When Consumers and Brands Talk:Storytelling Theory and Research in Psychology and Marketing

摘要

Storytelling is pervasive through life. Much information is stored,indexed,and retrieved in the form of stories.Although lectures tendto put people to sleep,stories move them to action.People relate toeach other in terms of stories-and products and brands often playboth central and peripheral roles in their stories.To aid storytellingresearch in consumer psychology,this article develops a narrativetheory that describes how consumers use brands as props or anthro-pomorphic actors in stories they report about themselves and others.Such drama enactments enable these storytellers to experience pow-erful myths that reflect psychological archetypes.The article includesfindings from case study research that probes propositions of thetheory.Implications for consumer psychology and marketing practicefollow the discussion of the findings