브랜드 스토리텔링의 구조적 관계성이 자아동일성과 브랜드 태도에 미치는 영향

Abstract

The present study aimed to verify how the attitudes and evaluations of consumers were affected by the brand stories which played important roles in the communication between brands and consumers and by the establishment of brand-self identity. To this end, this study used the narrative approach in the perspective of a story as a social framework to communicate self. Specifically, causal relationships were contemplated in the process of self-formation by analyzing the sign components inherent in stories. Also, it was strategically verified whether storytelling components met brand-self identity by measuring their qualities and how they had influences on consumer attitudes. This study addressed the fact that companies communicated story information to consumers in the relationships between brands and consumers. An analysis was made in the object-sign-interpretant relationships, as seen in the relational theory of meaning, on the basis of semiologic thinking. In other words, an assessment was made of the story composition, a process of consumer interpretation till the formation of brand-self identity.

The present study was performed in three stages:

First, brand stories were analyzed using general cases and in semiologic terms. As consumer roles varied in understanding and response from story to story, preceding storytelling studies were categorized and storytelling components were classified. In this regard, an investigation was made of the meanings of the icon, symbol and index, three categories of a symbolic object in semiologic terms, in the structural relationships of a story. Also, the components of storytelling were set as the qualities of messages, characters, conflicts and plots and their meanings were examined. The development of measurement items was performed for the components using preceding studies(Study 1). Third, an experimental examination was made of the influences of structural relationships on components and the causal relationships between the components and brand-self identity in storytelling. Also, a verification was made of the influences of storytelling components and brand-self identity on brand attitudes(Study 2). This study made an experimental analysis using the previous studies of measurement scales. A survey was conducted with the college students in Gwangju Metropolitan City. The students were given brand stories and then the advertising materials concerned. A final analysis was made of a total of 501 questionnaire copies using the SPSS 12.0 and LISREL 8.5 programs.

The results are as follows:

First, the index, which involves factual causal relationships, has a positive influence on message, character, conflict and plot, the variables of storytelling components. This indicates that a factual sign system is more important than abstract concepts in clear message communication, relational connectedness to characters, story switch and concrete expressions. Second, there were influential relationships between character and conflict qualities and brand-self identity. A character acts as the most powerful element for consumers' congruous emotion with a brand. Also, a reversal or tension element is transferred into the internal self of a consumer, enhancing the preception of brand-self relationships. Third, the communication of a clear meaning forms a positive attitude to a brand. Also, characters' insights and story components help consumers show favorable attitudes to a brand. Forth, a consumer's self-identification with a brand promotes the reliability and positive assessment of the brand, thereby maximizing its overall reputation. Lastly, character quality had an influence on brand-self identity. This indicates that consumers are directly perceived by the behaviors and thoughts of characters. The present study is significant in experimentally verifying the qualitative effects of storytelling through the structural relationships among story components. Its results provide marketers with the following suggestions. Marketing managers will have to make efforts to provide the stories that can draw attention from consumers by balancing components through the development of signs and to improve the values of stories. Additionally, they will have to greatly contribute to the psychological relationships of consumers by presenting the conditions that can enhance the qualities of storytelling components.

Keywords : Storytelling Component, Story Structural Relationship, Brand-Self Identity, Brand Attitude