THE EFFECT OF STORYTELLING AS A DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY ON WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR VALORANT SKINS

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effect of storytelling as a digital marketing strategy on players’ willingness to pay (WTP) for cosmetic items in the game Valorant. In the free-to-play model, revenue depends on microtransactions, making it crucial to understand how narrative elements influence player purchasing behavior. A quantitative survey approach was used involving 31 active Valorant players in Indonesia aged 18–30, selected through purposive sampling. The instruments consisted of validated storytelling and WTP scales. Data were collected via an online questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The results indicate that storytelling has a significant positive effect on WTP (β = 0.523, p < 0.01), explaining 27.4% of its variance. This finding suggests that emotional engagement through storytelling enhances perceived value and motivates players to purchase digital items for symbolic and emotional satisfaction rather than utility. Theoretically, this study extends the Narrative Transportation Theory to digital consumption contexts, while practically, it highlights storytelling’s potential as a strategic tool to strengthen player attachment and monetization. Future research should involve larger and more diverse samples or experimental designs to validate causal relationships more robustly.