Unlocking the Power of Strategic Communication: A Deep Dive into Industrial Tourism and Engaging Company Openings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7433/s125.2024.12Keywords:
Corporate communication, Open-door events, Factory openings, Storytelling, Reputation, Consumer behaviourAbstract
Purpose of the paper: this paper aims to explore the potential of strategic communication in the context of industrial tourism open-door events, investigating how effective storytelling by companies can positively influence visitors' perceptions, subsequently impacting their intentions to purchase, recommend, engage, and their overall satisfaction.
Methodology: we employed a mixed-method approach to investigate the impact of storytelling ability (SA) on visitors' perceptions during Open Factory 2022 by conducting qualitative interviews with company representatives and administering structured questionnaires to 233 event attendees.
Findings: the analysis suggests that open-door events serve as a valuable platform for companies to communicate their brand stories and enhance internal communication processes. Moreover, we argue that visitors who perceive companies positively during the openings are more likely to make purchases and recommend products.
Research limits: as the research primarily focuses on B2B companies, the homogeneity of the sample might impact the generalizability of the findings to a broader market context, particularly in understanding consumer behavior typical of business-to-consumer (B2C) interactions.
Practical implications: our study highlights that companies can enhance their communication strategies during industrial tourism open-door events by employing compelling storytelling, emphasising product history, quality, and local ties to boost visitor engagement, reputation, and actions.
Originality of the paper: this research contributes to the literature by exploring the intersection of strategic communication and industrial tourism, revealing how effective storytelling during open-door events positively influences visitor perceptions, engagement, and actions, shedding light on innovative communication approaches within this underexplored context.
References
ALKILANI K., LING K.C., ABZAKH A.A. (2013). The impact of experiential marketing and customer satisfaction on customer commitment in the world of social networks. Asian Social Science, 9(1), 262.
ARGENTI P.A. (2016). Corporate communication (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
ARIFFIN S.K., MOHAN T., GOH Y.N. (2018). Influence of consumers’ perceived risk on consumers’ online purchase intention. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 12(3), 309-327.
BRUMBERG B., AXELROD K. (1994). Watch it made in the USA: A visitor's guide to the companies that make your favorite products. J. Muir Publications.
AZIZ S., HUSIN M.M., HUSSIN N., AFAQ Z. (2019). Factors that influence individuals’ intentions to purchase family takaful mediating role of perceived trust. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 31(1), 81-104.
BRUNETTI F., BONFANTI A., CASTELLANI P., GIARETTA E. (2018). Open Factory events as triggers of interactive learning in organisations. Development and Learning in Organisations: An International Journal, 32(5), 15-18.
CABRERA A., COLLINS W.C., SALGADO J.F. (2006). Determinants of individual engagement in knowledge sharing. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17(2), 245-264.
CASTELLANI P., GIARETTA E., BRUNETTI F., BONFANTI A. (2019). Exploring the modes of organisational learning: Features from the Open Factory event. Sinergie Italian Journal of Management, 37(1), 197-216.
CHANG H.H., WANG Y.H., YANG W.Y. (2009). The impact of e-service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty on e-marketing: Moderating effect of perceived value. Total Quality Management, 20(4), 423-443.
CHOW H.W., LING G.J., YEN I.Y., HWANG K.P. (2017). Building brand equity through industrial tourism. Asia Pacific Management Review, 22(2), 70-79.
DE BEER E. (2014). Creating value through communication. Public Relations Review, 40(2), 136-143.
DESSART L., PITARDI V. (2019). How stories generate consumer engagement: An exploratory study. Journal of business research, 104, 183-195.
FILIERI R., MCLEAY F., TSUI B., LIN Z. (2018). Consumer perceptions of information helpfulness and determinants of purchase intention in online consumer reviews of services. Information & management, 55(8), 956-970.
FOROUDI P., NAZARIAN A., ZIYADIN S., KITCHEN P., HAFEEZ K., PRIPORAS C., PANTANO E. (2020). Co-creating brand image and reputation through stakeholder’s social network. Journal of Business Research, 114, 42-59.
FRIEL M., BEN YOUSSEF K. (2020). Industrial Tourism as an Opportunity for Customer Education. In Scritti in onore di Giuseppe Tardivo. Giappichelli.
GALAN-LADERO M.M., GALERA-CASQUET C., WYMER W. (2013). Attitudes towards cause-related marketing: determinants of satisfaction and loyalty. International review on public and nonprofit marketing, 10, 253-269.
HALLANHAN K., HOLTZHAUSEN D., VAN RULER B., VERČIČ D., SRIRAMESH K. (2007). Defining strategic communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1(1), 3–35
HOLLEBEEK L. (2011). Exploring customer brand engagement: definition and themes. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 19(7), 555-573.
INVERNIZZI E., ROMENTI S. (2011). Strategic communication and decision-making processes: Toward the communication oriented organisation. Academicus. International Scientific Journal, 3.
INVERNIZZI E., ROMENTI S. (2021). Dalla corporate communication alla strategic communication. Sviluppo e Organizzazione, 302.
JANSIRANI D.S., MANGAI M. (2013). Industrial Tourism: An Introduction. Journal of Business and Management, 9(4), 12-14.
JÚNIOR J.R.D.O., LIMONGI R., LIM W.M., EASTMAN J.K., KUMAR S. (2023). A story to sell: The influence of storytelling on consumers' purchasing behavior. Psychology & Marketing, 40(2), 239-261.
KANG J.A., HONG S., HUBBARD G.T. (2020). The role of storytelling in advertising: Consumer emotion, narrative engagement level, and word‐of‐mouth intention. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 19(1), 47-56.
KIM H.W., GUPTA S., KOH J. (2011). Investigating the intention to purchase digital items in social networking communities: A customer value perspective. Information & Management, 48(6), 228-234.
KREPAPA, A., BERTHON P., WEBB D., PITT L. (2003). Mind the gap: an analysis of service provider versus customer perceptions of market orientation and the impact on satisfaction. European Journal of Marketing, 37(1/2), 197-218.
LEE C.F. (2015). Tourist satisfaction with factory tour experience. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 9(3), 261-277.
LI J., ZOU S., YANG, H. (2019). How does “storytelling” influence consumer trust in we media advertorials? An investigation in China. Journal of Global Marketing, 32(5), 319-334.
MALINEN S., WRIGHT S., CAMMOCK P. (2013, April). What drives organisational engagement? A case study on trust, justice perceptions and withdrawal attitudes. In Evidence-based HRM: A Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship (Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 96-108). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
MANDAL S., MAITI A. (2022). Network promoter score (NePS): An indicator of product sales in E-commerce retailing sector. Electronic Markets, 32(3), 1327-1349.
MANI S., MISHRA M. (2022). How to Leverage Marketing to Build Sustainable Competitive Advantage: Insights from Leading Companies. Managing Disruptions in Business: Causes, Conflicts, and Control, 137-146.
MBANGO P. (2019). The role of perceived value in promoting customer satisfaction: Antecedents and consequences. Cogent Social Sciences, 5(1), 1684229.
MITCHELL M.A., ORWIG R.A. (2002). Consumer experience tourism and brand bonding. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 11(1), 30-41.
MITCHELL M., MITCHELL S. (2001). Showing off what you do (and how you do it). Journal of Hospitality & Leisure Marketing, 7(4), 61-77.
MONTENEGRO Z., MARQUES J., SOUSA C. (2023). Industrial tourism as a factor of sustainability and competitiveness in operating industrial companies. Sustainability, 15(19), 14243.
MORRONGIELLO C., N’GOALA G., KREZIAK D. (2017). Customer psychological empowerment as a critical source of customer engagement. International Studies of Management & Organization, 47(1), 61-87.
NOVOSELOVA O. (2021). Industrial tourism as a means of “Made in China” reputation improvement. Journal of Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, 9(1), 61-72.
NWOGWUGWU D. (2018). Influence of crisis communication strategies on stakeholders' perception of organisational reputation: a review of research trends. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 10(2), 125-138.
O’BRIEN H.L., CAIRNS P., HALL M. (2018). A practical approach to measuring user engagement with the refined user engagement scale (UES) and new UES short form. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 112, 28-39.
OPLATKA I. (2007). The Place of the “Open House” in the School-Choice Process: Insights From Canadian Parents, Children, and Teachers. Urban Education, 42(2), 163-184.
OTGAAR A. (2010). Industrial tourism: Where the public meets the private (No. EPS-2010-219-ORG).
OTGAAR A. (2012). Towards a common agenda for the development of industrial tourism. Tourism management perspectives, 4, 86-91.
PENTINA I., BAILEY A.A., ZHANG L. (2018). Exploring effects of source similarity, message valence, and receiver regulatory focus on yelp review persuasiveness and purchase intentions. Journal of Marketing Communications, 24(2), 125-145.
RAJENDRAN R.P., ARUN J. (2021). The effect of consumer confusion proneness on intention to recommend the role of discrete emotions. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 25, 1-6.
ROCHE D. (2012). Marketing trends of industrial tourism. China-USA Business Review, 11(9).
SCHIVINSKI B., DABROWSKI D. (2015). The impact of brand communication on brand equity through Facebook. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 9(1), 31-53.
SPRENG R.A., MACKENZIE S.B., OLSHAVSKY R.W. (1996). A reexamination of the determinants of consumer satisfaction. Journal of Marketing, 60(3), 15-32.
STANTON R. (2017). Corporate strategic communication. A general social & economic theory. Palgrave Macmillan.
VISENTIN M., PIZZI G., PICHIERRI M. (2019). Fake news, real problems for brands: The impact of content truthfulness and source credibility on consumers’ behavioral intentions toward the advertised brands. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 45(1), 99-112.
WEIERMAIR K., KRONENBERG C. (2010). Moving from traditional tourist products to cultural tourism experience: the case of Swarovski Crystal Worlds. In Weiermair K. et at. (eds.), Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Strategies and Processes for Success in Tourism, Berlin, Erich Schimidt Verlag, pp. 27-30.
YU S., LEE J. (2019). The effects of consumers’ perceived values on intention to purchase upcycled products. Sustainability, 11(4), 1034.
VOLK S.C., ZERFASS A. (2018). Alignment: Explicating a key concept in strategic communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12(4), 433–451.
ZERFASS A., VERČIČ D., NOTHHAFT H., WERDER K.P. (2020). Strategic communication: Defining the field and its contribution to research and practice. In Future directions of strategic communication (pp. 159-177). Routledge.
ZERFASS A., VIERTMANN C. (2017). Creating business value through corporate communication: A theory-based framework and its practical application. Journal of Communication Management, 21(1), 68-81.
