City Research Online

Abstract

Storytelling is on the rise in the marketing domain, including the marketing of risky products such as alcohol. We argue that the ethical relevance of stories should attract more attention from managers, policymakers and scholars, as storytelling drives suspension of disbelief, has enduring persuasive effects, is unintentionally affective and may lead to actual behavior. This raises major ethical questions for marketing and consumer behavior. To fill this gap, this article offers a systematic investigation by means of a meta-analysis of how three original study characteristics: (1) story domain, (2) number of storytellers and (3) number of simultaneous story-receivers, may affect the strength of the narrative transportation effect, which manifests itself in consumers’ response to having been transported into a narrative. Our contribution to prior work is twofold. First, we contribute to the field of narrative transportation and persuasion by showing the role of these three variables moderating the relationship between narrative transportation and narrative persuasion. Second, we uncover ethical implications derived from the power of storytelling.

Publication Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Additional Information:	© 2016, The Authors.
Publisher Keywords:	Narrative transportation, Storytelling, Meta-analysis
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BJ Ethics H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
Departments:	Bayes Business School > Management

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