@misc{9241988,
  abstract     = {{In a saturated digital marketplace, brands increasingly rely on storytelling to fos-ter WOM advocacy. However, it remains unclear whether storytelling directly triggers advocacy or if cognitive attitudes mediate this relationship. This study investigates the psychological pathway to brand advocacy by integrating the vis-ual, narrative, and symbolic dimensions of brand storytelling with Ajzen’s (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Utilizing a quantitative, cross-sectional online survey of a European sample (N=164), data across three brands (Apple, Nike, IKEA) was analyzed using bivariate, multiple regression, and ex-ploratory analysis. Findings challenge direct-effect models: storytelling dimen-sions do not independently drive advocacy when core psychological attitudes are considered. Instead, Attitude to Advocacy and Perceived Behavioral Control dic-tate WOM intentions. Furthermore, the rejection of Subjective Norm highlights that Generation Z values radical authenticity over social conformity. Ultimately, brand storytelling acts purely as an antecedent, with the symbolic dimension serving as the foundational raw material shaping the attitudes that trigger advo-cacy.}},
  author       = {{Torres Juste, Elena}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Brand Storytelling and Its Role in the Consumer’s Psy-chological Pathway to Brand Advocacy}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}