BRL109 Storytelling

Innhald og oppbygging

Consumer behavior research shows people think narratively, rather than argumentatively. Our information is stored in episodes such as incidents, experiences, evaluations etc. and individuals as customers often seek clarity of past events and experiences through stories. Thus, storytelling and narratives are essential for getting a deeper understanding of consumer psychology.

This course will develop narrative awareness and storytelling skills in tourism and friluftsliv contexts as marketing tools and experiential product elements. Students will also become adept at using digital technology to capture the experiential richness of contextual nature, culture, history, people, and life experiences in forming a compelling social media story that helps communicate a firm's unique offerings and values to future visitors. The course is grounded in the principles of post-structural social sciences philosophy and the work on existential ontologies from tourism literature. We make our own stories and our own memories, and share them via social media: `free¿ marketing. Such efforts can aid the new consumers¿ unending search for authenticity, `truth¿, personal stories and identity construction through consumed experience.

Læringsutbytte

The students should have knowledge about:

• how theoretical frameworks of dramatic consumer experiences, chronology and causality, products and brands as actors in stories¿ elements, landscapes view of constructing narratives among others.
• the importance of theatrical and narrative components in service encounters
• how to create and interpret narratives, which provide a better understanding of how to reach out to customers within digital shared platforms.

The students should be able to:

• create meaningful place-based narratives
• study the role of person, place and culture in storytelling as interpretation
• explore language, sound, performance, kinesthetic and imagery in crafting stories
• explore how stories can be used to connect people and communities and also connect visitors to places
• prepare digital integrated communication plans using social media platforms such as instagram, facebook, twitter, websites, blogs and more

General competence:

The students should be able to:

• research rich textual information and personal stories, evaluate and apply it, and absorb it into narratives and stories.

Krav til forkunnskapar

The course builds on MF6-1000 Marketing. Students should be familiar with:

• Key principles of branding and marketing communications
• Integrated marketing communications process

Undervisnings- og læringsformer

Along with lectures, emphasis will be placed on a hands on approach through video case studies, role plays and building the students own narratives and stories. Students will form groups to create a virtual company dealing in tourism, and build a persona/brand/aura for it from the ground up, integrating the various aspects of storytelling as identified in the course objectives. Periodic presentations will be made as formative assessment, with a final story session being held in context outdoors.

Obligatorisk læringsaktivitet

An in class presentation of the story being built up, presented in groups.

Vurderingsform

Mid-term exam: A final story, delivered outdoors. Graded A-F. This will count for 50% of the final grade.

Final exam: written exam. Individual. 3 hrs. Graded A-F. This count for 50% of the final grade.

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