Impact of Sports Brand Storytelling on Consumer Loyalty in Brand Marketing under the Background of Health China 2030 Strategy

Abstract

This study focuses on the context of China's "Healthy China 2030" strategic plan, issued and implemented by the State Council, which has ushered the country's sports and health industry into a new developmental phase. The research findings not only provide theoretical foundations and practical references for enterprises seeking to enhance brand competitiveness amid the current health consumption boom but also aim to advance the strategic objectives of "Healthy China 2030" by strengthening the cultural resonance of sports brands. Employing methodologies such as literature review and questionnaire surveys, this study investigates the impact and mediating role of brand experience and brand storytelling (narrative theory) on consumer loyalty within the sports marketing domain. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to test two hypotheses, revealing that brand storytelling exerts a significant direct effect on consumer loyalty. Specifically, the product design attractiveness of highly narrative-driven brands significantly enhances consumer loyalty, partially mediating through brand experience. The findings confirm the application value of narrative paradigms in sports brand marketing and offer supplementary insights to rational decision-making models. Through the construction of a dual "emotional-cultural" pathway, sports brand storytelling marketing can establish an "affective marketing" shared system, fulfilling the need for a community of shared meaning in sports consumption under the "Healthy China 2030" strategic framework.