Reflection of change in marketing communication on experiential marketing: A review of brand practices from traditional to digital

The most effective way to reach the consumer in marketing activities is to establish an effective and natural communication. Brands have aimed to realize brand purchasing actions on the consumer by establishing a one-way communication for many years with marketing communication. This habits has left its place to mutual communication processes with the developing and globalizing world order. The replacement of traditional communication activities with digital channels has become an effective tool in marketing communication processes with the integration of digital channels into the lives of each of the consumers. It initiated the transition to a mutually active process with the consumer. In addition, brands have prioritized using digital channels actively by putting the consumer at the center in all marketing communication activities. In recent years, factors such as major changes in consumer habits, technological developments, increasing market competition, excessive variety of the same product have revealed changes in consumers' preferences and purchasing decisions. The benefit of the product has left its place to the concept of experiential marketing that focuses on making the consumer experience the benefit and pleasure of the brand before purchasing the brand. In this direction, it is seen that in order to influence the target audience, brands give the opportunity to influence the experience and make consumer decisions with the sensory, emotional, intellectual, relational and behavioral components of experiential marketing. Experiential marketing studies in digital marketing have shown the need for effective customer experience management. Based on the intended experience effect of experiential marketing practices on consumers and the experience methods they offer, the effects of sensory, emotional, intellectual, behavioral and relational experiences on consumer behavior and purchasing decisions have been examined. In experiential marketing practices, the effects and preferences of the IKEA brand on consumer behavior in both physical and online environments are tried to be revealed. The studies conducted mainly included experiential marketing studies conducted in the physical environment so that they were insufficient to explain their effects in online channels. The deficiency reported is completed and addressed with all the factors of the process with this study.