Abstract
This study investigates how AI-generated storytelling influences consumer perceptions, digital engagement, purchase intention and digital marketing opportunities for Thai sea salt as a cultural product in Samut Songkhram, Thailand. The study integrates Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) theory with Narrative Transportation Theory (NTT) to explain how narrative characteristics of AI-generated videos may shape consumer evaluations and behavioral responses. Data were collected from 125 Thai consumers aged 18 years and above who had experience using online platforms and purchasing products online. The proposed relationships were examined using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The results show that all five hypothesized relationships were statistically significant. Storytelling quality positively influenced perceived value (β = 0.684), while personalization positively influenced perceived benefit (β = 0.612). Perceived value was positively associated with digital engagement (β = 0.548) and perceived benefit was positively associated with purchase intention (β = 0.592). Digital engagement also showed a substantial association with digital marketing opportunity (β = 0.724; f2 = 1.102). The model explained 61.8% of the variance in the study outcomes and demonstrated predictive relevance (Q2 = 0.425). The findings suggest that AI- assisted cultural storytelling may support consumer evaluation and engagement when narrative content is culturally grounded and personalized. The study contributes a narrative-to-evaluation-to-behavior perspective that clarifies how NTT complements SOR in an AI-mediated marketing context. Practically, the findings guide the development of culturally grounded, emotionally engaging and personalized short-form video content for community-based products, an effective digital marketing strategy for promoting Thai sea salt products.
Keywords: AI-generated, Digital Marketing, PLS-SEM, Storytelling, Sea Salt.