Storytelling

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Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism

ISSN: 1502-2250 (Print) 1502-2269 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/sjht20

Extraordinary Experiences through Storytelling

Lena Mossberg

To cite this article: Lena Mossberg (2008) Extraordinary Experiences throughStorytelling, Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 8:3, 195-210, DOI:10.1080/15022250802532443

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15022250802532443

Published online: 26 Nov 2008.

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Extraordinary Experiences throughStorytelling

LENA MOSSBERG

Norwegian School of Management, Oslo, Norway

ABSTRACT A global trend in the experience industry is to build an entire business or parts of abusiness around a story. This might apply to a single product, an organization or a destination.The purpose of this conceptual paper is to discuss and highlight critical issues to reveal newinsights into conceptualizing tourism and hospitality organizations as stories. For the consumer tobe immersed in the story and to have an extraordinary experience, two preconditions are proposedwhich relate to the type of service and the setting: one is the need for the experience to take placein a hedonic service consumption setting and the other is a servicescape that allows the consumerto step away from everyday reality. It is also proposed that involvement and co-creation, as wellas a guide, can be used to facilitate a tourists immersion in a story and a servicescape. Should theorganization succeed in creating a unique story, the benefits include the difficulty otherorganizations face copying the achievement and attention from the media.

KEY WORDS: Storytelling, servicescape, dramaturgy, extraordinary experiences, strategy,hospitality

Developing Products, Organizations and Destinations around a Story

Organizations have used stories for many years in their work to create a corporate

culture. Apart from stories such as these used internally within organizations (see

Denning, 2001), there are also other types of storytelling used in management and

marketing. These include stories about organizations or products, such as branding

stories (Salzer-Morling, 2004), advertising stories (Escalas, 2004), or stories about

the story, as when a well-known company founder explains how he created the

company. An example of the latter is the story of J. Carlzon (1986) and how he

applied service management to Scandinavian Airlines in 1980s. Other types of story

include consumer stories (Stern, 1995) and the development of a concept around a

story (Deighton, 1992; Mossberg & Johansen, 2006). This paper aims to provide an

insight into the latter type of story, as a global trend in the experience industry is to

Correspondence Address: Lena Mossberg, BINorwegian School of Management, Oslo. Email: lena.mossberg

@bi.no

Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism,

Vol. 8, No. 3, 195210, 2008

1502-2250 Print/1502-2269 Online/08/03019516 # 2008 Taylor & Francis

DOI: 10.1080/15022250802532443

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build an entire business or parts of a business around a story. This might be a hotel, a

restaurant, a tourist attraction, an event or a destination.

Today we can see many concepts developed around, for example, fictitious

characters, a phenomenon particularly common in the tourist industry. Joe Farelli,

Arn and Kapten Klassen are examples of men who have become well known in

Sweden despite never having actually existed in reality. Stories have been created

about these men and we can meet Joe Farelli at his restaurant in Goteborg

(www.joefarelli.com), Arn on a journey through Vastergotland (www.arnmagnus-

son.se) and Kapten Klassen at Stora Hotellet in Fjallbacka (www.storahotellet-

fjallbacka.se). Many theme park concepts are built around stories from sagas and

comic strips. We have Kardemomme village in Norway (www.dyreparken.com),

Astrid Lindgrens World in Sweden, and Mumin World in Finland. We can also find

many examples related to destination development. Internationally popular films

and books such as Star Wars, The Da Vinci Code, Notting Hill and Crocodile Dundee

have all led to a huge interest in visiting the locations where the films or books are

set. Organizing events based on stories and myths, such as medieval and chivalry

events, is also popular. Stories are also central to many museums and exhibitions,

different types of guided tours and theatrical guided tours.

Managers argue that the story not only communicates the cues of the

organization; by working with storytelling and dramaturgy, an organization can

create a holistic image of the concept, shape the brand and generate an experience in

the servicescape for consumers (Mossberg & Johansen, 2006). Servicescapes are

constructed physical surroundings intended as sites in which commercial exchanges

are to take place and include ambient, social and design factors. According to Bitner

(1992), the servicescape affects consumers behaviour and is rich in clues regarding

what the organization has to offer. It can also be influential in communicating the

organizations image. A stream of research has developed around servicescapes and

themed retailing environments. Many previous studies have focused on the

characteristics of extraordinary retail spectacles and how these themed environments

build relationships with consumers and impact on their behaviour (Hollenbeck et al.,

2008). Kozinets et al. argue that retail marketers need to pay more attention to the

servicescape by which consumers create meaning from their physical experience of

place as stores tell stories (Kozinets et al., 2002, p. 17). Consumers are being

offered a ready-made story that they can use as a source to make sense of some

aspects of their lives (Ritson & Elliott, 1999; Shankar et al., 2001). In general, stories

speak to our human needs and make our lives meaningful. Our values and principles

are transferred from generation to generation through stories. Stories give continuity

to our lives and reveal our background and history. They stimulate our imagination,

involve us emotionally and amuse us (Jensen, 1999; Salzer-Morling, 2004; Twitchell,

2004). Therefore, as servicescapes can tell stories, managers are interested in

continuously planning and controlling the servicescape.

Servicescapes linked to storytelling in tourism and hospitality consumption

situations can be seen as a competitive tool that reaches new dimensions, an area

that marketing literature in the past left almost untouched. Arnould (2007) asks for

more research into the value of experiences to consumers. To be able to co-create

experiences with consumers, he argues marketers need to know more about

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different types of consumers narrative frames and devices that consumers

employ, the operation of transportation or immersion, the ways in which narrative

frames and devices facilitate value-adding performances by firm-provided resources,

and how marketer-provided resources cue consumer narrative practices that turn

performances into experiences (Arnould, 2007, p. 191). Organizations create a

servicescape for both the consumer and for what they offer (Ek et al., 2008). This is

done, according to Caru` and Cova (2007) through detailed attention to the

environmental design and the atmosphere at the point of sale. This in-depth work

has to be done when the servicescape is developed around a story, but there are also

other factors to be considered as fundamental elements in dramaturgy.

Not all organizations can be conceptualized as stories, and the purpose of this

conceptual paper is to discuss some fundamental conditions, summarized as

propositions, for storytelling related to servicescapes in tourism and hospitality

settings. By integrating theories and empirical findings, some critical issues are

pointed out: First, the question of whether a servicescape built on a story can be used

in all tourism and hospitality contexts is discussed. Second, some themed

environments are built on a story and some are not. Differences are pointed out

and characteristics of narrative techniques and dramaturgy in this concept

development context are considered. Third, the qualities that constitute the

underlying foundations of the storytelling context that make it easier for the

consumer to be immersed are highlighted. Fourth, there is a discussion on how a

servicescape built on a story can facilitate consumer immersion. Finally, the way in

which conceptualization around a story can be achieved is illustrated, using a hotel

as an example. The aim of using this hotel example is to shed light on the

propositions and to reveal insights into conceptualizing tourism and hospitality

organizations as stories. The study is anchored in a body of literature that considers

consumers extraordinary experiences, typologies of and behaviours in servicescapes,

the hedonic and utilitarian benefits of consumption offerings, tourist behaviour and

dramaturgy, as well as the use of storytelling in marketing.

Servicescapes and Extraordinary Experiences in a Special World

One critical issue is the form and use of servicescapes. Bitners (1992) typology of

service organizations based on variations in form and usage of the servicescape is

discussed in relation to hedonic and utilitarian benefits as well as duration and

importance in a tourism context.

Servicescapes and Storytelling in Tourism and Hospitality

There are variations in form and usage when it comes to servicescapes. Bitners

(1992) typology of servicescapes categorizes service organizations based on two

dimensions. One dimension relates to who is performing actions within the

servicescape. She distinguishes between the customer, the employee and those times

when both are participating in so-called interpersonal services. One extreme is self-

service, when the customer acts with no or only a few interactions with employees,

e.g. on a golf course. Another extreme is remote service (such as insurance

Extraordinary Experiences through Storytelling 197

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companies), when customers never see or experience the organizations physical

environment. The other dimension captures the complexity of the servicescape. Some

service environments are lean (simple), while others are more elaborate (compli-

cated). The latter includes most tourism and hospitality services.

Wakefield and Blodgett (1994) focused on servicescapes in leisure service

settings and developed a typology. They looked at the time spent in the facility andthe importance of servicescape for functional (utilitarian) services and leisure

services (which are mostly hedonic). According to Wakefield and Blodgett (1994),

one of the main reasons why individuals consume leisure services is to experience

excitement and stimulation. In other words, they are seeking hedonic benefits,

which refer to the aesthetic, experiential and enjoyment-related benefits of

consumption offerings (Hightower et al., 2002). Their findings point out that the

servicescape is more important for leisure (hedonic) services compared to

functional (utilitarian) services. It also shows that hedonic services often have along duration (Wakefield & Blodgett, 1994). The tourist stays at the hotel for a

week, for instance, participates in the guided tour for many days, or stays several

hours in the restaurant and therefore has a good chance of examining the physical

setting as well as the story. Consumers visit themed servicescapes not only to buy

products but also to engage in fantasies, feelings and fun (Holbrook & Hirschman,

1982; Pine & Gilmore, 1999). The important role of fantasy elements in

constructing contemporary retail environments has also been emphasized by

Kozinets et al. (2002) and Hollenbeck et al. (2008). The latter authors focus on abrand museum which, according to them, tells stories and creates a set of

culturally-related brand meanings. 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. On this basis we can establish the

subsequent proposition:

P1: Servicescapes built on storytelling are more relevant when consumers are

seeking hedonic benefits compared to utilitarian benefits.

Servicescapes and Dramaturgy

The second issue relates to servicescapes and storytelling, and the discussion on

narrative techniques is based on fundamental elements in dramaturgy.Consumer researchers have explored various types of themed retail environments.

Malls are becoming theatres, argue Badot and Filser (2007), and in this marketplace

consumers can create their own world and fantasize in a play. Retailers, on the other

hand, provide the staging, props, lighting, music, design, etc. Disneyland and

Venetian in Las Vegas are examples of themed environments (e.g. Gottdiener, 1998).

Penaloza (1999) explores retail theatrics in brandscapes and Kozinets et al. (2002) in

flagship brand stores. Later Sherry et al. (2008) continue with a study of gendered

behaviour in a sportsworld. A themed entertainment brand store is, for instance,Rainforest Cafe, according to Hollenbeck et al. (2008). The primary retail mission

for a themed entertainment brand store is to sell branded products in an entertaining

context and to build and merchandise a brand (Hollenbeck et al. 2008). The same

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primary mission is assumed to be the same for tourist attractions, hotels and

restaurants conceptualized as stories.

Is there a difference between themed environments and environments built on a

story? Both can be dramaturgical. The theme can be an idea, a subject or an underlying

theme that permeates something. In a themed environment, a narrative form might be

used but it is not necessary. A story, on the other hand, is built on common

fundamental elements in dramaturgy, such as message, conflict, division of roles and

action (see, for example, Fog et al., 2003). These basic elements can be found in almost

any kind of story. A good story has believable basic elements and these are what makes

some stories more successful than others (see Table 1). A good story often begins by

creating a scene: the hero is introduced and certain details are uncovered so we get an

idea of what to expect. A presentation of the conflict then follows and something

changes in the ordinary world, creating a conflict that shows the direction of the rest of

the story. We are now also introduced to the opponent. The conflict accumulates over

time until the story reaches its climax (in the special world) and the hero contributes

with something that solves the conflict. When the conflict is solved, its often here that

the hero reaches a goal and the giver plays his part. We are then on our way back to the

ordinary world. The story slackens off, marking its end (Vogler, 2004). Gergen and

Gergen (1988) and Shankar et al. (2001) believe that the following features are

important to the construction of narratives (see Table 1).

Thus, a fictitious or real story can be played out in a themed environment such as

a store or a restaurant. The restaurant might not be built up around a story but

instead be based on a sport theme, for instance. A restaurant built on a story has a

point to be made, a script, characters (often a hero) and a sequence in which the

story is told (e.g. Joe Farelli). The sequence does not have to be linear it can be

built on non-linear dramaturgy. This dramaturgy is often freer when it comes to

rules; it can be built on several parallel events, be non-chronological and lack

movements from the start to the end. A teller ties the various events together to make

the point, such as in a documentary film, in a theme park, in a hotel

Table 1. The key features of narratives.

Feature Brief Description

The establishment ofa valued end point

Every story must have a point to make. Moreover thispoint must be valued, negatively or positively, by the peopleinvolved in the narrative process

Selection of events relevantto the goal state

Once we have decided the point to our story, we thenselect only those events that help us to make our point

The ordering of events Once we have decided the point of our story and selected theevents with which we will tell our story, we tend to placethem in linear, temporal sequence

Establishing causal sequences The order in which we put the events of our story also tendto be causally linked, that is event b only happenedbecause of event a and so on

Demarcation signs Stories tend to have well recognized beginnings, (middles)and ends

Source: Shankar et al. (2001, p. 443).


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(www.storahotellet-fjallbacka.se) or on an Arn tour with an accredited Arn-guide

(www.arnmagnusson.se).

P2: Servicescapes created around a story are built on narrative techniques and

dramaturgy.

P3: Servicescapes created around a story are built on either linear or non-linear

dramaturgy.

Extraordinary Experiences in a Special World

The third issue focuses on consumer immersion. For the consumer to be immersed

there are, regardless of the type of experiential context, three qualities that constitute

the underlying foundations of the context: the context must be thematized,

enclavized, and secure (Caru` and Cova, 2007; Firat & Dholakia, 1998). It is obvious

from the above discussion that the first quality dimension exists the concept is

thematized around a story.

In this paper, the concept of extraordinary experience is used since the focus is

on tourist experiences outside the realms of the everyday. According to Wang

(2002), its a question of unusual and non-routine consumption in tourism.

Spontaneity separates extraordinary experiences from daily routines (ordinary

experiences) and contributes to a perception of the event as something extra

(Arnould & Price, 1993), which makes it memorable. Larsen (2007) argues that an

experience is made up of memory process functions. According to Larsen, a tourist

experience is a past personal travel-related event strong enough to have entered

long-term memory (Larsen, 2007, p. 15). It might be something unexpected that

happens, leading to a heightened state of interest or excitement, or a surprise that

causes a positive response (Oliver, 1999). Often this extraordinary experience takes

place in a special world. In tourism research, many researchers describe how

tourists leave the ordinary for a temporary escape to the non-ordinary (e.g.

Abrahams, 1986; Graburn, 1983; Jafari, 1987; Hanefors, 2001; Quan & Wang,

2004). In the non-ordinary, structures fall apart and positions, roles and status

disappear (Turner, 1973). In such an environment, tourists can relax, leaving social

hierarchy and status behind and meeting others in a natural and friendly way

(Wang, 1999).

There is also a move between the ordinary world and the special world in

dramaturgy. For instance Vogler (2004) describes a twelve-step model using the

classic heroic journey based on Campbells observations of patterns and myths

(1973). The journey starts in the ordinary world and then moves over to the special

world. This model has proven to be a usable structure for almost any story. A

story develops over time and has various acts, such as the beginning where the

characters are presented, the middle with the point of no return and then the third

act, with the end of the story and the return to the ordinary world. This move from

the ordinary to the special world and later back to the ordinary again became very

obvious in Arnould and Prices study (1993) focusing on river rafting. Rafting

represented an absolute point of no return in the special world. For extraordinary

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experiences, they emphasize the necessity of studying the process because it is there

that meaning is created. They specifically emphasize: (1) affect, (2) narrative, and

(3) ritual understanding (Arnould & Price, 1993). The same authors describe the

river rafting experience as the opportunity to participate, in rites of

intensification and integration and to return to an everyday world transformed

(Arnould & Price, 1993, p. 41). Van Gennep (1960) discusses rituals and atransition from reality to a state outside normal norms. Individuals then pass back

to reality again.

Badot and Filser (2007) differentiate between the ordinary and the special world

when talking about public places. Their opinion is that some shopping centres,

funfairs, cultural and holy sites, museums and tourist sites are developing towards

becoming utopian islands. They can foresee the shopping malls of the future as

over-coloured and funny urban islands, providing consumers with safe,

autonomous and aesthetic substitutes for everyday life conditions. These islandswould be oriented to a prophylactic society of hedonic and spiritual value as well as

leisure and friendliness, full of simulacra, where the ideas of fear and death will be

absent (Badot & Filser, 2007, p. 177). Kozinets et al. (2002, p. 20) argue that

Through these staged experiences, consumers draw brands and products into their

fantasies. By playing on this playfulness in new ways, information technology allows

an entree into the fantasy life of the consumer, entailing a sophisticated use of

meaningful symbols. Ecos (1986) work on hyperreality illustrates Disneyland and

Disneyworld as a typical model of hyperreality, born out of fantasy and imagination.In the Disney context, it is irrelevant whether it is real or false, since no original can

be used as a reference (Wang, 1999). According to Cohen (1995), tourists have

become less concerned with the authenticity of the original. Despite the environment

being different, it must, according to Caru` and Cova (2007), feel safe and controlled.

It should feel meaningful and the special world (enclave) should be unique, but

shouldnt feel enclosed (Firat & Dholakia, 1998).

P4: To be immersed in and captivated by a story, a tourist needs to step out ofthe ordinary. The servicescape can be considered a special world which is

exciting, safe and controlled and which allows tourists to observe, participate

and play roles outside normal norms before passing back to the ordinary again.

Facilitating Consumer Immersion in a Story and in a Servicescape

The consumer who steps into the special world must be ready to dive straight into it

and have knowledge of the theme or context in order to have an extraordinary

experience (Caru` & Cova, 2007). For consumers who are novel and not familiar with

the context, it is more difficult to become immersed, according to the same authors.

As many hotel guests, restaurant guests and visitors to tourist attractions will visit

for the first time without being experts they might not know the story the fourth

issue is: how should organizations develop the means to facilitate consumersimmersion in these contexts?

The guide can be used to facilitate immersion in an experiential context (Caru` &

Cova, 2007). They can provide support or, with a dramaturgical term, act as a


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helper. In order for consumers to have a positive experience in the special world,

there is a process that includes personnel and other consumers (Arnould & Price,

1993). The stimuli of the senses and the social interaction of the process affect

consumers feelings and emotions. Ladwein (2007) argues that the consumer

experience in the special world is mediated by the guide who initiates the relation to

the servicescape and with one another. The guide can help to keep the parts together,

involve the consumer and influence feeling and experience (Ap & Wong, 2001; Geva

& Goldman, 1991; Mossberg, 1995; Quiroga, 1990). A guides involvement and

knowledge can also increase the tourists competence (Ryan, 1997). He shows, with

the help of the theory of flow (Cskszentmihalyi, 1990), how the tourist can avoid

feelings of non-adventure, for instance, if the guide is helping out with his/her skills

and knowledge in various guiding situations.

The guide and the organization cannot create experiences. Its the consumer who

creates his experience, but the guide and the organization provide the prerequisites.

The consumer produces different meanings and identities that he/she wants to play

and experience (Firat & Dholakia, 1998). There must be room for the consumer to

personally be able to influence the details and render the interaction between

organization and consumer. Competition, according to Prahalad and Ramaswamy

(2004), will focus on experiences that the consumer is co-creating, resulting in a

value unique to every individual. They feel that the consumers role has changed

from being isolated to becoming united, from uninformed to informed and from

passive to active. Many consumers want to become integrated and enter a dialogue

with the company and thereby participate in creating value. They like to be part of

the creative process and co-create. This may involve anything from creating your

own coffee experience at Starbucks to creating your own identity and playing

someone else at a medieval event. At a medieval tournament, for example, a person

can be anonymous but a new status can be legalised with different symbols

(Jafari, 1987). Identities can be changed by changing into medieval costume and

even using medieval names (names that the person might always use and be known

by in the physical and/or virtual community he or she is part of). The person,

who is now correctly masked, dressed, equipped and transformed, can now enact

the story. Sometimes individuals can also play the hero of the story (Ladwein,

2007). The hero wins the competition, defeats the opposition, has the best shot, etc.

Sometimes the hero needs help (possibly from volunteers) just like in the world of

film or literature. In this context, it is perfectly acceptable to play another role

perhaps to discover oneself or perhaps as some kind of liberation process. The

person has the opportunity to act and let go of the real world for a while.

Wakefield and Blodgett (1994) found in their study on servicescapes in leisure

settings that involvement had a strong influence on excitement and repatronage

intentions. Based on their results, they suggest that the servicescape should be

designed to enhance entertainment and involvement.

P5: A guide can be used to facilitate a tourists immersion in a story and a

servicescape.

P6: By involvement and co-creating in a servicescape, a tourist can get more

immersed in and be captivated by a story.

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Storytelling and the Development of a Hotel An Illustrative Example

Klaus K in Helsinki (www.klauskhotel.com) is a Finnish hotel that has invested in

storytelling. The concept was created by Stylt Trampoli AB (www.stylt.se) and the

following description, obtained from Mossberg and Johansen (2006), explains this

creation. A discussion follows after the case about the creation process, the effects

and authenticity.

Klaus K

Background/Assignment

We were contacted by a property owner in Helsinki whod decided to start a new

kind of hotel in Finland. It needed to be a modern, different hotel, independent of

the traditional chains. The aim was instead to join Design Hotels a collection of

independent modern hotels with a major focus on art, interior design and

innovative service. Meanwhile, theyd decided on a hotel with style and story

and there were detailed plans for using the Finnish national epic Kalevala with a

twist. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that the hotel to be renovated was

named after a character on the periphery of this epic namely Knight Klaus Kurki.

Hotel Klaus Kurki had been in business in a classy part of central Helsinki for over

70 years. It was, however, never more than an ordinary hotel, with small, quite

rundown rooms and in recent years had become part of the Finnish hotel chain

Sokos. The company had meanwhile recruited a pre-opening manager from the US

with extensive experience from a range of lifestyle hotels around the US. His most

recent assignment, before moving to Finland, was running Hotel W Union Square

in New York. W Hotels is Starwoods lifestyle brand that has become very

successful in recent years. W on Union Square was New Yorks most profitable

hotel for three years in succession. The steering committee also consisted of a

former manager from the Scandic hotel chain in Finland, a man who had

successfully run a number of concept restaurants throughout Finland. In other

words, we had a client with exceptional experience, who clearly understood what

they wanted to achieve. The assignment was to transform a run down hotel into

Finlands first lifestyle hotel with three themed restaurants, bar, nightclub, spa and

conference facilities. The hotel should also reach such a high class and exciting

design that it would be welcomed as Finlands first member of Design Hotels.

The Solution/The Story

The client had decided that they wanted to create a hotel with both style and

story, as they put it. They were clear about the fact they wanted to use Kalevala

in some way or another, but didnt know how. They wanted to clearly emphasize

that guests were staying in Helsinki and that the Finnishness should be

highlighted. They were also scared that the finished product would be considered

ridiculous, museum-like or too arts and crafts. They wanted to create a modern,

exciting and comfortable top class hotel but they wanted to add a touch of

Kalevala, which is deeply rooted in Finnish life. To succeed they chose to use


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outside influence, us to be more precise. We started by trying to understand

Finland and the Finnish, we tried to find out what Kalevala actually was, what it

means to modern Finns and its historical importance. What was the competition

like in Helsinki and what characterized the Finns and visitors image of the city

and the country? We had many questions, but the learning curve was, as usual,

very steep as soon as we found the right sources of information. We readKalevala, Kanteletar and a lot more that was written during Finlands fight for

independence in the late 19th century. We spoke to researchers and museum

officials about Elias Lonnrots reasons for writing Kalevala. We learned a lot

about textiles from Karalen and about Gallen-Kallelas paintings illustrating

Kalevala. We visited museums, galleries and craftsmen in and around Helsinki.

We listened to Sibelius and music from the modern Finnish club scene. In brief we

tried to create a picture of modern-day Finland and why it is like it is.

We also realized that the country and Kalevala is about strong contrasts between life and death, light and dark, rural and urban life, old and new, pleasure

and sorrow, pride and humility. This duality should naturally be taken onboard in

the interior design and in marketing. We created an interior design that partly

reflects the Finnish nature, temperament and the countrys modern history. The

hotel rooms were sectioned into categories like passion, jealousy, desire

and mysticism.

The main restaurant was called Ilmatar after the Finnish first mother of

mythology and another restaurant received a more family atmosphere, createdaround the very special Finnish film industry.

As in all good dramaturgy, the most important ingredients of Kalevala are the

contrasts between good and evil, and light and dark. We therefore split the hotel

into a light part and a dark part and the dividing line runs straight through the bar.

On one side its completely white where they serve clear spirits and on the other

side, where the bar is black they serve just dark spirits. Further into the dark side of

the bar is the Ahjo nightclub (Ahjo is the fire that spreads happiness in Kalevala).

We thought it was important to make use of the Finnish melancholy but todo it with a touch of humour. Our US client, for cultural reasons, found it

difficult to understand our dark humour, while the Finns completely under-

stood and revelled in our way of dealing with their background and the way

they present themselves to the world. Our conceptual idea for the entire hotel

can be summarized by:

A personal, contemporary hotel inspired by the emotional contrasts of

Finlands national epic, its nature and drama.

Media Attention

The hotel was completed a few years ago. It can be said that the PR plan to use

an ancient saga for the interior design and for marketing a modern design hotelhas been successful. Six months before the hotel opened there had been a lot

written in the Finnish and international press about a hotel that nobody had

seen. Before the opening, the New York Times, Wallpaper, CNN and Financial

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Times wrote about the hotel. A month before the opening the London-based

magazine Arena called, desperately wanting pictures from Klaus K. They had

just included the hotel in its list of Top five things to do on New Years Eve.

Its also interesting to note that 95% of what the press has reported includes the

link with Kalevala. No focus was put on the membership of Design Hotels.

Though Design Hotels is new in Finland, it is not international news compared

to building an ultra-modern hotel based on an ancient saga.

Discussion

The first and second issues discussed in this paper concern the form and use of

servicescapes and narrative techniques. The organization that created the Klaus K

hotel concept used narrative techniques and dramaturgy. One of the secrets why Klaus

K received so much media attention is the business link to Finnish folklore. It took

them a long time to understand what Kalevala means to Finnish people today. They

realized that Kalevala was very important for their identity, even though most Finns

have a fairly vague perception of what Kalevala really stands for and how it all began.

When the organization developed the script, they created a picture of modern-day

Finland and tried to understand why it is like it is. The script focused on Klaus Kurki,

as related to Kalevala, and the strong contrasts between life and death, light and dark,

rural and urban life, old and new, pleasure and sorrow, pride and humility. This

duality was used in interior design but also in marketing. A hedonic consumption

setting was created and the script outlined the interior design, which to some extent

reflects the Finnish nature, temperament and the countrys modern history. This is

built on non-linear dramaturgy. Hotel guests move from room to room; each can tell

stories linked to Kalevala but it is non chronological and lack of movements from the

start to the end. Its an interesting story for both domestic and international visitors.

Finnish visitors might feel proud, while foreign visitors are curious. Its a far cry from

visiting a standard room in any of the major international hotel chains.

The third and fourth issues emphasized consumer immersion. The guests, when

arriving at the hotel, step into an exciting, safe and controlled special world

influenced by the contrasts portrayed in the Kalevala story. The story comes through

in the whole hotel, both in the public spaces but also in the individual hotel rooms.

The personnel act according to the story. They are taught about Kalevala (a

handbook explaining the story has been developed for the personnel), and hotel

guests are invited to take part in and create their own story.

Anyone working with storytelling in conjunction with corporate development and

branding strategies has often been asked if the story is true. Does the story about the

hotel need to be true? In films and literature we relate to characters, who we can

sometimes identify with. They affect us even though we know theyre not real and

their affect on us as observers, listeners and readers becomes real. We are drawn

along by the stories and spellbound by the content. Organizations that choose to use

storytelling should be aware of their reason for doing that, and whether the process

is accomplished with mutual understanding. In the case of Klaus K, the hotel guests

can read about the story in media and at the hotel but also, if they are interested, be

guided around by the personnel. The personnel are, in this case, the teller of the story


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and link the various situations/rooms together. Tourists are in search of authenticity

but it is not a search for authenticity as originals. Instead, it is symbolic authenticity,

which is a result of social construction (Wang, 1999). It relates to the stereotyped

images held by tourists. These images are constructed by the media, as the media

influence our pictures of the world, as well as by advertising from tourism

organizations and other types of marketing activity.

The purpose of Klaus K was to create a modern, exciting and comfortable top-

class hotel with a touch of Kalevala, which is deeply rooted in Finnish life. Its

important to clarify whats real and whats make-believe so that the hotel guest

doesnt feel tricked. In general, the concept of truth needs to be separated from the

concept of authenticity. Whether we allow ourselves to be captivated by a story

depends not on whether its true or not, but rather whether its believable. A

narrative transportation occurs that builds on a consensus between producer and

consumer. For consumers to be involved, he/she must interpret the story and live the

part. This consensus means that there must be mutual understanding of the format

and content shared by the person communicating the story and the recipient.

Klaus K succeeded in creating a unique story, which has received a lot of media

attention and it has been one of the best performing hotels (revenue per room) in

Finland during the last few years. The power of attraction depends, therefore, on the

story, which makes it difficult for others to copy.

Conclusions, Implications and Suggestions for Future Research

There are many examples of storytelling in the hotel and restaurant industry. Others

have evolved due to the power of literature or film and peoples desire to remain in a

fantasy world after reading a book or after watching a film. Yet others include events

and tourist attractions that build on stories. This paper points out how organizations

can be conceptualized as stories but also differentiated on the market. Critical

concerns about servicescapes, storytelling and consumer immersion have been

discussed. It was proposed that if storytelling is going to work, tourists have to seek

hedonic benefits. In hedonic consumption settings, the servicescape is important

(Wakefield & Blodgett, 1994). The design of the servicescape should be directed by

the story, and tourists temporary visit to the non-ordinary to enhance entertain-

ment, fantasy, and joy. Often a guide can be used to facilitate consumer immersion.

The guide can be a mediator between the ordinary and the non-ordinary and initiate

the relationship to the servicescape and with other consumers. The guide acts as a

helper and keeps the parts of the story together.

The main advantage is if the company succeeds in communicating a good story,

consumers might become involved and want to join in and create the experience for

themselves. If they get a positive feeling, then it often involves moments of excitement

or surprise. Marketers have often focused on consumers rationality and argued for

products favourable pricing, quality and other benefits that might be attractive to the

consumer. In the case of Klaus K, we see that its not the question of rationality or

utilitarian services that the consumer is looking for, but rather that consumers are

captivated by the story. It is largely a question of fantasy and entertainment. When a

business is built around a story, the servicescape can tie together the consumption

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setting by visualizing cues from the story. It can serve as a facilitator that enhances the

activities in the servicescape, as a socializer that facilitates the interaction between the

tourists as well as the tourists interactions with the personnel and as a differentiator

when comparisons are made to competitors.

This discussion has interesting implications for managers in tourism and

hospitality organizations at three levels. First, on a general marketing and

management level, some dimensions of consumers extraordinary experiences have

been discussed in relation to the role of servicescapes in tourism and hospitality and

the link to storytelling. All product development, no matter if it is a highly-advanced

technical product or services in the hospitality area, should depart from the

consumers attitudes, feelings, behaviours, etc. Tourists need for fantasies and

dreams, their consumption in the non-ordinary, their degree of involvement and

their search for authenticity should be understood in the design process. Marketers

can develop their products with greater specificity if they understand the various

dimensions influencing extraordinary experiences in general and in tourism and

hospitality contexts in particular.

Second, the paper has described how the story can act as a framework for tying

together entire businesses. This paper suggests several strategies to add value for

consumers in a special world or an enclave, which exists outside the everyday world

of consumers where the story takes place. Through the story and its prerequisites, the

personnel need to know how to meet and serve consumers. In dramaturgical terms,

consumers can see and act on the scene but cannot see what is behind the scene or

stage. The managers, on the other hand, need to organize according to the script and

direct the performance of the actors on the stage the consumers and the frontline

personnel. The personnel should have clearly defined roles that are drawn up using

the story as a basis. The parts are played out in the special world space, which can

help enhance the role staging. This space contains design and decor that reflect the

story as well as music, artefacts and colours that may encourage the consumer to

take an interest in the story and co-create.

Third, storytelling can be used by organizations to communicate stories at various

levels. On a strategic comprehensive level, the story can clarify why the company

exists and how value is created for its owners. On a marketing level, the story can

clarify how the organization differentiates itself on a market where not only products

but also organizations need to distinguish themselves through their stories. A unique

story means that the concept is difficult for others to copy. Making another version

of Klaus K, for example, would be very difficult. Another advantage with stories is

that if they are sufficiently unique or different, they will spread by word-of-mouth

and might generate major media attention, as has been the case for many

Scandinavian hotels and restaurants (Mossberg & Johansen, 2006). On the next

level, it is a question of how management and employees have to communicate who

they are and how they want to realize their visions.

This conceptual paper, which includes a hotel example mostly for illustrative

purposes, has shortcomings. It is explorative and aims to describe a phenomenon

which has started to become common in the tourism and hospitality industry. The

discussion tries to encapsulate why it can be fruitful to build a concept around the

story. However, the link between servicescapes, storytelling, dramaturgy and


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marketing, especially when focused on concept development, seems to be almost

untouched in international research. This study takes a first step in this direction in

order to bridge the gap, but there is a great need for future research to understand

this conceptualization trend. One of the limitations of the study is the lack of

research into consumers perceptions. Two preconditions for a consumer to be

immersed in a story and have an extraordinary experience are proposed. They relate

to the type of service and to the setting. One is the need for the experience to takeplace in a hedonic service consumption setting. The other precondition focuses on

consumption in a special world that allows the consumer to step away from everyday

reality. These preconditions, which are based on research into consumer behaviour

in general and tourism behaviour in particular, need to be tested in various hedonic/

utilitarian tourism and hospitality contexts. A first step would also be to distinguish

thematic environments based on whether they are built on narratives techniques and

dramaturgy. Both theoretical and empirical research in this area is needed to be able

to understand the phenomenon taking place in the market today. Extensive researchinto tourist experiences has been carried out, but a variety of concepts and

frameworks is used, mainly from anthropology, ethnology, marketing and

psychology. Even deeper insight into consumers extraordinary experiences in

different tourism and hospitality contexts is required both for tourists experiencing

services based on a story and for those experiencing something else.

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Documents

Storytelling