No Story Without a Storyteller: The Impact of the Storyteller as a Narrative Element in Online Destination Marketing

Abstract

Storytelling constitutes a promising tool in destination brand communication. Yet, although it also emerged as an important research field, studies on how individual story elements impact story persuasiveness are scant. This study investigates the impact of the storyteller as a narrative element (third person vs. first person) on tourist response. Findings show that first-person compared to third-person storytellers significantly increase engagement on social media, destination brand image, and tourist visit intentions. They further foster narrativity and social tone of text as well as tourist perceptions of narrative transportation and social presence. Processes of narrative transportation and social presence explain the effects of the storyteller on destination brand image and tourist visit intentions. Overall, the study expands our theoretical knowledge about organizational storytelling and supports destination managers in the design of effective destination brand stories.