Social media storytelling: the use of bible stories as a branding tool in social media.

Abstract

Grounded on the hyperpersonal model of Walther (1996) and the consumer-based brand equity or CBBE model of Aaker (1991), the study aimed to describe how biblical storytelling is employed by Papemelroti, a small retail company in the Philippines, in the building of brand equity in its social media accounts. This objective was pursued by developing semi-structured interviews for the top and lower management of the company. Such interviews contained a pool of 9 items compiled from the literature. Through purposive and convenience sampling methods, responses were collected from three (3) employees from the top management and six (6) employees from the lower management. Findings showed that (1) the bible stories posted by the Papemelroti management on its social media accounts evoke positive impressions on the brand; (2) Facebook is the most effective social media platform in communicating stories; and (3) the efforts on storytelling to build the company's brand equity have advantages and disadvantages. Recommendations are offered for both branding practitioners and future researchers.