Brand Storytelling and Transmedia: A Systematic Literature Review.
Abstract
In the consumer universe, young people from Generation Z are sensitive and open to new immersive experiences related to media technology, creating both challenges and opportunities for brands. Academic scholars and marketing professionals have studying this new media consumer and the way it interacts with the brand universe. Continuing this line of research, this article develops a systematic literature review focused on brand storytelling and transmedia applied in the marketing process, targeting Generation Z consumers. Based on a sample of 125 articles on these topics, the results demonstrate the importance of transmedia storytelling as a strategy that allows brands to expand their narratives across different platforms, creating immersive experiences for Generation Z consumers, who value authenticity and interactivity. The social interaction generated through online storytelling strengthens the emotional connection with the brand and promotes the development of communities, which are essential for co-creating content. Based on these results, an interaction model based on the Transmedia Brand Storytelling strategy is proposed.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54663/2182-9306.2025.v.13.n.25.118-138
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Aaker, D. A. (2011). Brand relevance: Making competitors irrelevant. John Wiley & Sons.
Atarama-Rojas, T., & Feijoo, B. (2023). Social Audience and Emotional Bonding in Marvel's Transmedia Phenomenon: An Exploration of Peruvian Digital Communities [Article]. International Journal of Communication, 17, 3054-3071.
Atarama-Rojas, T., Guerrero-Pérez, E., & Gerbolini, V. (2020). Participation and Transmediality: Audience Influence on Web Series [Article]. International Journal of Communication, 14, 3614-3632.
Bassano, C., Barile, S., Piciocchi, P., Spohrer, J. C., Iandolo, F., & Fisk, R. (2019). Storytelling about places: Tourism marketing in the digital age [Article]. Cities, 87, 10-20.
Bonnin, G., & Alfonso, M. R. (2019). The narrative strategies of B2B technology brands. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 34(7), 1448-1458.
Bourgeon-Renault, D., Derbaix, M., Jarrier, E., & Petr, C. (2019). Narrative Transportation and Transmedia Consumption Experience in the Cultural Field [Article]. International Journal of Arts Management, 21(2), 27-42.
Dessart, L., & Standaert, W. (2023). Strategic storytelling in the age of sustainability [Article]. Business Horizons, 66(3), 371-385.
Dias, P., & Cavalheiro, R. (2022). The role of storytelling in the creation of brand love: the PANDORA case [Article]. Journal of Brand Management, 29(1), 58-71.
du Plessis, C. (2019). Prosumer engagement through story-making in transmedia branding. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 22(1), 175-192.
Feiereisen, S., Rasolofoarison, D., Russell, C. A., & Schau, H. J. (2021). One Brand, Many Trajectories: Narrative Navigation in Transmedia [Article]. Journal of Consumer Research, 48(4), 651-681.
Florenthal, B. (2019). Young consumers' motivational drivers of brand engagement behavior on social media sites A synthesized U&G and TAM framework [Article]. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 13(3), 351-391.
Freeman, E. (2016). Hopeless Cases: Queer Chronicities and Gertrude Stein's "Melanctha". Journal of Homosexuality, 63(3), 329-348.
Freeman, M. (2014). Advertising the Yellow Brick Road: Historicizing the Industrial Emergence of Transmedia Storytelling [Article]. International Journal of Communication, 8, 2362-2381.
Freeman, M., & Gambarato, R. R. (2018). The Routledge companion to transmedia studies. Routledge.
Ganassali, S., & Matysiewicz, J. (2021). Echoing the golden legends: storytelling archetypes and their impact on brand perceived value [Article]. Journal of Marketing Management, 37(5-6), 437-463.
Hong, J., Yang, J., Wooldridge, B. R., & Bhappu, A. D. (2022). Sharing consumers' brand storytelling: influence of consumers' storytelling on brand attitude via emotions and cognitions [Article]. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 31(2), 265-278.
Iglesias, O., & Bonet, E. (2012). Persuasive brand management How managers can influence brand meaning when they are losing control over it [Article]. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 25(2), 251-264.
Jenkins, H. (2010). Transmedia Storytelling and Entertainment: An annotated syllabus. Continuum-Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 24(6), 943-958.
Jenkins, H. (2014). Rethinking “Rethinking Convergence/Culture”. Cultural Studies, 28(2), 267-297.
Johnson, J. Q. M., Sangalang, A., & Park, S. Y. (2021). First-Person, Third-Person, or Bystander? Exploring the Persuasive Influence of Perspective in Mental Health Narratives. Journal of Health Communication, 26(4), 225-238.
Kemp, A., Gravois, R., Syrdal, H., & McDougal, E. (2023). Storytelling is not just for marketing: Cultivating a storytelling culture throughout the organization [Article]. Business Horizons, 66(3), 313-324.
Kemp, E., Porter, M., Anaza, N. A., & Min, D. J. (2021). The impact of storytelling in creating firm and customer connections in online environments [Article]. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 15(1), 104-124.
Kim, D. Y., & Kim, H. Y. (2023). Social media influencers as human brands: an interactive marketing perspective [Article]. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 17(1), 94-109.
Kim, H. (2012). The dimensionality of fashion‐brand experience. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 16(4), 418-441.
Lamé, G. (2019). Systematic Literature Reviews: An Introduction Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design,
Lane Keller, K. (2013). Strategic Brand Managment: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity. In: UK: Pearson Education Limited.
Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Clarke, M., Devereaux, P. J., Kleijnen, J., & Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration. PLOS Medicine, 6(7), e1000100.
Long, G. (2009). Transmedia storytelling : business, aesthetics and production at the Jim Henson Company.
Longwell, G. J. (1994). Managing brand equity: Capitalizing on the value of a brand name: David A. Aaker, The Free Press, New York (1991). Journal of Business Research, 29(3), 247-248.
Lund, N. F., Cohen, S. A., & Scarles, C. (2018). The power of social media storytelling in destination branding [Article]. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 8, 271-280.
Macdonald, E., & Sharp, B. (2000). Brand Awareness Effects on Consumer Decision Making for a Common, Repeat Purchase Product: A Replication. Journal of Business Research, 48, 5-15.
Nguyen, D. T., Le, D. H., Truong, L. G., Truong, N. G., & Vu, V. V. (2023). The effect of Generation Z's perceptions of brand activism on brand loyalty: evidence from Vietnam [Article]. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 35(6), 1494-1512.
Ojeda, M. A. N., Romera, C. S., & Velasco, J. R. (2019). In the Warcraft Universe We Trust: An Analysis of Transmedia Advertising Strategies in the World of Warcraft Video Game Series ("Battle Chest 3.0," "Cataclysm," and "Mists of Pandaria") [Article]. International Journal of Communication, 13, 1507-1525.
Oliveira, J. R. D., Limongi, R., Lim, W. M., Eastman, J. K., & Kumar, S. (2023). A story to sell: The influence of storytelling on consumers' purchasing behavior [Review]. Psychology & Marketing, 40(2), 239-261.
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., . . . Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71.
Papadatos, C. (2006). The art of storytelling: how loyalty marketers can build emotional connections to their brands [Article]. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 23(7), 382-384.
Pranckutė, R. (2021). Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus: The Titans of Bibliographic Information in Today’s Academic World. Publications, 9(1), 12.
Pulizzi, J. (2012). The Rise of Storytelling as the New Marketing. Publishing Research Quarterly, 28(2), 116-123.
Saur-Amaral, I., Ferreira, P., & Conde, R. (2013). Linking Past and Future Research in Tourism Management Through the Lens of Marketing and Consumption: A Systematic Literature Review. Tourism & Management Studies, 9, 35-40.
Schmitt, B. (2012). The consumer psychology of brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22, 7–17.
Scolari, C. A. (2018). Transmedia branding: Brands, narrative worlds, and the mcwhopper peace agreement [Article]. Semiotica(224), 1-17.
Scolari, C. A., & Ibrus, I. (2014). Transmedia Critical: Empirical Investigations into Multiplatform and Collaborative Storytelling. International Journal of Communication, 8, 2191-2200.
van Laer, T., Feiereisen, S., & Visconti, L. M. (2019). Storytelling in the digital era: A meta-analysis of relevant moderators of the narrative transportation effect [Article]. Journal of Business Research, 96, 135-146.
Wallace, E., Torres, P., Augusto, M., & Stefuryn, M. (2022). Do brand relationships on social media motivate young consumers' value co-creation and willingness to pay? The role of brand love [Article]. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 31(2), 189-205.
Woodside, A. G. (2010). Brand-Consumer Storytelling Theory and Research: Introduction to a Psychology & Marketing Special Issue [Article]. Psychology & Marketing, 27(6), 531-540.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2026 João Miguel Lopes, Irina Saur-Amaral, Sofia Gomes
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
International Journal of Marketing, Communication and New Media
ISSN: 2182-9306
DOI: 10.54663/2182-9306
Qualis Periódicos - CAPES: B2
REBIB: Q2
Indexing:
WEB OF SCIENCE (WoS) & JOURNAL CITATION REPORTS (JCR)
QUALIS - GOOGLE SCHOLAR - LATINDEX - REDIB - RCAAP - OAJI - DRJI - MIAR - LIVRE - ERIH PLUS - INDEX COPERNICUS
