Digital Storytelling and Its Impact on sales promotion effectiveness in the Moroccan hospitality industry: case of a Moroccan Hotel

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of storytelling marketing strategies on sales promotion effectiveness in the Moroccan hospitality industry, examining the mediating roles of customer engagement and emotional connection. A quantitative research design was employed using a structured questionnaire administered to 312 guests at a luxury hotel in Marrakech, Morocco. The study utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to test three hypotheses regarding the relationships between storytelling marketing, customer engagement, emotional connection, and booking intentions. Results demonstrate that storytelling marketing significantly influences booking intentions (β = 0.487, p < 0.001), with customer engagement (β = 0.356, p < 0.001) and emotional connection (β = 0.423, p < 0.001) serving as significant mediators. The model explained 64.3% of variance in booking intentions and 58.7% in sales promotion effectiveness. Hotel managers should integrate authentic cultural narratives into their marketing strategies, focusing on emotional storytelling that highlights local heritage, guest experiences, and unique value propositions to enhance promotional campaign effectiveness. This study provides empirical evidence from the Moroccan hospitality context, contributing to the limited literature on storytelling marketing in North African tourism and offering a validated measurement framework for hospitality storytelling effectiveness.