How storytelling versus factual ads with rivalry appeal drive purchase intention across social media platforms

Brands increasingly employ rivalry appeals in social media advertising, yet limited research explains how such appeals operate across social media platforms (SMPs). Drawing on narrative transportation theory, this research examines the effectiveness of storytelling (vs. factual) ads with rivalry appeal across the two SMPs of YouTube and Instagram. This study employs a mixed-method design comprising one exploratory study and four experimental studies. We used real video ads from the firms that contained rivalry appeal for analysis and interpretation. The findings reveal that storytelling rivalry appeal ads outperform factual rivalry ads in driving purchase intention, with narrative transportation serving as a key mediating mechanism, while customer engagement does not exert a serial mediating effect. This research makes a significant contribution to the digital advertising literature in multiple ways.