Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Media management and business communication, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2
Prof., Department of Media Management and Business Communication, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
3
Associate Prof., Department of Leadership and Human Capital, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
4
Associate Prof., Department of Media Management and Business Communication, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
5
Assistant Prof., Department of Natural Heritage, Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/jibm.2023.357211.4559
Abstract
Objective
It is essential that businesses and companies engage customers in long-term beneficial relationships. Recently, significant efforts have been made by marketers to improve the customer engagement experience both offline and online. On the other hand, the expansion of social media has provided a suitable opportunity for managers to facilitate communication processes and engage customers using new techniques such as digital storytelling. Using digital storytelling as a business strategy and business model in branding, advertising and product marketing leads to better customer retention, loyalty and engagement. Although engagement activities have been creative and innovative, it is necessary to address the consequences of customer engagement to measure the effectiveness of these activities due to the emergence of new technologies. Therefore, this study is carried out aimed to identify the consequences of digital storytelling-based customer engagement in social media in the field of tourism in Iran.
Methodology
In the present study, interpretive research philosophy, inductive-quantitative approach, and grounded theory strategy with G. Goldkuhl, Stefan Cronholm's multi-grounded theory were chosen and the method of data collection was using semi-structured interviews. In this sense, the research community, including all the experts in the fields of tourism and marketing in social media in Iran, was sampled using the snowball method. 18 people participated in the interview as a sample.
Findings
According to the results, the consequences of customer engagement can be divided into two parts: the consequences of positive customer engagement and the consequences of negative customer engagement, each part including four main categories, including customer-oriented category, subject-oriented category, media-oriented category and environment-oriented category. In total, the findings of the current research include 8 main categories, and each category contains a number of subcategories.
Conclusion
Companies and businesses should use social media in order to engage their customers, and be aware of the consequences and impacts of this phenomenon on customers, the media and the macro environment. Business managers can get help from recognizing and measuring the consequences of positive and negative customer engagement in order to determine and apply appropriate strategies, methods and techniques in order to properly manage customers. Managers can control and eliminate negative productive factors by recognizing and paying more attention to the consequences of negative customer engagement and by making appropriate changes in strategies and replacing appropriate methods and also prevent its damages and destructive consequences that result in negative marketing and brand destruction. These actions can also have a significant impact on maintaining and preventing the migration of current customers and also encourage managers to be aware and pay attention to the consequences of positive customer engagement in strengthening the use of methods and strategies that cause this type of customer engagement, and this action will also help to attract and retain new customers and will ultimately create more economic value and profitability for the business.
Keywords
Main Subjects
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