Marketing

World Wide Web

Pure mathematics

Statistics

Social psychology

Literature

Field (mathematics)

Narrative

Computer science

Business

Verisimilitude

Content (measure theory)

Advertising

Psychology

Mathematics

Social media

Exploratory research

Storytelling

Sociology

Mathematical analysis

Plot (graphics)

Customer engagement

Social science

Journal of Business Research

Understanding how branded storytelling content impacts consumer engagement (CE) is needed to advance research in this topical field and better calibrate story elements. This paper aims to understand the interplay between branded storytelling content and CE, considering the different features of stories and the multidimensional nature of engagement. It takes a netnographic approach to a collection of consumer responses − close to 1000 rich comments offered in four languages − to digital videos posted on YouTube by the brand Dove. Findings reveal that story plot, characters, and verisimilitude trigger consumer engagement by activating cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses in a certain sequence and with variable intensities and valences. The results, as well, show the important interactive aspect of story-based engagement. The paper contributes to CE research by offering a framework linking branded storytelling with CE, which is applicable by managers to design effective storytelling content.

How stories generate consumer engagement: An exploratory study