rossiter and Bellman, 2005)
focuses on fundamental values, such as historical connections, the shape of the product or a
family tradition. They can increase the brand’s credibility in the eyes of the customer and

7
further strengthen their perceived image. Additionally, a story must be clear. In a story, the
listener must see who the hero is, what he wants, what the conflict is about, how he’s
aiming to solve it, and what beautiful things will happen when he succeeds (Miller, 2017).
A brand story follows the same logic, customers have questions, and if the brand cannot
answer them to their satisfaction, the customer will move on to the next brand (Miller,
2017).
Lastly, the teller is the first-person narrator who incorporates the protagonist and
delivers the main character’s inner thoughts directly to the reader (Banerjee and Greene,
2012). Such narratives are more powerful than stories told by a third-person narrator
(Huang, 2010). However, a third-person narrator, can see and understand the big picture,
whereas the first-person narrator could be mentally too involved (Edmiston, 1989).
Successful companies always have a story at their core, which is consistent with
their core values. According to Hermann and Wala (2015), there are numerous situations
every company has experienced, which can be useful to develop a strong brand story (pp.
175 – 176). For example, the founding history of the company, pioneering inventions,
unprecedented successes, crises, and how the company mastered them, the origin of the
name, customer experiences, and prominent customers.
The key is to make the companies message about something that helps the
customer to survive and thrive (Miller, 2017) as all great stories are about survival, either
physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual.

A brand must present a special or unique story (Bierman, 2010), which highlights
its favorable attributes (Escalas, 2004), enhances the identity of its products (Mora and
Moscarola, 2012; Pierre and Florine, 2013), and ultimately results in an increase of
customer’s willingness to buy the company’s product (Lundqvist et al., 2013, p, 291).

The following figure shows Gustav Freytag’s pyramid, outlining the seven key
steps of successful storytelling.

8
 Figure 2: Freytag’s pyramid. From dlandsborough.com by Landsborough, D. W.
2017. Retrieved from: https://www.dlandsborough.com/blog/2017/7/11/freytags-pyramid-
and-the-three-act-plot-structure

2.2.1. The Role of Public Relations in Branding

“PR doesn’t just focus on your business product; it also … assists in shaping
strategic messaging …” (Anonymous, 2010, p. 28).

Public relations are generally actions used to create a particular public opinion
about a company and its services, to preserve the image of the company, and help to
maintain communication with the public (Camilleri, 2018). To be successful, the message
must be consistent with the existing value system of the business (Cvijanović et al., 2009),
enhance the corporate image, boost the reputation, and trigger the demand. Furthermore,
the interested parties in public relations, not only consist of potential buyers, but also of
employees, suppliers, and society itself (Camilleri, 2018). As the public relies far more
upon the editorial paper, public relations have a significant benefit over traditional
marketing (Taylor, 2012, p. 294), which results in a great responsibility for public relations
professionals (Health, 2000).

One of the core elements of storytelling, is public relations, as it upholds the image,
the reputation, and communications of the business (Health, 2006). According to Hynes
(2009), the authenticity to elevate a brand should come from public relations, and Allen
(2005) pointed out that there is a relation between authenticity and storytelling.

9
 The use of stories in public relations helps to create connections with the public via
building relationships and trust (Prindle, 2011). Therefore, successful public relations
communications make use of stories to change people’s minds and strengthen their
opinions (Gardner, 2004).

Furthermore, storytelling in public relation guarantees that the audience

understands the strategic message (Harrison, 2008) and that the goal and objectives are in
line with the desired outcome of the corporation (Denning, 2005).

In the past, public relations consisted of a traditional sender-oriented approach,

which addresses the public through mass media, such as television or newspapers (Helder
and Kragh, 2002). With the rise of social media, however, which is receiver-oriented and
follows a two-way conversation (Mikáčová and Gavlaková, 2014), more individuals are
now linked by communication technologies (Fulk, 1993), which has changed the way
marketers and advertisers interact with customers.

2.2.2. Brand Journalism

The term was first coined by Larry Light, who was the CEO of McDonald’s back in
the time (Bull, 2013)

One of the leading roles of the media is to report news, form beliefs, generate
thoughts (Vasihnav, 2019), and build opinions.

Content marketing includes brand journalism and follows the concept that all
brands need to think and act like publishers (Rogers, 2016), or media companies (Pulizzi,
2012). Content marketing offers an unlimited variety of brand journalism models (Brito,
2012; Brown, 2014; Lazauskas 2014b; Leitus, 2014; Mann, 2014; Sinclair, 2014; Shapiro,
2014; Holt, 2016), and is an attempt to introduce the brand into the lives of potential
audiences through newspaper, tv programs, websites, or advertisements (Tascón and Pino,
2014, p. 10).

The communication strategy of a business should contain brand journalism to

identify the core formula of the company (Murray, 2013), to inform, and to captivate the
attention of the public (Light, cited in Swenson, 2012).

Brand journalism is the opposite of selling; it is storytelling, in its most authentic

way (Appleton, 2019). Lyon (2013) suggests that brands should use brand journalism to
10
stay relevant to its customers, by telling the truth, having an opinion, being transparent, and
using their existing customers for valuable contributions to the brand.

Lyon (2013) further stipulates that brand journalism must consist of a meaningful
story that raises brand awareness and recognition.

Every business can make use of journalistic techniques to tell a unique story to the
public (Bull, 2013). According to Ferguson (2012), brand journalism uses the reliability of
news to tell a corporate story and to achieve a competitive advantage. A story must be
about the brand, what it cares about, provide information about the brand’s product, and
how it successfully engages with its customers (Lazauskas, 2014a). March (1995) adds
that, if the story is exciting, it can influence the behavior.

Social media creates a joint effort for co-creation of brand content, a personal
connection between the brand and the customers (Turri et al., 2013), which ultimately
results in the customer to personalize a given brand (Tuten and Solomon, 2012).

Costumers tend to share their experiences and knowledge with their social
networks (Bruhn et al., 2012; Hermida et al., 2012), which gives a strategic perspective to
brands and allows them to get in contact directly with the customer and skip the
intermediaries, such as public relations firms or different media companies.

Successful brand journalists share great stories and engage with their target
audience. The result is that stories are then shared among customers, allowing them to
increase their visibility in the marketplace, and strengthen the connection with their
customers (Ågren and Ölund, 2007).

2.3. Segmentation, targeting and positioning in the Hotel Industry

Segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) is a strategic approach to
marketing. The STP provides any organization with the overall purpose how to find out
about the needs and wants of the target customer (Dibb and Simkin, 1991), how to decide
on a targeting strategy (Dibb and Simkin, 1991), and how to ultimately position the
products in the mind of the customer (Dibb and Simkin, 1991).
According to Kotler and Armstrong (2008), target marketing is a customer-oriented
marketing strategy creating value for the target customers, consisting of three significant
steps, market segmentation (i), targeting (ii), and positioning (iii).

11
 i. The primary practice in marketing is to segment the market, identify distinct groups of
customers with similar habits, attitudes, needs, wants, and other characteristics
(Tsiotsou and Goldsmith, 2012). The information gathered through the market
segmentation process is crucial, as managers gain valuable insights into the minds of
the customer and can develop products and services tailored to a specific group of
customers (Tsiotsou and Goldsmith, 2012). Demographics are the most commonly
used criteria for segmentation, using geographic and behavioral characteristics (Kotler,
2000).
ii. According to Tsiotsou and Goldsmith (2012), the next step is to conduct an evaluation
of the market segments and to select the target market segments. The market segment
is determined by its size, growth, and its structural attractiveness. Following this
evaluation, companies decide which segments are more valuable (Tsiotsou and
Goldsmith, 2012), and can develop a concept with a strong appeal (Dibb and Simkin,
1991, p. 7)
iii. Every brand must include a positioning strategy in their communication plan
(Karadeniz, 2009, pp. 98 – 110). Porter (2001) noted that positioning should be “doing
things differently from competitors, in a way that delivers a unique type of value to
customers” (p. 70). The positioning must provide a competitive advantage, outline the
competition, reflect the company’s mission, goals, and finally communicates the
selected position to the target segments (O’Sullivan, 1991, p. 70). Customer
preferences might change over time, and therefore, according to Kotler (1997), brands
must be willing and able to reposition and reinvent at any moment.

2.4. The Art of Storytelling

Storytelling is done every day, at any time when an emotional experience is shared
about a product (Gruber, 2011).

When telling a story, the brand must think of the customer as an audience. People
who are receiving and hearing a story must perceive it as authentic. Otherwise, they lose
interest in the brand (Gruber, 2011). The authenticity of the story plays a crucial part
because this is the element that shows the audience that the brand is truthful and passionate
about its narrative. It is all about emotional transportation by using the vehicle of
storytelling (Gruber, 2011).

12
 The audience must have the impression that they own the story, so when they retell
it to their relatives and friends, they repeat it more in-depth (Gruber, 2011). This
phenomenon is called Viral Advocacy and describes the process by which audiences pass
on a specific message (Howell, 2010), which relies purely on customers to promote and
share the message at their own free will.

The audience must be addressed with a story that is coherent to the goal of the
brand, and captures the interest of the audience (Gruber, 2011). Every goal must have a
purposeful story behind it, which communicates what the product is all about (Gruber,
2011).

The narrator must be an interactive listener who is engaged in seeing, hearing, and
feeling the customer feedback (Gruber, 2011). The customer is not just part of the journey
but participates actively in the process of creating value. The story should be able to create
an emotional bond between the customer and the narrative alongside a memorable and
personal connection (Gruber, 2011).

2.4.1. The Essence of Stories and Visuals in the Tourism Industry

The Essence of Stories
We speak of storytelling when there is a transmission of events through words,
images, and videos. Telling stories is globally shared and represented in every culture and
environment, ranging from leisure to corporate industries (Bothra, 2019; Sabaretnam,
2019).

Following Visconti and Wetzels (2013), stories are produced by storytellers,

whereas a story that is perceived by the listener, and then matched with his or her
knowledge and experiences, is known as a narrative. In furtherance, the literature suggests
that the narrative facilitates the connection between the story and the audience (Coker,
Flight and Baima, 2017) with helps to create a lasting experience.

Narratives have been necessary for people since the beginning of time. They are
increasingly discussed in the advertising and marketing literature as they are said to
influence a customer’s experience process through emotions and create personal
connections (Mulvey and Medina, 2003; Escalas, 2004; Fog et al., 2005; Chronis, 2008;
Lundqvist et al., 2012) with brands.

13
 According to Simmons (2006), good stories help to influence the interpretation
people give to facts, as they help to understand and convey a message, attract (Pulizzi,
2012), and finally persuade the customer (McKee, 2003).

In that context, a story can help the facts slide into new slots of the listener’s brain
(Simmons, 2006), that supports the customer to better understand the benefits the brand
offers (Kaufman, 2003), and results in engagement with their stories (Chronis, 2008).

Especially emotional stories resonate with tourist’s values, and personal

achievements help to attach meaning to the experience and result in inspiring and
motivating the tourist’s behavior (Babin et al., 1994; Schwartz, 1994; Babin and Kim,
2001; Park and Rabolt, 2009; Lee et al., 2010), which can change the perception of tourist
activities.

Individuals listen to stories and then create their own narratives to understand the
meaning of the experiences (Brunner, 1986; Polkinghorne, 1988), and those same stories
are crucial to develop new ones and allow the individual to escape their daily life.

The entertainment value of stories attracts tourists’ attention. It maintains their

focus long enough to get them engaged in the performance of the experience (Baumeister
and Neuman, 1994) so that the story may serve as an entry point to an imagined reality
where the inner vision and the outer reality interact with the story character to create value
(Bruner, 1986; Damasio, 1999; Schrank and Berman, 2003). The tourist’s life stories
resemble his imagined realities and inner visions, which then connect to the situation to the
story (Bruner, 1986).

Narratives serve as a type of stimulus that has an essential influence on tourist’s

emotions, cognitions, and influences the actions taken by the individuals. Besides, stories
provide individuals with experiences they can relate to, are to be understood, examined,
and reflected as they progress (Bruner, 1986; Polkinghorne, 1988; Schank and Berman,
2003).

Stories are perceived as a form of scenes, containing protagonists, plots, goals

(Adaval and Wyer, 1998; Deighton et al., 1989), and are exceptional in communicating
value. Furthermore, tourists’ match stories with similar elements already stored in their
memory, which speeds up the understanding of the narrative (Baumeister and Newman,
1994; Adawal and Wyer, 1998; McAdams, 2001; Schank and Berman, 2003; Escalas,

14
2004), leads to the creation of value, and an emotional connection (Polkinghorne, 1988;
Deighton et al., 1989; Arnould and Price, 1993; Arnould et al., 1998; Mulvey and Medina,
2003; Escalas, 2004; Carù and Cova, 2006; Denning, 2006; Mathisen, 2012).

Stories with an emotional component are deemed as necessary because emotions

may induce empathy and produce a grade of sympathy with the story protagonists. This
element of compassion links the story to emotional moments in the individual’s own life
(Van Dijk, 1975; Taylor et al., 2002; Escalas and Stern, 2003; Green et al., 2004; Escalas,
2007; Chronis et al., 2012).

Tourists who interact with the story elements during their experience, highlight the
emotional impact stories have on the process of creating value (McAdams, 2001; Singer
and Bluck, 2001). Likewise, the stories told during the tourists stay are far more likely to
be remembered than simple information or facts (Graesser et al., 2002), which then can be
shared in form of a narrative between the tourists and their networks (Fog et al., 2005;
Norris et al., 2005; Lichrou et al., 2008; Schembri et al., 2010; Tussyadiah et al., 2011).

The Essence of Visuals

People have been drawing pictures for thousands of years to communicate and to
convey a message visually (Roam, 2009). Until today, customers mostly think in images
and not in words (Woodside, 2010).

Pictures or Videos have the “ability to grab our attention, fire up our imagination
and share our own story out to the larger world around us” (Mancuso and Stuth, 2014, p.
18).

According to Walter and Gioglio (2017), 90% of all the information that is filtered
by our brain is visual. Visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text, and 40% of the
population generally better responds to visuals than to the written word. Videos and
pictures more attractive to marketers as they are more efficient than traditional written
content (Lessard, 2014).

The written word remains vital in online communications, but visual content, such
as images and videos, are now the most widespread mean of interaction (Habibi, Laroche
and Richard, 2014; Serafinelli, 2017), and the visual element shapes, and gives meaning to
a brand message (Houlahan, n.d.)

15
 Facebook, Instagram, and co. created an early opportunity for visual engagement
(Walter and Gioglio, 2017). There was always a desire to share pictures or even videos.
However, technology was not on point until platforms like Instagram or Facebook got
created, and according to Dan Roam (2009), it introduced the most significant trend in the
marketing and communication period. In furtherance, social media marketing is a cost-
effective way to get in touch with the customer, thereby spreading the word of mouth
(Moran and Gossieaux, 2010; Jian and Erdem, 2016; Lipsman et al., 2012). Besides, if the
story receives enough interest, it can go viral (Lund, Cohen and Scarles, 2018).

Marketers can integrate personal brand stories, developed on social media channels
in their advertisement, and thereby create an emotional connection with the customer
(Lund, Cohen and Scarles, 2018). The story, however, needs to be memorable to reach the
audience, and to influence the narrative in a positive way (Lund, Cohen and Scarles, 2018).

In our everyday communications, we can’t quickly get away from sharing visuals
anymore. Thus, creating images that make the viewer think and feel a certain way has
become an essential factor in the advertisement (Walter and Gioglio, 2017).

To implement good visual storytelling, the brand must understand who its audience
is and how to react to it (Walter and Gioglio, 2017). A marketer must be confident of his
audience to the same extent that he or she is sure about the image that its being crafted.
Symbols and pictures will produce different opinions depending on each country, culture,
or demographic (Walter and Gioglio, 2017).

Walter and Gioglio (2014), pointed out seven crucial elements, marketers must
focus on to deliver a successful visual storytelling strategy:

i. Design
When it comes to designing their advertising campaign, a lot of companies seek the
help of talented artists or photographers to create remarkable imagery.
ii. Personalization
Nowadays, virtually every company is present on social media platforms and engages
in the customization of content. A company must embrace the unique features of each
type of social media platform and create tailored content for the specific platform
audience.
iii. Usefulness

16
 Social listening is the key term to create useful media content that resonates with
customers. Uncovering keywords and trends, and visual building content is what
companies must engage in to successfully promote their brand or service.
iv. Personality
Visual storytelling performs better when the shared content contains a human element.
The human element gives the impression of the presence of a friend, rather than a
corporate entity. A friend has a personality, knows when to listen, and won’t rush a
buying decision. Companies need to think and copy how friends would recommend a
product or service and understand how to craft exciting and appealing visual content.
v. Storytelling
The storytelling element in text form is just as relevant as the use of visuals. Stories can
come from several places, whether a story is told about a product, a service, or the
companies’ values or history.
vi. Share worthiness
When the company produces share-worthy content, the customers become the sales
force. Sharing a compelling visual advertisement, liked and shared by thousands on
social media, spreads the word about the product without having to invest millions in a
traditional advertisement campaign. The most compelling information source for
customers is word of mouth communications, which are usually presented in the form
of a narrative (Delgadiilo and Escalas, 2004).
vii. Real-time amplification
Creating a picture and video library, filled with valuable and appealing content, gives
an excellent opportunity to add value to the moment and to interact in real-time with
customers.

2.4.2. Develop & Implement Storytelling in Tourism Marketing

According to Patterson and Brown (2005), the most natural form of
communication, since the beginning of human history, is storytelling.

Stories catch the attention of people, can easily be remembered, have ever since
fascinated all humans (Brakus et al., 2009, p. 52), and act as a bond that holds people
together since the beginning of time (Rosen, 2006). A narrative follows a chronological
sequence with a plot, a beginning, a middle, and an end, which engages the reader or
listener (Stern, 1994, p. 604). Each story should only contain a single message, with a

17
clearly outlined structure, which can easily be summarized (Twitchell, 2004) in one or two
sentences. The audience should be able to identify itself with the characters of the story
(Mossberg and Nissen Johansen, 2016). Ideally, the story has an emotional ending that
satisfies the audience, as the end of a story is usually the part that is best remembered (Fog
et al., 2005; Mossberg and Nissen Johansen, 2006; Gruber, 2007). Furthermore, a good
story can be retold an unlimited number of times with different themes, characters, plots,
and goals.

The importance of characters and their variation in roles, inspire creation and
emotions (Stern, 1991; Kincaid, 2002; Krakowiak and Oliver, 2012), which can be
explained by the representation of characters which have desired values and unique
personalities (Porter, 2008; Woodside et al., 2008). Besides, the story should present a gap
between the characters and the goal, create tensions (Bernard, 2011), add enthralling
qualities to the story’s (Porter, 2008), and influence the imagination. Such stories change
tourist’s expectations and increase the chance of being part of the tourist’s reference frame
(Green et al., 2002).

Furthermore, a compelling story must have a principal protagonist with whom the
audience can identify, which creates an emotional bond (Mora and Livat, 2013), and
eventually change their attitudes and beliefs (Lund, Cohen and Scarles, 2018).
Furthermore, the story needs a conflict, which needs to be solved to achieve the goal and
outlines the decision-making of the protagonist that leads to the resolution of the conflict
(Woodside, 2010).

Through marketing communication solutions a story can be transformed into

something meaningful for a company (Mossberg and Nissen-Johansen, 2006), and the
telling of a story provides a powerful device for expressing and sharing a company’s
purpose and vision (Rosen, 2006) since people like stories and tend to remember them.

The founder of a company must understand the vision and the underlying meaning
of the story (McLellan, 2006) to convey it accurately into the minds of the customers, and
eventually causes them to see the company in a different light.

When a piece of information is communicated through a story, it is crucial to build

it around a character, give it an identity, and to apply the right message strategy (Laskey et
al., 1989; Laskey et al., 1995). Jensen (1999) claims that a company should use stories to
inform customers about what they can expect from the company.

18
 There are generally three types of stories a company can make use of. The first is
an identity story, which states what the company stands for, what products or services it
provides (Ågren and Ölund, 2007). The second is the consumer story, which expresses
what the customer thinks about the product or service (Ågren and Ölund, 2007). Thirdly,
the product story communicates the uniqueness of the service or product (Ågren and
Ölund, 2007). If the company successfully incorporates the story into its products or
services, it strengthens its visibility in the marketplace (Ågren and Ölund, 2007). And
makes it difficult for others to copy (Mossberg, 2008).

According to Sole and Gray-Wilson (1999), there are four instances when
storytelling can be of great assistance to the business. Firstly, when developing new ideas,
projects, behaviors, or attitudes, since stories can make people move toward the same
direction while engaging them in the process. Secondly, a story delivers culture and norms
that can help people to connect with the organization’s views. Thirdly, stories can help an
organization to increase its credibility and to build or rebuild relations. Lastly, since
narratives tell a story, they make the essence of the business memorable and effectively
share the company’s wisdom.

When developing a story, the message must deliver the right perspective of values,
needs, desires, and trust, which means that the character of the story must have adequate
knowledge and personality traits (Porter, 2008; Bernard, 2011).

Jensen (1999) revealed that companies could implement storytelling in their daily
marketing, either by using the services of an advertisement agency, either by organizing a
special event, and create an adventurous story around it, or lastly, existing and satisfied
customers share a compelling story around the business and its products.

Salzer-Mörling and Strannegard (2004) argued that, whether the story is fictional or
reality, the crucial element for customers is whether the story is trustworthy or not. In the
end, the story with the highest level of attractiveness will win the attention of the
customers.

19
 2.4.3. Storytelling for the Luxury Hotel Segment
Stories, in general, are better suited to be understood by humans than arguments
(Lundqvist, Liljander, Gummerus and Van Riel, 2013; McKee and Fryer, 2003; Woodside,
2010).

For luxury hotels, stories are especially important because they place great
emphasis on emotional bonds (Walls, Okumus, Wang and Kkun, 2011) with messages
aiming at describing the functional benefits of the products or services offered by the hotel
(Bailey and Ball, 2006; Kimpakorn and Tocquer, 2009).

The story of the specific hotel must come to life at the moment the guest walks
through the public spaces, as well as in the individual guest rooms (Mossberg, 2008).

According to Mossberg (2008), luxury hotels should make use of storytelling for
brand differentiation to let luxury hotel customers see the hotel in a positive light. The
brand elements, therefore, should be delivered in a story-based narrative, rather than
merely fact-based (Hamby, 2014). This storytelling approach can be very compelling and
adventurous as hotels communicate their benefits to potential future guests (Chen and
Rothschild, 2010).

Telling a story aims at getting the customer engaged with the story, invoke an
emotional response, a memory of an experience, or an inherent fantasy (Lageat, Czellar
and Laurent, 2003).

Hotel brands should include the story in their brand values and their servicescape,
to extend the story (Baker and Boyle, 2009), and let it resonate with its customers to favor
the narrative to be shared (Barsky and Nash, 2002) via the word of mouth.

As recently stated by Ryu, Lehto, Gordon and Fu (2018), storytelling has not yet
been fully implemented and utilized by the luxury hotel segment. Even though brand
stories are generally posted on the official hotel website, the brand stories are not well
structured nor narrated thoroughly.

According to Ryu, Lehto, Gordon and Fu (2018), three steps are necessary to write
a compelling story for luxury hotels, the existence of a core concept (i), the creation of a
narrative (ii), and living the story (iii).

i. A good story is essential to build a powerful brand, and a well-structured narrative

helps to convey the message the hotel wants to send to the guests (Huang, 2010, p.
20
 309). The brand essence of a hotel is what the owners believe the brand is all about,
and therefore, the brand essence must be kept consistently in the brand story (Passikoff,
2006) to strengthen it. The brand essence is a vital first step that must provide the
answer to why customers care about the brand or its services (Urde, 2003). The hotel
should have a clear vision, mission, and value statement in the story to inspire guests
and employees to attract further customers (Campell et al., 2001), and to promote the
brand.
ii. Although storytelling is a common term in hotel branding, not every story reinforces
the brand image of a hotel, and the perception of customers (Burke, 1969). A well-
structured brand story delivers content about the history of the hotel, the brand values,
and highlights why customers should use their products or services (McKee and Fryer,
2003). A well-told story reinforces the brand conception of customers and builds a
connection between the customer and the brand (Fog et al., 2010). Besides, customers
remember brand stories in memory, visually and emotionally (Mossberg, 2008), which
undermines that whenever a brand story is read, the story will be easily remembered,
creates trust and increases the brand uniqueness (Kaufman, 2003; Kelley and Littman,
2005). According to Padget and Allen (1997), storytelling works well for luxury hotels
because guests are attracted by symbolic and experiential benefits, which stimulate
their fantasies (Silverstein and Fiske, 2003).
iii. The physical environment of the hotel, which represents the brand is communicated in
the brand story, and the experience of the story via the servicescape is an essential step
for customers to comprehend and appreciate the brand (Escalas, 2004).
The most used plots in the luxury hotel segment storytelling, are the
transformational plot (Ryu et al., 2018), followed by the adventure plot and the pursuit plot
(Holjevac, 2003). But usually, hotels use more than one plot in their narratives (Ryu et al.,
2018). The transformational plot contains four elements, the brand’s efforts to gain
awareness, a search phase, a solution, and a transformation (Ryu et al., 2018). The
adventure and the pursuit plot are mostly used to attract audacious hotel guests (Ryu et al.,
2018).

The plot types mentioned above are commonly used to describe the founder’s
success in establishing the hotel brand (Ryu et al., 2018).

21
 Figure 3: A Process and Component Model of compelling Brand Storytelling for
Luxury Hotels, by Ryu, K. et al., 2018, Compelling Brand Storytelling for Luxury Hotels,
74, pp. 22 – 29.

2.5. Summary of the Review of the Literature

The whole effort of creating the right message will go unnoticed if the company
does not use the appropriate channels to spread the story.

The process of segmentation, targeting, and positioning is crucial to reach the right
target group. Every brand should start with the identification of the group of customers
they want to attract and develop services and products for customers with similar needs
and wants. An evaluation is conducted to select the target market segment, position the
company accordingly to its goals, and, finally, communicate the chosen position to the
target segment.

The right communication strategy is vital for any brand that wants to inform and
persuade the customer of its products or services and deliver the right message. Integrated
marketing communications are the most successful strategy allowing a brand to advise the
people on who is behind the product, its purpose, and to spread the brand’s message via the
right channels.

A compelling story is more appealing than a plentitude of facts and rational

communications. The brand needs a deeper meaning behind the story, a narrative that
evokes emotions, and makes people connect to it. Furthermore, the story should be
authentic, represent what the brand stands for, raises interest, and grabs the attention of
those listening.

22
 Storytelling for luxury hotels follows three essential steps, the story must have a
core concept, it must create a narrative, and the brand must ultimately live the story. In
furtherance, the hotel should have a clear vision, to equally inspire guests and employees,
tell a story that narrates the history of the hotel, creates trust, and increases the uniqueness.

A brand’s storytelling reflects its values and visions. Furthermore, to be perceived

as authentic by its customers, it must deliver and fulfill its promises.

3. Methodology
3.1. Research Approach
The choice of the right research approach is crucial, as it provides a general
understanding of how the research will be completed and the necessary data collected.

Easterby-Smith et al. (2002) mention two reasons for its importance. First, it allows
us to reach a more informed decision on the research design, how and what type of data is
collected, and how it will be analyzed to answer the initial research question. Second, the
researcher needs to consider all the different research strategies, which finally enables him
to adapt the research design to counteract any issues or limitations.

Literature lays down two main approaches to research, the deductive and the
inductive approach (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2016). When working with a
deductive method, research suggests that first, a hypothesis should be developed, and
second a research strategy is designed to test the hypothesis (Saunders, Lewis and
Thornhill, 2007). The literature suggests when research is done on a rather new and
exciting topic, an inductive approach should be used. In the inductive process, first,
observation takes place, the necessary data is collected, examined, and ultimately a richer
analytical perspective, than already exists in the literature, is developed (Saunders, Lewis
and Thornhill, 2009, 2012).

The inductive approach is used to understand why something is happening and to

gain an understanding of the meaning of it, while the deductive approach describes what is
happening (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2007). Since this research aims at finding out
the different points of view and perspectives of hotel marketing managers and professional
storytellers, an inductive approach was chosen as the most appropriate approach to carry
out this research study.

23
 3.2. Research Design
Choosing the right research design is essential to be able to answer the research
question correctly and meet the objectives (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009).
According to Saunders et al. (2016), the researcher can either choose an exploratory
(investigation is done to provide the researcher with a clearer understanding of what’s
happening, explore new insights, ask questions, and to reevaluate the facts (Robson, 2002,
p. 59)), an explanatory (investigation is conducted to study a situation and explain the
interrelation between variables), a descriptive (investigation that includes what, where,
who, why, how, when questions, and has the purpose to provide a clear understanding of
events or situations (Robson, 2002, p. 59)), or evaluative (investigation that is conducted to
gain a deeper understanding of not only the efficiency of a theory but also why it is
effective and to draw comparison between events or situations) method.

Out of all the above-mentioned research strategies, the researcher chose an

exploratory method to obtain the most promising results. The preferred method gives a
qualitative nature to the research, which is typically related to information in the form of
written or oral words (Veal, A. J., 2018). It explores the attitudes and experiences of the
participants (generally personally involved) in the research (Dawson, 2002). Qualitative
research methods are used to collect data, to analyze and interpret the experiences of the
participants (Dawson, 2002). This kind of research is generally conducted via semi-
structured, in-depth interviews with a sample size of five to twenty-five people (Saunders,
Lewis and Thornhill, 2016). Gathering the information via semi-structured interviews is
not to impress the reader with how much has been done, in terms of quantity of interviews,
but how efficient the interviews have been conducted and later analyzed (Wolcott, 2009, p.
40). The semi-structured interview is being held flexible, meaning that the interviewee has
a vast amount of latitude in how to respond to the questions (Bryman and Bell, 2011).
Kvale and Brinkmann (2018), mention that the interviewer must “interview as many
subjects as necessary to find out what you need to know” (p. 113), which resulted in
research limited to a sample size of eight people, exclusively containing experts in the
corresponding fields.

24
 3.3. Data Collection
According to Henderson (2006), “a thorough reporting of the process and the
results of qualitative data collection and analysis is the key to justify and assuring that
trustworthiness exists in the study” (p. 231).

The current study made use of primary, as well as of secondary data. Secondary
data consist of data which was collected earlier by researchers (Hox and Boejie, 2005),
such as books or academic journals. Primary information is gathered for the specific
research problem (Hox and Boeije, 2005), which is original and collected for the first time.
To conduct this study, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews to collect
primary data and relied on secondary data to undermine and gain a better understanding of
the findings. The main challenge does not consist of sampling, and the collection of the
data, but to later combine the data from different sources (Veal, 2018).

3.4. Secondary Data Collection

Data obtained from already available, analyzed, and interpreted sources are called
secondary data. Books, academic journals, retrieved from EPSCO, Google Scholar,
Research Gate, and many more, were used to gather a significant and valuable amount of
data to carry out the research thoroughly. Secondary data poses an opportunity to re-
analyze the already exiting knowledge and to answer new questions with old data (Glass,
1976). The theoretical understanding of this research is taken from a critical review of the
literature (Fisher, 2010), and first-hand knowledge is gained through a primary data
collection.

3.5. Primary Data Collection

Primary research is conducted by studying the subject through first-hand
observations and investigations and thereby gathering the necessary information from
people directly involved in the researched topic (Dawson, 2002). In order to collect the
necessary data for the research, a qualitative semi-structured interview method was
selected, as the study is based upon the experiences and perceptions of professionals in the
field of marketing and storytelling. The interviews include two groups of professionals,
namely five hotel marketing managers and directors, and three experts in brand
storytelling. The Hotel Marketing Managers were selected out of a pool of luxury hotels

25
(Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, and Four Seasons), and the experts in storytelling consist of an
entrepreneur, a book author, public speakers, consultants, and strategic story writers for
different brands.

3.6. The Interviews

As previously mentioned, a qualitative research approach was deemed to be the
most promising, using semi-structured interviews to gather valid and dependable
information from the participants about the topic. The researcher engages in an informal
conservation with the respondent (Fisher, 2010), which keeps the interview flexible so that
the interviewee has the opportunity to add additional information that could arise during
the ongoing dialogue (Dawson, 2002), and result in a further contribution of experience
and knowledge (Galletta, 2013). Furthermore, the interviewer has greater control over the
interview. The researcher can focus on aspects that are deemed more critical, such as the
interviewee’s descriptions and own experiences, rather than theorizations (Brinkmann,
2013), which finally provides valuable insights for the research.

As mentioned above, the researcher focused on obtaining the data from various
Hotel Marketing Managers, Directors, and professional storytellers, who were mainly
contacted through the professional networking site LinkedIn and met at career fairs. All the
participants in the research were provided, well in advance, with an outline of the interview
questions, so that they were able to familiarize themselves with the research topic.

Due to geographical restrictions, the researcher was left with not much of a choice
as to choose the option of a video or telephone interview to collect the data necessary for
the research. Finally, all the participants ended up opting for the telephone interview,
except for one participant who answered via e-mail. Conducting interviews via phone
brings several advantages, such as cost-efficiency, respondent’s replies won’t be affected
by the characteristics of the interviewer, and geographical limitations can be eliminated
(Bryman, 2012).

The researcher will make use of a narrative approach to analyze the interviews. The
text will be interpreted as a whole unit, to preserve and maintain the data, and the structural
components within each case (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2016). In furtherance, the
thematic narrative approach analysis focusses on repetition and what the narrative is about,

26
as the main criteria is to demonstrate a pattern within the data (Bryman, 2012), and to
outline similarities and differences in the narratives.

4. Data analysis & Research findings

4.1. Qualitative Analysis of Interviews (Strategic Storytellers)
As mentioned in the chapter on methodology, a qualitative research design was
deemed to be the most promising to conduct and analyze the semi-structured interviews.

This part of the research contains two sections. In the first part, the researcher
examines the interviews from professional storytellers, and in the second part, the
responses from the Hotel Marketing Managers and Directors will be closely explored.

Below, a list of all interview participants from the first part of the research can be
found, and under appendixes, all the transcribed interviews are listed.

Interview A: Telephone Interview

Contact Person: Petra Sammer

Professional Background: Consultant with 25 years of experience in communications
and public relations / Founder of her own company, consulting brands, and clients on
product launches, reputation management, crisis management, and storytelling

Interview B: Telephone Interview

Contact Person: Varina Shaughnessy

Professional Background: Story Finder Employee at the company “Muse Storytelling”,
with clients ranging from the Hospitality Industry, the Government to a multitude of
International Brands
Interview C: E-mail Interview

Contact Person: Thomas Pyczak

Professional Background: Book Author, Blogger, Journalist, and consultant for
strategic storytelling
Table 1: List of Interview Participants (Professional Storytellers)

In the following four sections, the professional background of the participants will
be outlined, the core elements in storytelling described, and storytelling in branding

27
explained. Lastly, the strengths of a narrative will be illustrated in the form of personal
experiences of the storytellers.

4.1.1. Professional Background

As a creative and managing director, participant A worked for 25 years in the
communication industry, where she has been a consultant for brands and clients, and later
founded her own business, focusing on consulting companies on product launches and
reputation management. The business idea consisted of helping companies to find the right
story.

Participant B works as a story finder for the US company “Muse Storytelling”,

which calls itself a story education business. Muse Storytelling works with all kinds of
brands, ranging from hospitality brands to technology brands and governmental
organizations. Their work consists of researching the corresponding property, interviewing
the right departments, creating a matching storyboard, and finally shaping the story.

The last participant in the research, participant C, works as a journalist, editor in

chief, manager of media content, book author, and a consultant for strategic storytelling.

4.1.2. Core Elements in Storytelling

Rationale communication, through facts and figures, is still the most common way
when talking to analysts. Nevertheless, in many areas, it is more successful when you
address the audience with an emotional story, according to participant A. Powerful stories
can evoke emotions, end up touching somebody’s heart, and make the person on the
receiving end, connect to the narrative. The reason for the emotional connection, according
to participant B, is that we, as humans, relate best to other humans when the same
emotions and desires are shared. The core of any story is always the people involved in the
narrative.

Participant A states five significant points that must be respected when writing a
compelling story. First, you need a deeper reason for your story; many companies only
describe their business models or products, which is not enough. The company must tell
the fundamental idea behind the story and identify what the business wants to talk about.
As a second point, the story needs a hero, the main character. Participant B added that

28
every story needs a plot, which lays out the sequence in which the events should happen to
keep the audience engaged. The third element is the conflict or the question. The goal is to
create a question in the minds of the audience that keeps them attentive until the end to
find out the answer to the question. But a great story focusses not only on the solution, but
gives credit to the actual journey, what is happening to the main character, what kind of
challenges he is facing, and how he is dealing with them. Fourthly, a story needs to create
emotions and make us identify with the main character, feel his joy, conflict, or pain.
Lastly, a compelling story must have the potential to go viral, to be shared repeatedly, and
the company needs to use all its media tools to increase its content shareability.

In furtherance, participant C explains the concept of the golden circle. The

company needs to answer the why, the how and the what question of the story, and to have
a good product, to reach a wide audience. A good story is like a movie in your head. The
content is visualized, which is key to visual storytelling claims participant C, adding that a
suggestive conversion happens from text to image. According to participant A, scientists
concluded that our communication scheme is changing away from the written word,
towards images. Online content often contains about 70% of pictures and 30% of text. In
furtherance to this, it becomes essential that companies not only rely on the written word
when telling a story, they also must present an appealing visual. Following participant B,
the success of the visual depends on how the story is built. To deliver a strong visual, the
company has only a few precious seconds to hook the audience, with a conflict or question
that grabs their attention and makes them want to finish the whole video to find out about
the answer.

4.1.3. Storytelling in Branding

Participant B states that in our modern world, everybody possesses a digital
camera. Which makes anyone a content creator on his or her own. This results in an
unlimited upload of pictures and videos on various social media networks, which creates
an overload on information. Therefore, a brand must deliver outstanding cinematography,
with better lighting, editing, and a storyline, which makes the brand’s product distinct and
captivating. According to participant A and C, it is indispensable that the story is authentic
and fit the brand’s image. To develop a successful story, the brand must be clear about
what it stands for and visualize its core idea in its advertisement.

29
 Participant B named five key points to build a compelling story. First, you must
clarify what is most inspiring about the story, what sets the narrative apart, who is the
audience, what should the audience feel, and lastly, what should the audience do after
reading, hearing, or seeing the story.

When we communicate rationally, with facts and figures, the sender and recipient
need to share the same interest and must have the same values. However, as customers do
not always share the same interest and values as companies, in such situations, the use of
stories is as much more effective. When you tell a story instead of exclusively using facts
and figures, the emotional and intuitive part of the brain is stimulated. It makes the
respondents feel or believe in the experience of the story.

Participant B states that an essential part of a story is about the people within the
narrative. If the audience can identify with the story, through characters or experiences, the
brand creates empathy among the audience, which results in an emotional connection with
the brand, that persists. The brand must respect three main criteria to develop a strong
character, desire, uniqueness, and complexity.

To the question, why do we listen to brand stories, participant A responded that

stories breakthrough, strong visuals can reinforce stories, and are easier to grab attention
on social media, television or the internet. A good narrative does not have to explain
everything, raises interest, and pulls the customer closer to the companies’ product.

The most compelling brand story is probably a “why” story, according to

participant B. It answers the question about why a company is doing what it is doing, why
it is motivated and why it cares. A “why” story gives the customer the chance to learn
more about a company, its intentions, its values, which inevitably results in an emotional
connection. Even if the company’s product is not the best on the market, the customer
eventually ends up buying it, because he or she is in line with what the company believes
in, the companies’ “why”.

Another strong story is the “origin” story, which explains to the customer how a
company got to where it is today. It separates a company from all the others, explains why
a company was created, and gives it a personality and a character.

Following participant A’s opinion on storytelling in public relations and brand

journalism, the task of a journalist is to write stories that give context, let the reader look

30
behind the information, and tells him or her what differentiates one brand from another.
Furthermore, storytelling aims explicitly at influencing customer’s attitudes on brands.

4.1.4. Strengths of Storytelling

In this chapter, the researcher outlines the participants’ personal success stories,
which undermine the power of storytelling.

In the case of participant A, she consulted a lubrication company, which wanted to

be seen as an innovative company among its employees and clients. In a storytelling
workshop, they worked on many stories. Finally, the company decided to send the founder
of the company on a bike tour to the Atacama Desert in Chile to test a newly developed
sustainable lubricant made out of water. A 4-minute movie was shot and later presented to
the employees and clients, with the result that the employees saw the company as more
innovative than before and with three calls from high level automotive and manufacturing
companies.

Participant B is a professional filmmaker, and therefore, her most used tool is a

camera. She agreed on a new project with a camera producing company. One of the
engineers stayed for 22 years with the company. He told participant B, that if he can get a
camera in people’s hand that captures the feelings and emotions, a little girl had on her
birthday, and that when these very same emotions and memories, can be felt years later
only by looking at the picture, then he is helping people to remember and to experience
beautiful moments. When hearing this “why” story, the participant got emotionally
connected to the brand and the product, which finally resulted in a decision to work with
the company.

The best feeling for participant C is when he can teach other people how to tell
compelling and emotional stories that end up convincing the customer. He helped develop
a story for a woman who cares for children with a short life span. The goal was to create a
story that gets people to cry and to smile at the same time. Finally, they told the story of a
young girl, who for the first time in her life, left the hospital and was able to feel the wind
and the sun on her skin.

31
 4.2. Qualitative Analysis of Interviews (Hotel Marketing Managers and Directors)
In this part, the researcher will closely analyze the responses from different Hotel
Marketing Managers and Directors who participated in the study.

Participant A: Telephone Interview

Contact Person: Denis Nordmann (Ritz-Carlton Vienna, 5 Star Hotel)
Professional Background: Experience of ten years in the Hotel Industry, thereof 6
years in Sales and Marketing, and currently holding the position of the Marketing
and Communications Manager
Participant B: Telephone Interview
Contact Person: Sandra S. (Confidential, 5 Star Hotel)
Professional Background: Experience of 9 years in the Hospitality Industry, thereof
3 years and 8 months in Sales and currently holding the position of the Director of
Sales and Marketing
Participant C: Telephone Interview
Contact Person: Andreas Schuster (Four Seasons Madrid, 5 Star Hotel)
Professional Background: Experience of eighteen years in the Hotel Industry,
thereof 14 years in Sales and Marketing and currently holding the position of the
Director of Sales and Marketing
Participant D: Telephone Interview
Contact Person: Gabriele Eder (Hyatt Andaz Munich, 5 Star Hotel)
Professional Background: Background in corporate and brand communication, and
currently holding the position of the Opening Manager for Communication and
Content Creation
Participant E: Telephone Interview
Contact Person: Moritz F. (Confidential, 5 Star Hotel)
Professional Background: Experience of 6 years in the Hotel Industry and currently
holding the position of the Director of Sales and Marketing
Table 2: List of Interview Participants (Hotel Marketing Managers and Directors)

In the following six sections, the marketing initiatives, the benefits, principal
components, and the implementation of storytelling in the hotel industry will be closely
outlined and explained.

32
 4.2.1. Marketing Initiatives
Efficient marketing initiatives are indispensable to position the hotel and target the
right customer group. According to all participants in the research, good loyalty marketing,
customer relationship management, and public relations are inevitable to all hotel chains.
Besides, according to participant B, the use of paid advertisements, newsletters, and
Key Opinion Leaders are an essential mean to expand the brand corporation. Corporate and
regional social media accounts are indispensable nowadays when it comes to brand
visibility, states participant C.
In furtherance, participant E concludes that the hospitality industry is very
competitive and dynamic. To stay relevant, the brands must work with efficient marketing
initiatives, such as advertisement campaigns, metasearch engines, and direct sales
channels, to highlight their unique selling point to the customer.

4.2.2. Benefits and Key Components of Storytelling

Following participant A, nothing functions without a proper storytelling concept. A
compelling story invites to enter the world of the brand and communicates its core values.
It is through a combination of words and visuals the hotel takes the guest by the hand and
let him or her experience what the brand stands for.

With the rise of social media, storytelling content became increasingly important,
states participant B. When hotels post content on its own media channels, it can keep track
of the reactions, the engagement ratio and the shareability of the stories, adds participant E.
The brand must know its target market, display cultural awareness, and include people in
the story as people trigger emotions.

A compelling story must communicate the values and beliefs of the brand.
Participant C adds that any hotel should live by the golden rule, which states that “we want
to treat people, as we want to be treated” and that the goal should be to provide a unique
experience to the customers, which will last a lifetime. Additionally, every story must
connect to the destination and the people to create a long-lasting impression.

According to participant E, a story helps people to relate to the product and the hero
of the story. A good story, in combination with a unique product, namely a high service
level, sets the hotel apart from its competitors. The aim of the hotel should be to come up

33
with an emotional story that people can relate with. It is the hotel that tells the story, but
the guests will share and spread it, adds participant D.

4.2.3. Storytelling in Progress

According to all participants, the published content, either internally or externally,
is created in-house or in cooperation with exclusively selected brand partnerships. In the
case of the latter, only partners who share the hotel’s vision are considered, states
participant B. Furthermore, a great story is not only about the hotel or the service. It
outlines the overall experience, and the connection between people and the local
environment adds participant C.

4.2.4. Implementation of Storytelling

The priority for any hotel brand is to deliver outstanding service and provide
memorable experiences. These experiences are eventually posted by the guest on various
social media accounts of the hotel, and thereby put the guest in the spotlight, knows
participant A from experience. When the hotel shares content, it must pay close attention
that the content shared is in line with the mission and vision of the company, adds
participant A.

A compelling story must be unique, claims participant B. It must outline factors

that are unique regarding the property, in terms of age, location, culture, lifestyle, design,
service and people, so that guests can emotionally relate to the hotel, are stating participant
B and D in accordance. When hotels or marketing departments write a story, the most
crucial part, according to participant C, is always about the people in action. Stories,
including other people, generate the highest engagement ratio. If the recipient of the story
can relate to the person in the narrative, he or she automatically creates an association with
the brand.

The goal of the story remains to differentiate one property from another, mentions
participant D. Hence, the brand story must be recognizable, immersive, inspiring, and
unscripted.

34
 4.2.5. Feedback on Storytelling
The feedback section provides a hotel with useful insights into the guest’s
experience with the property.

Analyzing the daily feedback determines the efficiency of every department and
gives an understanding of the total performance of the hotel.

According to participant A, the success of a story can be measured by the total

number of times the narrative is being mentioned in the guest feedback. Participant D
states that the feedback functions as a sort of story of itself, as guests tell a story about the
hotel, which is shared, and ultimately results in being equivalent to paid media. Participant
D adds that a hotel should put much effort into creating unique moments that people end
up sharing on social media so that the property can rebrand these stories as their
advertisement.

4.2.6. Strengths of Storytelling

A story needs to grab attention to be successful and must communicate the beliefs
and values of the company. According to all Hotel Marketing Managers and Directors,
good stories trigger emotions and create a relationship with the people who come into
contact with the story. Furthermore, a compelling story is unique to every property,
contains a human component, and differentiates the hotel from its competitors.

5. Conclusion
The research aimed at revealing a more powerful and cost-effective way of how
companies and organizations can promote and advertise their products and services by
making use of the concept of storytelling. To reach the aim, the researcher conducted a
multitude of semi-structured interviews with participants from the hotel industry and
people working as professional storytellers.

To gather a valuable data set, the researcher interviewed five sales and marketing
managers and directors from the Hotel Industry, and three consultants on storytelling.

35
 Based on the analysis and findings of the interviews, a market segmentation, the
right communication strategies, and a powerful message are crucial to reach the target
audience successfully.

Everyday life consists of storytelling, but for a story to influence the behavior and
buying decision, it must be true, authentic, and represent what the brand stands for and
wants to display. Compelling stories can connect emotionally and personally to the reader
or listener, transmit and give an interpretation to the message the brand wants to share with
its customers.

The brand needs a deeper reason for the story to resonate with its customers. The
narrative must contain elements about the history, the presence, the achievements, the
future, and the uniqueness of the business.

Furthermore, every story needs a plot, a hero, a conflict, and an answer. The brand
story contains of a main character, a question, and a solution. It is essential to use real
people as main characters, as people most connect to the experience of other people,
identify themselves in the narrative, and create empathy among the audience. The question,
or the conflict in the brand story, serves the purpose that the audience stays engaged with
the story until the solution is revealed.

In furtherance, people like stories and tend to remember them. A story should
always highlight why a brand is doing what they are doing, express their core values, and
its mission, and vision statement. Finally, it should explain to the customer why the
company was founded and what separates it from its competitors.

Communication and storytelling are probably the most critical and essential skills
for any business, brand, or hotel to thrive and prosper in this competitive environment.
Any organization must have the ability to successfully communicate its thoughts and
visions to its customers and employees. Besides, to master storytelling, the organization
needs to be a good listener in the first place, intercept what emotionally involves
customers, and build their own story around the information they collect. People don’t buy
the product or the service. They buy the story behind the company, the product, or the
hotel.

36
 5.1. Research Limitations
The researcher encountered several limitations thorough the study, which can be
seen as future research opportunities. Although the concept of storytelling in marketing
and advertisement is rather new, the author was able to find relatively much literature on
the topic. However, he experienced a limit on resources concerning the research on
storytelling by luxury hotel brands.

Besides the secondary data, the researcher aimed to gather five interviews from
hotel marketing managers or directors and three professional storytellers. Even though the
objective was met, the author reached out, through e-mail or on LinkedIn, to many more
experts in the field to gather additional primary data on the topic. But none of them had
time to spare or replied.

The limited time frame in which the author had to complete the research was
another limitation. Secondary data had to be examined, requests for interview
appointments had to be made, interviews analyzed, and findings had to be noted down.
Lastly, the whole paper was limited to 9 weeks and 40 pages (± 10%), which caused a
particular time and performance pressure.

5.2. Recommendations for Potential Future Research

As mentioned, the researcher came across a limitation in the literature on
storytelling in the luxury hotel industry. Subsequently, the author suggests that, in addition
to the present research, other professionals and academics investigate the subject, conduct
further research, and produce new insights.

The present study examined the perspectives of hotel marketing managers or

directors, and brands, and exposed some of the strategies’ on how they approach
storytelling in marketing and advertisement. As this is only one side of the coin, future
research could focus in greater detail on how storytelling influences the decision-making
and buying behavior of potential customers, as little academic research exists on
costumers’ perceptions.

37
 References

Arrese, Á., Pérez-Latre, F. J. (2017). Commercial Communication in the Digital Age:

Information or Disinformation? Siegert, G. Rimscha, B.,Grubenmann, S., Eds.
Berlin: Walter De Gruyter GmbH. doi:10.1515/9783110416794-008

Asadi, A., Norouzi, H. (2019, July 22). Content Marketing and Online Trust: The Case of
Promoting Knowledge for Video Game Shoppers. International Conference on
Knowledge Management, Blockchain and Economics, 1 -15.

Adriani, R. (2019). The Increasing Overlap of Journalism and Public Relations Threats and
Opportunities. International Journal of Social Sciences, 5(2), 312 - 322.
doi:10.20319/pijss.2019.52.312322

Ågren, M., Ölund, M. (2007). Storytelling - A study of Marketing Communication in the

Hospitality Industry (Bachelor Thesis). Jönköping International Business School,
Jönköping, Sweden.

Agün, A. E., Keskin, H., Ayar, H., Erdoğan, E. (2015). The Influence of Storytelling
Approach in Travel Writings on Reader's Empathy and Travel Intentions. Procedia
- Social and Behavioral Sciences, 577 - 586.

Aden, A., Kreidly, F., Tvrtkovic, A. (2014). Integrated Marketing Communications

(Bachelor Thesis). Linnaeus University,Växkö, Sweden.

Brinkmann, S. (2013). Qualitative Interviewing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

38
Camilleri, M. A. (2018). Travel Marketing, Tourism Economics and the Airline Product.
Msida: Springer International Publishing. doi:doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49849-2

Colbert, F. (2007). Marketing Culture and the Arts. Montréal: HEC Montréal.

Coker, K. K., Flight, R. L., Baima, D. M. (2017). Skip it or view it: the role of video
storytelling in social media marketing. The Marketing Management Journal, 75 -
87.

Dibb, S., Simkin, L. (1991). Targeting, Segments and Positioning. International Journal of
Retail & Distribution Management, 19(3), 4 -10.

Dawson, C. (2002). Practical Research Methods. Oxford: How To Books.

Delgado-Ballester, E., Fernández-Sabiote, E. (2016). "Once upon a brand": Storytelling

practices by Spanish Brands. Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, 115 - 131.
doi:10.1016/j.sjme.2016.06.001

Fisher, C. (2010). Researching and Writing a Dissertation. Harlow: Pearson Education

Limited.

Finne, A., Grönroos, C. (2017). Communication-in-use: Customer-Integrated Marketing

Communication. European Journal of Marketing, 51(3), 445 - 463.
doi:10.1108/EJM-08-2015-0553

Galletta, A. (2013). Mastering the Semi-Structured Interview and Beyond. New York: New
York University Press.

39
Gruber, P. (2011, March 01). The Art of Purposeful Storytelling. Retrieved from Harvard
Business Review: https://hbr.org/2011/03/the-art-of-purposeful-storytel

Gill, R. (2011). Corporate Storytelling as an Effective Internal Public Relations Strategy.

International Business and Management, 3(1), 17 - 25.
doi:10.3968/j.ibm.1923842820110301.107

Holloway, J. C. (2004). Marketing for Tourism. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Hasson, U. (2016). This Is Our Brain On Communication. [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDhlOovaGrI

Holton, A., Molyneux, L. (2015). Identity Lost? The Personal Impact of Brand journalism.
Sage Journalism, 1- 16. doi:10.1177/1464884915608816

Hox, J. J., Boeije, H. R. (2005). Data Collection, Primary vs Secondary. Encyclopedia of

Social Measurement, 1, 593 -599.

Houlahan, A. (n.d.). Attention, attention- Why is visual storytelling so important?

Retrieved from Adam Houlahan: https://adamhoulahan.com/attention-why-is-
visual-storytelling-so-important/

Jobber, D., Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2013). Principles and Practice of Marketing. Maidenhead,

England: McGraw-Hill Education.

Kotler, P., Keller, K. L. (2012). Marketing Management (14th edition). Harlow, England:
Pearson Education Limited.

40
Karadeniz, M. (2009). Product Positioning Strategy in Marketing Management. Journal of
Naval Science and Engineering, 2, 98 - 110.

Kent, M. L. (2015). The Power of Storytelling in Public Relations: Introducing the 20

Master Plots. Public Relations Review, 480 - 489.
doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2015.05.011

Liljander, V. (2012). The Impact of Storytelling on the Consumer Brand Experience: The
Case of a Firm-originated Story. Journal of Brand Management, 20(4), 283 -297.

Landborough, D. W. (2017, July 11). Freytag's Pyramid and the Three-Act Plot Structure.
Retrieved from dlandsborough:
https://www.dlandsborough.com/blog/2017/7/11/freytags-pyramid-and-the-three-
act-plot-structure

Leung, X, Y., Bai, B., Erdem, M. (2017). Hotel Social Media Marketing: A Study on
Message Strategy and its Effectiveness. Emerald Insight, 8(2), 239 - 255.
doi:10.1108/JHTT-02-2017-0012

Leung, X., Tanford, S., Jiang, Lan. (2017). Is a picture really worth a thousand words?
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 19 -38. doi:10.1108/JHTT-08-
2016-0039

Lund, N. F., Cohen, S. A, Scarles, C. (2018). The power of social media storytelling in
destination branding. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 271 -
280. doi:10.1016/j.jdmm.2017.05.003

41
Lee, Y., Shin, W. (2014). Marketing tradition-bound products through storytelling: a case
study of a Japanese sake brewery. Service Business, 281 - 295.
doi:10.1007/s11628-013-0227-5

Mihailović, B., Simonovic, Z., Ćurčić, N. (2017). Marketing Communication of domestic

Hotel Organizations. Ekonomika, 63(4), 1- 12. doi:10.5937/ekonomika1704001M

Mucundorfeanu, M. (2018). The Key Role of Storytelling in the Branding Process. Journal
of Media Research, 11(1), 42 - 54.

Mikáčová, L., Gavlaková, P. (2013). The Role of Public Relations in Branding. Science
Direct, 832 - 840. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.928

Miller, D. (2017). Building a Story Brand. Croydon: Harper Collins Publishers.

Mora, P., Livat, F. (2013). Does storytelling add value to fine Bordeaux wines? Wine
Economics and Policy, 3 - 10. doi:10.1016/j.wep.2013.01.001

Mossberg, L. (2008). Extraordinary experiences through storytelling. Scandinavian

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 195 - 210. doi:10.1080/15022250802532443

Prebensen, N., Chen, J., Uysal, M. (2018). Creating Experience Value in Tourism.
Wallingford: Cabi.

Pratap Singh Kaurav, R., Thakur, K. S. (2019). Content Marketing: Concepts and its
Relevance in the Tourism Industry. Social Science Research Network, 289 -297.
doi:10.2139/ssrn.3307713

42
Prindle, R. (2011, October). A Public Relations Role in Branding Messaging. International
Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 2 No. 18, 32-36.

Ryu, K., Lehto, X. Y., Gordon, S. E., Fu, X. (2018). Compelling Brand Storytelling for
Luxury Hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 22- 29.
doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.02.002

Ryu, K., Lehto, X. Y., Gordon, S. E., Fu, X. (2018). Effect of a Brand Story Structure on
Narrative Transportation and Perceived Brand Image of Luxury Hotels. Tourism
Management, 348 - 363. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2018.10.021

Rhodes, I. (2013, August 19). Business Storytelling. Retrieved from Slideshare:

https://www.slideshare.net/ianrhodes/business-storytelling-25392415/2-
Effective_content_marketing_isabout_mastering

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A. (2016). Research Methods for Business Students.
Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A. (2009). Research Methods for Business Students.
Harlow: Pearson Educational Limited.

Tsiotsou, R. (2012). Strategic Marketing in Tourism Services. Tsiotsou, R., Goldsmith, R.

E., Eds. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

43
 Ul-Rehman, S., Syed Ibrahim, M. (2018). Integrated Marketing Communication and
Promotion. Journal of Arts, Sciences & Commerce, 2(4), 188 - 191. doi:2231-4172

Veal, A. J. (2018). Research Methods for Leisure and Tourism (5 ed.). Harlow: Pearson
Education Limited.

Walter, E., Gioglio, J. (2014). The Power of Visual Storytelling. New York: McGraw-Hill
Education.

Woodside, A. G. (2010). Brand-Consumer Storytelling Theory and Research: Introduction

to a Psychology & Marketing Special Issue. Psychology & Marketing, 531 - 540.
doi:10.1002/mar.20342

44

View publication stats