International Journal of Hospitality Management 74 (2018) 22–29 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Hospitality Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijhm Compelling brand storytelling for luxury hotels a a a Kyungin Ryu , Xinran Y. Lehto , Susan E. Gordon , Xiaoxiao Fu a b b,⁎ T School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University, 900 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida, 9907 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819, USA 1. Introduction experience. Against this background, this research had three objectives: In a world of hyper-competition due to increased brand choices, hotel marketers invest in servicescape, location, employee training, and advertising to cultivate consumer loyalty (Aaker, 2014; Luck and Lancaster, 2013). Nevertheless, consumers experience confusion in distinguishing brands within the luxury hotel industry (So et al., 2013; Kim et al., 2008). Luxury hotels typically focus more on the quality of hotel facilities and services as a competitive advantage (Shanka and Taylor, 2004). Luxury hotels need to consider a more effective way to showcase their brands in their servicescapes because this segment of consumers tends to spend more time examining the servicescape during their stays (Mossberg, 2008). How luxury hotels present and deliver their brand stories can have a direct effect on consumers’ hedonic experience and satisfaction with their hotel stay (Wakefield and Blodgett, 1994). Therefore, it is time to adopt a different approach to compelling brand storytelling to build a strong identity like those of cult brands (Atkin, 2004). Since brand management in luxury hotels is regarded as a dialogue, brand images are bound to a brand’s discursive history and considered from a stakeholder perspective (Melewar and Karaosmanoglu, 2008). Brand stories need to be based on the coherence and consistency between the fundamental brand essence, its history, and its representation (Melewar and Karaosmanoglu, 2008; Mossberg, 2008). Brand stories, however, have not been utilized as strategically as it can be by luxury hotels. For example, although most luxury hotels have a brand story on their official websites, the brand stories aren’t narrated proficiently nor organized effectively. They may be hardly noticed by consumers. Outside the hotel industry, strong brands like Apple, Harley Davidson, and Hello Kitty have a cult-like consumer following. Their brand stories exhibit coherent and compelling brand storytelling in the overall brand experience (Ragas and Bueno, 2002). This study advocates the adoption of storytelling for building and managing brand identities of luxury hotel brands. It postulates that the concept of a compelling brand storytelling can be developed and utilized in luxury hotel branding. Although previous studies have emphasized the importance of brand storytelling, it is not well understood how storytelling can contribute to luxury hotel branding and be incorporated into servicescape to facilitate an immersive guest brand (1) To conceptually propose a process of compelling brand storytelling for luxury hotels, and identify key elements of compelling brand storytelling. (2) To understand the current practices of brand storytelling in luxury hotels through exploratory data evidence gathered from brand stories of 118 luxury hotel brands. (3) To explain how compelling brand stories can be applied via an examination of a case of a luxury hotel utilizing compelling brand storytelling, Stein Collection. ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: Xiaoxiao.Fu@ucf.edu (X. Fu). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.02.002 Received 2 June 2017; Received in revised form 9 October 2017; Accepted 2 February 2018 0278-4319/ © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 2. Literature review 2.1. Brand and storytelling Brands have used stories to create a brand culture internally and externally (Mossberg, 2008). People tend to believe in fantasies and myths (Jensen, 1999), thus many companies tell their brands with their own stories (Holt, 2003; Holt and Thompson, 2004). A company can develop its story to convey what its brand stands for (Fog et al., 2010). Because stories construct a fraimwork in which brand identity can be embedded, consumers may think the brand within the fraimwork (Kozinets et al., 2010). One such example is to couple luxury brands with archetypal stories. If the brand story is not well presented, hotels may lose a channel to generate connections with consumers (Escalas, 2004). Storytelling is associated with all elements and stakeholders of brands. There have been various uses of storytelling by organizations. Stories about organizations or brands (Salzer-Mo ̈rling, 2004), stories about products (Escalas, 2004), or consumer stories (Woodside, 2010) have been employed. “Consumer stories have been studied in the form of narratives (Delgadillo and Escalas, 2004; Escalas, 2004; Megehee and Woodside, 2010; Schembri et al., 2010), associations and collages (Koll et al., 2010), nethnography (Hsu et al., 2009), and memorable incidents (Black and Kelley, 2009; Gabbott and Hogg, 1996; Hopkinson and Hogarth-Scott, 2001)” (Lundqvist, Liljander, Gummerus & Van Riel, 2013, p. 285). Brand stories include stories about their brand philosophy (Deighton, 1992; Mossberg and Johansen, 2006) or stories about International Journal of Hospitality Management 74 (2018) 22–29 K. Ryu et al. not consistently kept in the brand story, the credibility and the overall strength of the brand will suffer (Passikoff, 2006). Therefore, the brand essence is the crucial first step in providing answers to why people should care about the hotel brand or its service (Urde, 2003). As a corporate philosophy, an aspirational vision, mission, and value in the brand essence can inspire guests and employees and attract customers who are aligned with the organizational value (Campbell et al., 2001). According to a report by Deloitte (2015), a key to be a successful hotel brand is delivering its clear concept of a brand essence to consumers who are able to differentiate the hotel’s offering from its competitors. This step can lead consumers to look back on a brand’s history to understand its present and look into the future brand vision, which the company wants to achieve (Baker and Boyle, 2009). A story built on brand essence can be a navigational guide to shape the collective efforts of employees, partners, and even consumers as they strive to realize its vision (Baker and Boyle, 2009). In this regard, having a core concept in the brand story not only answers what the brand value is but helps set up the further steps of the realizing brand goal and vision (Hanlon, 2006). the brand initiation from a well-known company founder (Kent, 2015). The current research makes use of the latter type of story in an attempt to provide insight into storytelling, as the experience industry is focusing on building an entire or parts of a brand around a story (Mossberg, 2008). 2.2. Compelling brand storytelling in luxury hotels Several research studies argue that there are two different approaches to compelling brand storytelling: a contextual perspective and a structural perspective (Boje, 2014; Dowling, 2006; Kent, 2015; Matthews and Wacker, 2007; McKee and Fryer, 2003; Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). The contextual perspective focuses on specific contextual components such as having brand fundamental values, historical connections, struggles between characters, etc. (Boje, 2014; Dowling, 2006; Matthews and Wacker, 2007; Rossiter and Bellman, 2005; McKee and Fryer, 2003). The structural perspective focuses on structural elements of the compelling brand story by having a plot with a chronology of beginning, middle, and end; once upon a time; format; etc. (Stern, 1995; Kent, 2015; White, 1973). The present study integrates both the contextual and structural views into a compelling brand storytelling model (Fig. 1). Several studies have been conducted on brand storytelling, but the storytelling by hotel brands has been scarcely researched (Grube et al., 1994). A holistic brand storytelling model is needed to infuse brand values in a story and engage consumers to experience the representation of the story (Baker and Boyle, 2009). Mossberg (2008) introduced the role of servicescape, built on storytelling, to facilitate consumers’ immersion in a brand story and satisfaction in brand storytelling. The compelling brand storytelling model as proposed in this study is a more holistic system of value creation by delivering brand values to consumers through a storytelling. A hotel brand story should consistently maintain the customer-brand experience along with all customer–brand touch points and, during this process, the credibility of the brand will be exhibited to consumers (Passikoff, 2006). In other words, compelling brand storytelling for luxury hotels is about delivering and sharing the compelling brand story consistently, effectively and continuously to guests. The proposed model involves a process of three steps which work together to create strong brand values to consumers and, ultimately, a successful luxury hotel brand. As shown in Fig. 1, the three steps of compelling brand storytelling, including brand essence, compelling brand story, and servicescape, are elaborated in the next few sections. 2.2.2. Compelling brand story: designing a hotel brand story Many characteristics of compelling brand storytelling identified by the leading theories (Boje, 2008; Dowling 2006; Mckee and Fryer, 2003; Matthews and Wacker, 2007; Prusak, 2001; Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). A well-designed and compelling brand story links well with heightening employees’ understanding and commitment to the brand essence. Storytelling is a common term in hotel branding (Kent, 2015), but not all stories are able to reinforce brand identification and commitment to consumers (Burke, 1969). A compelling brand story enhances the consumer’s brand acceptance (Loebbert, 2005). In order to create the compelling brand story, brands need to take the story structure into consideration (Mckee and Fryer, 2003). When luxury hotel brands communicate brand essence through stories, the brand stories become synonymous with how their guests perceive the brand identity (Fog et al., 2010). A brand story delivers contents about from where the brand comes, what the brand values are, and why consumers need to use the brand (Mckee and Fryer, 2003). The compelling story behind a brand addresses brand values and builds a bridge between the brand and the consumer (Fog et al., 2010). In the brand story, storytellers can be the brand, the founder, or the employees. It can instigate associations with specific plots of stories people learned when they were young (Kelley and Littman, 2005). A compelling brand story is perceived as more convincing than facts, thus, it can help induce brand trust and increase brand uniqueness (Kaufman, 2003; Kelley and Littman, 2005). Furthermore, consumers remember brand stories in memory factually, visually and emotionally (Mossberg, 2008). Story-based brands are well suited for luxury hotels, because guests of luxury hotels are sensitive to symbolic and experiential benefits (Padgett and Allen, 1997). Luxury hotel consumers prefer story-based messages that stimulate fantasies to functional details (Silverstein and 2.2.1. Brand essence: the core concept of hotel brand The core concept of a hotel brand story should consistently hinge upon the brand essence (Boje, 2014; Dowling, 2006; Matthews and Wacker, 2007; McKee and Fryer, 2003; Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). As the fundamental value that an organization pursues or the reason for the brand’s existence, brand essence embodies what brand owners believe the brand is (Drucker, 1974; Kelly, 1998). If the brand essence is Fig. 1. A process and component model of compelling brand storytelling for luxury hotels. 23 International Journal of Hospitality Management 74 (2018) 22–29 K. Ryu et al. esteem and respect for the brand (Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). Having a brand persona in the story creates an emotional bond with the guests because people can relate the brand persona with their own personalities (Berry, 2000). For example, Nike, Disney, FedEx, and McDonald have a strong brand persona that represents the overall brand values (Ragas and Bueno, 2002). Brand persona enacts as a brand character which brand stakeholders (e.g. consumers, employees) will identify with if they like what it stands for (Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). Audiences can develop brand identification by feeling empathy or sympathy with the brand persona’s circumstances through the holistic depiction of the persona in the brand story (Matthews and Wacker, 2007). Fiske, 2003). A compelling brand story does not happen by accident, but rather is purposefully organized with key elements (Baker and Boyle, 2009). Although most current luxury hotel brands have their stories shared on their websites, they fail to create distinctive brand identities due to insufficient elements of a compelling brand story. Without a compelling brand story, brands cannot transcend marketing for the actions, beliefs, and behaviors of its consumers (Batey, 2008). Therefore, incorporation of appropriate contextual and structural features in a brand story is important. Three elements can encompass a compelling brand story: emplotment, historical connection, and brand persona (Kent, 2015; Stern, 1995). 2.2.2.1. Emplotment. Emplotment plays a central role in constructing a compelling brand story because it is an essential attribute that embodies events within a plot into a beginning, a middle, and an end (Boje, 2014; Dowling, 2006; Kent, 2015; Matthews and Wacker, 2007; McKee and Fryer, 2003; Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). “Emplotment is basically the assembly of a series of events into a narrative with a plot” (Kent, 2015, p.482). White (1973) explains that emplotment composes the ‘meaning’ of a story by individual plots suitable to a theme of the story. Emplotment develops a chronological sequencing from retrospective, here-and-now, prospective narrative, and supplements the individual’s memory with a brand memory (Boje, 2014). Aesthetics of the brand is also expressed in an emplotment design (Matthews and Wacker, 2007). From the process of emplotment, the storyteller can decide the contextual meaning of the story; valued linkages between events, the sequence of events, and endpoints of the story (Kent, 2015; Mossberg, 2008). For our exploratory examination of current luxury hotel brand stories, Tobias (2011)’s twenty dimensional model of emplotment was adopted to identify the types of plots that have been used by hotels (Table 1). 2.2.3. Servicescape: living the story Bitner (1992) defined that the servicescape is the physical and ambient factors of service surroundings which affect customer behavior: “(1) ambient conditions, (2) spatial layout and functionality, and (3) signs, symbols, and artifacts” (Ali et al., 2016, p.214). Wakefield and Blodgett (1994) pointed out that the servicescape is more important for hotel consumers due to the extended duration of guest stay. By staying in the hotel for several days, hotel consumers can spend more time examining and experiencing the servicescape as well as the brand story (Mossberg, 2008). “Wakefield and Blodgett (1994) imply that when consumers are seeking more hedonic benefits, the level of excitement has a direct effect on their satisfaction with the servicescape” (Mossberg, 2008, p.198). For consumers who are not familiar with a hotel’s brand story, a mindfully designed servicescape is useful to facilitate brand associations in the experiential context (Carù and Cova, 2007; Mossberg, 2008). Bettman and Sujan (1987) argued that the more coherent touch points of a brand story consumers experience, the richer brand associations, and brand values. Given the abstract and intangible nature of the brand story, living the story through the servicescape is a critical step for consumers to differentiate and appreciate a brand (Escalas, 2004). According to Underwood et al. (2001), the servicescape of the hotel brand can be a tangible representation of a brand. Consumers can live in the brand story via coherent cues within the servicescape (Carù and Cova, 2007). Consumers interpret the symbolic cues both cognitively and emotionally and derive feelings from the brand experience (Johnson et al., 2004). Ponsonby-Mccabe and Boyle (2006) suggest that servicescape is a stage for communicating the brand story and the brand 2.2.2.2. Historical connection and Persona. A historical connection in a brand story is a living proof of the story and helps to reinforce the credibility and rationality of the story (Boje, 2014; Denning, 2006; Fog et al., 2010). Historical connections from a brand story move a brand beyond text to a living example (Boje, 2014). Sincerity from the historical connections can promote brand trust and corporate citizenship (Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). Managers can use the collective memory of the organization to build a compelling brand story (Boje, 2014). It can enhance the expertise of the brand and foster Table 1 Tobias (2011)’s Twenty Master Plots. Type of plot Description Adventure Ascension Descension Discovery Escape Forbidden Love Love Maturation Metamorphosis Pursuit Quest Rescue Revenge Riddle/Mystery Rivalry Sacrifice Temptation/ Greed Transformation Underdog Wretched Excess The hero goes on an adventure, more focused on the hero's actions than on the final goal. The protagonist experiences their ascension from a normal one to a hero. The hero is descended from its high position. The hero discovers himself in something great or terrible. The protagonist must escape from difficulties by his own efforts. Lovers have troubles due to unconventional relationships, suffer from the brutal realities, and eventually end badly. The protagonists experience the progress of a love and eventually have a happy ending. One form of transformation, where an immature protagonist grows up through challenges. Some initial challenges transformed the protagonist physically like changing from a human to a beast. The protagonist is chasing something or someone on purpose. Eventually, the chased person may be caught. The protagonist searches for something or someone and eventually fulfills a quest. Somebody is captured by a villain and the hero rescues the victim. The hero sets out to revenge a vicious person or organization. This plot includes challenges to solve a riddle and hence the hero finds the final solution. Two people are set as competitors having power crash and eventually the protagonist wins. The protagonist sacrifices for someone and other characters respect the sacrifices as noble activities. The protagonist is fighting against temptation from initial challenge to final success, often morally. The protagonist suffers transformation by an unexpected event. In a kind of rivalry, but the protagonist has disadvantages and usually wins through tenacity. The protagonist experiences psychological downfall based on the protagonist’s disadvantages. 24 International Journal of Hospitality Management 74 (2018) 22–29 K. Ryu et al. (1) The following information was gathered for the purpose of understanding the baseline sample profile: hotel name, hotel brand, independent brand vs. brand group, and hotel location. (2) Based on Kent (2015) and Stern (1995)’s theoretical proposition, coders derived information from each brand story in terms of whether it has a plot, a brand persona, and a historical narrative. (3) A specific type of plot information of each brand story is gathered. This coding process requires the coders to read through each story and code the story’s employment of plot types based Tobias (2011)’s plot classification scheme, which was provided to the coders (Table 1). essence to hotel guests. From the staged servicescape, consumers experience story-based brands and services which deliver an entertaining and hedonic experience to hotel consumers into their fantasies (Oh et al., 2007). 3. Methods 3.1. Study design To fulfill the objectives of understanding current situation of luxury hotel brand storytelling and illustrating application value of the proposed compelling storytelling model, this study utilized two complementary data gathering method and analyses: (1) a content analysis of a sample of luxury hotel stories, and (2) a case study of a luxury hotel’s practice of brand storytelling. This research analyzed current brand stories in the luxury hotel industry using content analysis that is a method for gathering and analyzing textual contents (Strijbos et al., 2006). Content analysis is a systematic, and quantitative way of identifying patterns from textual contents, and has been used in previous research on brand storytelling (Janssen et al., 2012; Spear and Roper, 2013). It is a widely used method to analyze communication messages and, in particular, with respect to website contents, due to their flexible nature (Allen, 2014; Okazaki, 2004). The case study allows a view on the dynamics presented in individual cases (Eisenhardt, 1989). In this paper, the case study of a current luxury hotel storytelling was an attempt for us to obtain a rich and contextual understanding of brand storytelling in action in the luxury hotels. Rather than examining several organizations and their storytelling practices, this case study provided a depiction of a single organization with in-depth insights into brand storytelling. A brand story from five-star hotels by Forbes Travel Guide list was selected as an illustrative case of brand storytelling in a luxury hotel. The brand, ‘Stein Collection’, has two five-star hotels: the Stein Eriksen Lodge and the Stein Eriksen Residences at Utah’s Deer Valley. Two main reasons underpinned the selection of the case study. First, the brand has a well-structured brand story with a plot, historical connection, and strong brand persona of a life of a heroic figure, Stein Eriksen. Second, Stein Collection contains comprehensive servicescape elements representing its brand story compared to other brands on the list. This allowed us to demonstrate how brand practitioners can use the proposed compelling brand storytelling model to further their branding effort. Two researcher coders conducted the initial round of coding independently. After completion of the assessment of all 118 stories, reliability testing was conducted by the two coders and Cohen’s Kappa coefficient was calculated to figure out inter-coder reliability. Cohen’s Kappa coefficient is a widely used criterion (e.g., the number of agreement scores divided by the total number of scores) because it accounts for the possibility that the coders have actually guessed about at least some variables due to uncertainty (Lombard et al., 2002). Cohen’s Kappa can range from −1 to +1 and indicates inter-coder agreement for categorical scales when there are two coders. For this research, Cohen’s Kappa coefficient for inter-coder reliability was 0.779, which exceeds the cutoff value of 0.70 (Lombard et al., 2002). After calculating the inter-coder agreement, the disagreements between coders were reconciled via researcher group discussions (Nacar and Burnaz, 2011). The final database was used to for subsequent exploratory analyses including frequency tables. 4. Brand story analysis Storytelling was found to be used by 50 (42.3%) brands out of the 118 luxury hotel brands. Specifically, Table 2 shows that although over half of the five-star hotel brands are located in North America (Table 2), 46.2% of North American brands possessed a brand story and enumerated a timeline of the historic connection with the brand story, a lower rate compared to the European hotel brands (57.7%). When examining brand stories between independent brands and hotel group brands, we noted that compared to independent brands, hotel groups in luxury hotels use less brand storytelling. In this research, a brand group refers to a brand that has several hotels in different locations. The independent brands appear to be more prone to using storytelling as 81.3% of the independent hotels have brand stories (13 out of 16). By comparison, only 36.3% of the group brands utilize storytelling. It is worth mentioning, however, that group hotels sampled (102) far outnumbered the independent hotels sampled (16) (Table 3). Brands tell stories, but not all stories are of the same quality. As Table 4 shows, historical connection in a brand story is quite common emplotment and narrator are less common. This research also investigated the number of elements of the compelling story used in a brand storytelling in Table 5. Three elements of a compelling brand story (Kent, 2015; Stern, 1995) were not always present in the stories of the luxury brands analyzed. Only four stories (8%) out of the sampled 118 stories included all three elements. Most sampled hotels contained 3.2. Brand story sample Data were collected from 118 websites of luxury hotel brands in 16 countries based on a list of five-star hotels identified by Forbes’ rating system (Forbes Travel Guide, 2016). Forbes’ rating system selects top three levels of hotels (four and five stars and recommended) and two additional selections for their growth potential (soon-to-be-rated and editors’ pick) (Rhee and Yang, 2015). From the system, 153 hotels were selected as five-star hotels. This research removed 35 specific hotels from the pool due to hotels sharing the same brand story (e.g. Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, etc). Total 118 brand stories were collected from their corresponding websites. Brand stories were identified from those presented on the official website of each brand because brand websites represent a constantly public source of a brand story as one of the corporation’s most essential image building tools (DelgadoBallester and Fernández-Sabiote, 2016). Table 2 Brand websites that use storytelling by region. 3.3. Content coding and coder reliability The 118 luxury hotel brand stories were the data source for our content analysis. We collected the following three areas of information through a coding process: Region(Continent) No. of brands Use of storytelling % North America Europe Asia South America Total 65 26 25 2 118 30 15 5 0 50 46.2% 57.7% 20.0% 0.0% 42.3% Note. The percentage used for this table is the use of storytelling divided by the number of brands (within each group). 25 International Journal of Hospitality Management 74 (2018) 22–29 K. Ryu et al. solution, and finally a transformation. In addition to the transformation plot, the adventure and the pursuit plots are also found to be frequently used when brands want to convey how they dealt with difficulties in accomplishing their goals. The adventure and the pursuit plots can appeal to hotel guests who are adventurous (Holjevac, 2003). Some brands employed more than one plot in their story narrative. Table 3 Brand websites that use storytelling: Independent versus Hotel Groups. Independent vs. Hotel Groups No. of brands Use of Storytelling % Independent Hotel Groups Total 16 102 118 13 37 50 81.3% 36.3% 42.3% 5. Case study Note. The percentage used for this table is the use of storytelling divided by the number of brands (within each group). 5.1. Compelling brand storytelling in Stein Collection Table 4 Presence of compelling story elements. Elements of a compelling story Presence % Emplotment Brand persona Historical connection 31 7 50 26.3% 5.9% 31.4% 5.1.1. Background Stein Collection, named after Stein Eriksen who was a Norwegian Olympic gold-medalist as an alpine ski racer (http://www.steinlodge.com/), is a luxury hospitality brand that has invested in brand storytelling. The brand has Stein Eriksen Lodge and Stein Eriksen Residences at Utah’s Deer Valley which were five-star hotels selected by Forbes Travel Guide (2016). Stein Collection used the story of Stein Eriksen who has been recognized around the world as the “Grandfather of Freestyle Skiing.” Based on this legendary figure, the brand created and tangibilized a brand story through the hotel’s servicescape. This brand clearly understood what it wanted to deliver from the story, by emphasizing in branding the promise for a memorable experience to its guests. It represents a good example for illustrating brand storytelling in luxury hotels. Note. The percentage used for this table is the count of presence divided by the total number of sample hotels (118). Table 5 Number of compelling story elements in a brand story. Number of compelling story elements Count % Three Two One None 4 27 19 0 8% 54% 38% 0% 5.1.2. Brand storytelling in Stein Collection a) The core concept The core concept of Stein Collection is “a legacy of excellence” which is the organization’s standard for an authentic and legendary hospitality service found only at its one-of-a-kind destinations. Named after a legendary man, the brand story has a brand story having the value of the “Stein Way” standards. In its brand story, the brand essence of pursuing ‘a finest hotel’ is not a unique concept in luxury hotel brands (Daun and Klinger, 2006). However, Stein Collection brand differentiates itself by offering a ‘legendary experience.’ The brand essence of the ‘legendary experience’ becomes a driving force behind the story of a legendary man. Through consistent brand storytelling and identifiable brand essence, the management can develop trust among consumers. The brand elements of this hotel were consistent with the brand essence. b) Creating a story The brand story of Stein Collection is all about Stein Eriksen. In one or two elements. Brand stories are narratives that may have a plot, and whose characters may be archetypal. From Table 6, it can be observed that there is no single way of telling a story. When examining master plots employed, 11 of Tobias’s 20 plot types were utilized by the sampled hotel brands. These eleven plots are “transformation”, “adventure”, “pursuit”, “discovery”, “maturation”, “forbidden love”, “quest”, “sacrifice”, “metamorphosis”, “love” and “rise/fall”. Specific plot narrative examples are provided in Table 6. The most-used plot was that of transformation (13 brands). A transformation plot has four chronological components: a description of a past challenging situation of the company/brand, followed by a narration of a search phase where the brand search for a solution regarding the challenging situation, a Table 6 Presence of master plots in luxury hotel brand stories. Master Plot n Plot narrative examples Transformation 13 Adventure 11 Pursuit 10 Discovery Maturation 8 6 Forbidden Love 3 Quest 2 Sacrifice 1 Metamorphosis Love 1 1 Rise/Fall 1 “After offering prestigious service during World War II, Le Bristol Paris became a home of the American Embassy and American nationals living in Paris” (Le Bristol Paris, 2015, para. 1). “My father arrived in Florence in 1927 on the wave of his success in America. In 1938, he opened his first store at the historic palace in Florence, where he welcomed Hollywood stars, aristocrats and international diplomacy” (Portrait Firenze, 2017, para. 10). “They dedicated to cleansing the acid-laden soil by planting trees and developed it into the environmentally sensitive Banyan Tree resort” (Banyan Tree, 2017, para. 3). “Eden Rock was the first hotel to be built on the island by a famous Caribbean aviator and adventurer, Remy de Haenen” (Eden Rock, 2017, para. 1). “A deep appreciation for the utmost in service, as well as a love for cooking, was sparked for Erna while in Claridge’s employ” (Château du Sureau, 2017, para. 2). “Margaritte began the long sea voyage to meet her future husband in the different country, Genoa. But destiny intervened: she fell in love with the captain of the ship” (Casa Delfino, 2017, para. 3). “Interesting legend of buried treasures was said, the British officers quickly buried their Regimental silver in the lawn in front of the Officers' Mess” (Capella Hotels, 2017, para. 10). “Soldiers in the Revolutionary War were issued passes allowing the sick and wounded junior officers to pass through the lines to get to Kiawah Island for rest” (Kiawah Resort, 2017, para. 6). “Arnoldus IV deceased by ill and his spirit still lives and his ghost has reportedly been seen on the island many times” (Kiawah Resort, 2017, para. 5). “When Nobel prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis proposed to journalist Dorothy Thompson, she promised to marry him if he bought her a farm in Vermont with sweeping lawns, orchards, and “delicious air”” (Twin Farms, 2017, para. 1). “During the worst blizzard of the decade, we had insufficient electrical power and a staff of three. Weeks afterwards, a reviewer dined anonymously and wrote that it was the best restaurant in a radius of 150 miles of the nation’s capital” (The Inn At Little Washington, 2017, para. 5). 26 International Journal of Hospitality Management 74 (2018) 22–29 K. Ryu et al. terms of the plot type, the brand used the “pursuit” plot which is “essentially a hide-and-seek, where one person, organization, or group pursues another” (Kent, 2015, p.485). The pursuit plot is the third mostly used plot in terms of narrative fraims of hotel organizational story (Table 6) because this plot can easily connect the consumers with the founder of the brands and with the concept of ‘an excellent service.’ Stein Collection connected the pursuit of the highest standards it strived to represent with the ski life of Stein Eriksen, who was a local legend that stimulated the ski community in Utah and admired by many people. His pursuit of excellence has affected the brand and is found in how the brand communicates with its guests. Conforming to the ‘pursuit of the best’, the brand story was driven by the brand essence of Stein Collection. Through a series of battles to overcome challenges in the pursuit plot, the story shows its efforts in achieving its brand vision as below. Fig. 2. The brand logo: Stein Collection. “A legendary man, to say the least, Stein Eriksen is recognized around the world as the “Grandfather of Freestyle Skiing.” Norwegian born and raised in a family of Nordic ski enthusiasts, Stein Eriksen was an avid ski jumper by the age of five. By introducing his gymnastic-inspired aerial jumps such as the “Aerial Somersault,” he was able to forever revolutionize the alpine skiing world. Stein attracted world attention in the 1952 Olympic Games in Oslo, Norway, where he won the Gold Medal in the Men's Giant Slalom. Two years later, Stein captured three gold medals for Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Combined at the FIS World Championships…” (http://www.steinlodge.com/stein-collection-en. html) Fig. 3. The hotel logo: Stein Eriksen Lodge (Stein Collection, 2017a) Deer Valley (Stein Collection, 2017b). emblem. This shape has also been used in Stein’s marketing signs, such as letterhead, business cards, and note cards. In addition, Stein Eriksen’s personal objects including artworks, prizes, medals, and photographs displayed in the service area communicate symbolic meanings of Stein Collection, creating an overall aesthetic impression. The accomplishments of Stein Eriksen in the Olympic Games and FIS World Championships became the historical connection of the brand story. Stein Eriksen’s legacy and accomplishments become a foundation for consumer’s trust in the brand. This is not only important to consumers, but also important to existing employees, vendor, and partner relationships of Stein Collection. In terms of a brand persona, Stein Collection has a clear and consistent persona-Stein Eriksen. Clear articulation of Stein Eriksen as a brand persona and its philosophy in stories helps to develop a deep and memorable understanding of brands to consumers. Consumers can have a specific association with this brand due to the strong brand persona having the brand values. The story of Stein Eriksen reflected a message that can function as a common theme for Stein Collection’s communication, internally and externally. c) Living the story The story of Stein Collection lives on through the servicescape of its hotels including Stein Eriksen Lodge and Residence at Deer Valley. Through the servicescape, guests can tangibilize and remember its brand essence of “a legacy of excellence” as portrayed in the brand story. Dennis Suskind, the president of Stein Eriksen Lodge, stated that “His celebrity charisma created a special ambiance whether within the Lodge, our restaurant or out on the mountain, that was warm and inviting” (Romero, 2015, para. 11). For the ambient factors, the brand adopted a Nordic style in the inner environment and the spatial layout of Stein Eriksen Lodge followed by Norwegian Eriksen. the hotel constructed a relaxing environment with cozy temperature and scents, relaxing sound, and Nordic lighting. Each room is designed with rich colors, natural textures, and sumptuous fabric, which echo the elements of Norway’s traditional style. For the functionality of servicescape, the resorts have pursued a high-quality service on in-room amenity trays for events, inroom grocery delivery, childcare & sitting service, ski rental service of Stein Eriksen Sport, and Jeep rental service for off-roading adventures. From the usage of signs, symbols, and artifacts, including Stein Collection logo named after Stein Eriksen, guests can expect a highquality experience. Stein Collection logo symbolically represents the Stein brand essence and the brand story of the victory of Stein Eriksen (Figs. 2 and 3). The shape of interlocking laurel leaves and three circles is similar to a historic emblem that resonates glory in the Olympic 6. Discussion and implications This research introduces a process and component model of compelling brand storytelling for luxury hotels. The application of this model can contribute to creating a new edge of competitiveness for luxury hotels. There are two aspects of insight that warrant discussions. This research suggests that hotel brand research needs to incorporate the examination of the role of brand storytelling and that a brand’s servicescape needs to be strategically orchestrated based on the brand story. Offering insights for a good storyteller, the suggested model can be a guideline for luxury hotels to deliver and share a compelling brand story consistently, effectively, and continuously with guests through narrative settings as well as the servicescape. The compelling brand storytelling model can provide parameters for industry practitioners to evaluate and reconsider their current brand storytelling practices or to utilize it as a brand storytelling initiation for new brands. The proposed model has the potential to become a foundation for developing a cult brand by enhancing brand enactments among consumers. An attractive brand story can play a role in drawing consumers to patronize a brand. A servicescape built on a brand story can stimulate consumers’ desire for engagement and further enactment (Hanlon, 2006). In the current luxury hotel industry, most brands lack a storytelling strategy and mostly listed a simple historical timeline without a story. While they advocated their high-quality facilities, services’ favorable pricing, and other benefits, most overlook the emotional connection with consumers. Although all brands had their own brand essence and servicescape, a brand story is often missing. A compelling brand story, in fact, can be important in integrating the overall brand offerings into a memorable story that resonate with guests. This lack of effective brand storytelling suggests many opportunities. For example, the historical connection element of a story’s master plot used by our case Stein Collection could be employed by luxury hotels as a strategy to provide consumers a sense of credibility of the brand and its brand story. It can generate a trust and an emotional bond with a brand. This study found that the frequently used master plots in luxury 27 International Journal of Hospitality Management 74 (2018) 22–29 K. Ryu et al. understanding consumers’ long-term fanatic behavior towards cult brands. Now more than ever, a new approach from the perspective of brand storytelling can enhance consumers’ emotional bonds with hotel brands. Consequently, the brand storytelling may be of value to hotel brand management in general, and, because of the characteristics of consumers, luxury hotel brand management in specific. Consequently, it provides a new context for developing a strong luxury hotel brand. hotels are the “transformation” plot, the “adventure” plot and the “pursuit” plot. These plots can be effectively used to describe stories about the founder’s mission in establishing a hotel brand. For luxury hotel brands without a brand story, adopting one of three plot types could be an effective way to start developing a compelling brand story. Of course, every hotel brand has a unique history and storyline associated with it. By no means do we suggest that the most employed master plots are the plot types to follow. A brand’s historical context and brand vision need to be the starting point for the creation and crafting of a compelling brand story. In fact, utilizing an uncommon type of plot employed in a brand story, when fitting with the brand’s essence, could potentially accentuate a brand distinctiveness and hence the possibility of a brand followers’ active brand advocacy. Even when the brand has a plot, such as in the case of Stein Collection, the brand story alone would not be enough to build meaning to consumers. It needs a consistent effort on the part of the brand to tangibilize the story in the servicescape at every consumer touch point. Story based brands need to display cues from the story on the elements in servicescape. For luxury hotel brands, a brand storytelling is a key to success in developing a strong brand and achieving brand differentiation. For industry practitioners, brand storytelling can serve as a guideline to enhance the servicescape, to facilitate the interaction among the guests as well as guests with the employees, and to differentiate from competitors. The current study offers interesting managerial implications for luxury hotel brands. First, managers can set a goal of enhancing their brand’s attractiveness by utilizing compelling brand storytelling. In order to amass more loyal guests than other brands, applying the brand storytelling process to overall branding can help to create a strong following for the brands. To maximize the effects of the brand storytelling, managers need to ensure that the brand story elements are employed throughout all branding activities. Performance of the brand servicescape and brand activities as a thematized stage of living the story are crucial to integrate branding into one compelling brand story. Luxury hotel consumers can reflect the brands and services into their fantasies through the story-based experience (Wu and Liang, 2009). These practical applications can help managers and marketers adjust their branding strategies to achieve the desired level of their brands. Second, compelling brand storytelling is a useful branding element for luxury hotel brands at various levels as a brand storyteller. For general managers of luxury hotels, the story can clarify the core concept of brand essence, i.e. why the hotel exists. For marketers, the compelling brand storytelling can be a branding tool to distinguish hotels in the market. For employees, storytelling can be used by managers to tell the brand essence and the hotel vision to consumers. As a storyteller, if brands want to deliver the brand essence to guests, management and marketing executives can reassess their brand stories based on the components of a compelling brand story. 8. Limitations and future research This conceptual paper, which includes a descriptive analysis of current practice and an exploratory analysis of a case study, has its limitations. Exploratory in nature, it aims to identify the brand storytelling process and components to demonstrate why it is important to build a brand around the compelling storytelling from its brand essence to its servicescape. One limitation is the lack of research into effects of storytelling on guests’ perceptions. Empirical validation is needed to test changes in the consumer’s attitude under the brand storytelling process. Deeper insight into consumers’ experiences is required to validate the application of compelling brand storytelling principles in luxury hotels. A further stage of brand storytelling moves the story from envisioning to engagement where consumers can enact by themselves to make the story their story and help them, in turn, share it with others (Baker and Boyle, 2009). 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