Effect of sensory metaphorical promotion on pre-experience, advertising attitude and purchase intention: Flow experience approach

In tourism products and/or destination promotions, it is desired to enable the consumers to have a pre-experience and a flow experience to the place advertised. Promotion materials are among consumers' frequently referred and high costed sources of information during the information process. Thus, the language used in these materials is of importance to tourism establishments and destination managements. This study focuses on sensory metaphors that sensory marketing uses as an effective language for communication and promotion within the scope of experience economy. The success of sensory metaphors, which are capable of conveying abstract concepts by taking our body as a reference, in enabling one to have an experience of flow, mental imagery, and a sense of presence concerning the promotional materials are tested. According to the results, there is a significant difference between the consumers who perceive the sensory metaphoric relation and who do not in terms of flow experience. Besides, a theoretical model is proposed centering flow experience. Results show that, flow experience towards the sensory metaphors can be adapted to pre-experience, attitudes and purchase intention. Also, there is a relation between flow towards sensory metaphoric stimulus and mental imagery, a sense of presence, attitudes towards advertisements and purchasing intentions.