An empirical research on the effects of experiential marketing on brand preference

Together with the progression of economic offering, economic value chain is composed of a process evolving from meta to products, products to services and services to experiences. This evolution has resulted in changes in marketing philosophy. In this respect, experiential marketing aims to create emotional connection between the brand and the customer in addition to the functional properties and benefits of the products in traditional marketing. Experiential marketing focuses on reflecting the benefit created by the brand to the customer before the customer purchases the product. In this context, from the reality of consumers purchasing the whole experience with a product and not purchasing only the product or service; the experiential marketing approach aims to create exciting, enjoyable, emotional and unforgettable experiences for consumers. The change in the profile of the customer whose basic need is travelling between two destinations fast, the rapid variation in people's life styles, the desire to use the time spent in business trips on the airplanes efficiently, the intent to combine work and entertainment, customers' demand to reward themselves after heavy working periods, the increase in the desire to make good use of leisure time and having nice time have a huge potential regarding the applicability of airline and travel business and consequently experiential marketing. In this respect, this study aims to examine strategic experiential marketing components, experiential quality perception and experiential value perception in the airlines industry and investigate the effects of these components on Turkish Airlines (THY) customers' satisfaction level and brand preference. In line with this purpose, a research is conducted on Turkish Airlines customers via survey method and 722 questionnaires are collected from Turkish Airlines customers. The data gathered are analyzed by SPSS 21.0 and LISREL 8.80 and then findings and recommendations are presented. As a result of structural equation modeling analysis; it has been observed that sensory and behavioral experience modules, two components of strategic experiential marketing have no meaningful effect on customer satisfaction and brand preference. Emotional experience module indicates that the emotional experiences of the customers traveling with Turkish Airlines affect the customer satisfaction directly and in the same direction. This component affects the brand preference indirectly through satisfaction. THY affects the customers' cognitive experience perception consequently, increases the customers' satisfaction directly. In this component, it is found that customers' brand preference is affected indirectly through satisfaction. Physical environment and other customers modules, two components of perceived experience quality have no meaningful effect on customer satisfaction. There is a direct and positive relationship between service providers component and satisfaction. In this component, it is revealed that customers' brand preference is affected indirectly through satisfaction. The effect of customers' friends component on satisfaction is direct and in reverse direction. It is revealed that this component affects the brand preference indirectly and in reverse direction through satisfaction. Customers themselves component has a direct and positive effect on the satisfaction. It is found that this component affects the customers' brand preference indirectly through satisfaction. There is a direct and positive relationship between the sensory value component of experiential value module. The effect of the emotional value component of the experiential value module on the brand preference parameter is indirect and in the same direction. There is a positive relationship between the emotional value component and the brand preference. The effect of the functional value component of the experiential value module on satisfaction is direct and in the same direction. It is presented that this component has an indirect and positive effect on the brand preference through satisfaction parameter. In addition, the variables examined in the study and the factors that affect the decision to purchase THY service are examined according to demographic variables.