WOM: Stories Flashcards
Why should we use stories?
• The message/lesson from Trojan Horse
• Never trust your enemies, even when they seem friendly. • This message/lesson does not need a story and could
probably be presented as fact or information. But we prefer the lesson wrapped in a story.
• This is because we don‘t think in terms of information, we think in terms of narratives.
What are two critical elements of narrative structure? Why use narrative structure?
• Chronology means that narrative events occur over time, so
viewers can perceive the events’ beginning, progress, and
ending according to their time flow.
• Causality then connects the story’s event to causal
inferences.
• People perceive and store social knowledge in memory in
the form of stories because most information and social
knowledge get organized and presented in narrative
structures.
• When a new message or an ad appears in a narrative
structure that is consistent with human memory
structures, it is easy for people to comprehend, process,
and judge that information.
What are narrative ads?
• In the current context of digital information overload and
ad-blocking technologies, marketers are faced with
challenges to create ads that people want to see rather
than consider as annoying interruptions.
• Through telling stories, narrative ads can communicate
effectively by capturing consumers’ attention to promote
the advertised products, demonstrate the products’
appeal, and persuade consumers to consider those
products.
• Narratives have a beginning, middle, and end.
• If people get sucked in early, they will stay for the end.
What do you know about factual vs Narrative Ads?
• Factual ads tend to be processed in an analytical, or
cognitive way. They are overtly persuasive, requiring
consumers to actively engage in cognitive assessments.
• Consumers may argue against the factual ads.
• Storytelling ads are not overtly persuasive but rather
affective in nature. Such ads are processed in a narrative way and are more likely to enable the consumer to be unconsciously carried away.
• Consumers are less likely to argue against storytelling ads.
How are online product reviews viewed by narratives?
People’s are less likely to argue against a reviewer who tells a story, they are also much more likely to remember narrative reviews.
How do stories relate to WOM?
• People tell stories for the same reasons they share WOM. • Some narratives are about Social Currency.
• Other stories are driven by Emotion.
• Practical Value also plays a role. People share the story
of how their neighbor’s dogs got sick after eating a certain
type of chew toy because they want your dog to avoid the
same fate.
What is the power of stories?
Stories provide a quick and easy way for people to
acquire knowledge in a vivid and engaging fashion. • Stories save time and hassle and give people the
information they need in a way that is easy to remember. • People are less likely to argue against stories than against
advertising claims. • In the end, we are much more likely to be persuaded.
The story gets shared for many of the reasons we have
talked about. • It is remarkable (Social Currency), evokes awe (Emotion), and provides useful information about
Samsung service (Practical value).
What is an issue that can occur with stories?
• When trying to generate WOM, many people forget one
important detail. • They focus so much on getting people to talk that they
ignore the part that really matters: what people are talking
about. • That is the problem with creating content that is unrelated
to the product or service it is meant to promote.
Ex. Roller
