HYGIENE ANXIETY AND BRAND LOVE OF CONSUMERS: LESSONS FROM COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Year 2023, , 686 - 708, 29.12.2023

Muhammed Bilgehan Aytaç , Eyup Akın , Halit Özal

https://doi.org/10.36543/kauiibfd.2023.028

Abstract

Bu çalışmada COVID-19 pandemisinde günyüzüne çıkan tüketicilerdeki hijyen kaygısı kavramı tanımlanarak analiz edilmiştir. “Satın alınan veya alınacak ürün/hizmetlerin temiz olup olmadığı konusunda hastalığa neden olabileceğinden dolayı endişe duyma durumu” hijyen kaygısı şeklinde kavramsallaştırılmıştır. Bu kaygının, tüketicinin markayla kurduğu en güçlü duygusal bağdan etkilenmeyeceği varsayımıyla, “markaya aşık tüketicilerin yaşadıkları hijyen kaygısının satın alma niyetlerini düşürmeyeceği” hipotezi geliştirilmiş ve hijyen kaygısının manipüle edildiği bir deneysel tasarımla test edilmiştir. Çalışmada, beklenilenin aksine, marka aşkı yüksek tüketicilerin de hijyenle ilgili korkuları tetiklendiğinde satın alma niyetinin önemli ölçüde düştüğü sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Beklenmeyen bu sonuç üzerine ikinci bir araştırma yapılarak, tüketicilerin hijyen kaygısını nelerin azaltabileceği nitel olarak sorgulanmış ve doğrudan ve dolaylı anksiyolitik (kaygı giderici) çabalar keşfedilmiştir. Dolaylı çabalar, markanın hijyenik imajı, marka güveni ve menşe ülkesi başlıkları altında toplanmıştır. Doğrudan çabalar ise klasik pazarlama karmasından (4P) ilham alarak hijyenik 3P (ürün, promosyon ve dağıtım) konsepti altında kategorize edilmiştir.

Keywords

hijyen kaygısı, marka aşkı, COVID-19

HYGIENE ANXIETY AND BRAND LOVE OF CONSUMERS: LESSONS FROM COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The current study analyzed the hygiene anxiety of consumers within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hygiene anxiety means the state of being worried about the cleanliness of purchased or to-be-purchased products/services that may cause illness. It is hypothesized that the hygiene anxiety experienced by consumers with strong emotional bonds with their brands - consumers who love the brand - would not reduce their purchasing intentions. In the first study, unexpectedly, it was found that the purchase intention of consumers with higher brand love significantly decreased when their hygiene anxiety was triggered. In the second study, what can reduce the hygiene anxiety of consumers is qualitatively inquired. Direct and indirect anxiolytic efforts were discovered. Indirect efforts are the brand's hygienic image, brand trust, and country of origin. Direct efforts are categorized under a hygienic 3P (product, promotion, and place) concept inspired by the classical marketing mix (4P).

Keywords

hygiene anxiety, brand love, COVID-19

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