Advertising Methods in Turkeys Tourism Industry - Research Proposal Example

Introduction

Nearly all aspects of life have in this day and age been revolutionized by communication technology. Consequently, numerous advancements in the way people transact their businesses have emerged, one of them being the creation of social media. This new technology is playing its role in several ways including e-mail marketing, blogging, social networking, advertising and multimedia sharing. Presently, the formation of a communication process through the wide application of social media has brought about a tremendous transformation. The business world has seen a rapid growth in social media that has proven central to every organization. Wikström and Ellonen, (2012) assert that the impact of social media in the lifecycle of organizations and its nature as an effective and advertising and marketing tool is manifest. Similarly, Lin and Chung, (2014) contend that social media is no longer a style for marketers but a real way of life.

Companies in Turkey have now resorted to the use of social media as a valuable advertising tool which has begun integrating systems so as to meet customer demands. Tourism businesses in Turkey have now gone beyond the traditional limitations of sales and purchases and embraced the new social media marketing through networks like Flicker, Twitter, Facebook and many others in swaying the buying behavior of consumers. It is also currently very popular with consumers.

This particular research study will evaluate how consumer behavior is affected by advertising using social media as a primary tool. The researcher will focus on tourism as case industry so as to enhance the comprehension concerning the topic under deliberation. The case industry selected for this particular research study is Tourism in Turkey.

Problem Statement

With the efficiency of advertising as a way to woo customers and the rapid growth of mass media, there has been an obvious reduction in conventional media. The emergence of digital marketing and advertising has provided consumers with the relevant choices and knowledge on company services (Bruns, 2015). By seeking to identify the brunt that social media advertising has on the buying behavior of customers, the researcher will also be able to discern the attitudes of consumers concerning their buying capacity, and subsequently, the research will enable companies to comprehend the manner in which their services are perceived by customers. The research will also delve into the question of if companies are fulfilling their social, organizational responsibilities concerning their clientele and if they have been successful in advertising using the most appropriate medium to reach their clients and to draw them towards seeking their services.

Aims of Research

The fundamental aim of this study is to reflect on the transition from traditional advertising methods in Turkey’s tourism industry to the social media branding. Also, the manner in which the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has implemented digital and social media promotions in Turkey to market and brand Turkey as a tourist destination will be discussed.

Objectives of Research

• To examine and review the significance of social media as a platform for advertising

• To establish the relationship between advertising through social media and customer attitudes and buying behavior.

• To analyze the general effects of advertising through social media on the performance of companies.

• To study and review the impact of advertising through social media on the operational performance of Turkey’s tourism industry and its customers’ attitudes on procuring its services.

• To discern the number of social media followers who are potential tourists of Turkey.

• To recommend to tourist companies on the significance of effectively advertising through social media and how it can change the attitudes of customers.

Research Questions and Hypothesis

• What are the effects of advertising through social media on the buying behavior of consumers?

• In what way do social media work as an advertising stage for the tourism industry in Turkey?

• How can Turkey’s tourism industry create a brand image by advertising through social media?

• How can advertising via social media influence the overall performance of Turkey’s tourism industry?

Literature Review

Social Media

Social media can be defined as a setting that assumes the attitude of getting and giving since contact between users is based on a free transformation of content with no costs incurred in contrast to traditional media. Adamovic, et al (2012) views social media as a stage that offers emerging online information sources. The information is created and sent to consumers with the fundamental objective of creating awareness of brands, products, issues, personalities and services to customers.

According to Smith and Zook, (2011) the increased success of social media is due to its fundability. In light of this, social media sites are easily accessible thus customers can access company information through the optimization of search engines. Added accessibility can create more value to social media websites as can the strength of social networking become greater using this significant social media feature.

Advertising through Social Media

Through social media, opportunities are seized by companies wishing to market their services and products as it is in fact among, if not the most appropriate marketing platform. Social media entails a two-way democratization of information instead of the traditional one-way. Its direct effect is immense in that it is not only companies that can directly communicate with their customers, but customers are likewise able to communicate among themselves. Social media enables companies to advertise to and target their customers while providing them with pertinent and latest information.

Social networking is on the rise on a daily basis with sites such as Twitter, Flicker, and Facebook being used by customers to portray their dislike or liking for particular products or services. This, in turn, enables companies to have a clue concerning customer choices. With such information, companies are able to relate to customer needs and hence provide better services. International branding is also developing by social media. The world has apparently been made smaller by social media which consequently enables companies to make a global awareness of their brand (Nassar, 2012). Thus, small companies that have their roots on a local basis are able to expand and go global through the use of social media. Social media enables small businesses to expand into larger companies thus the reason why it produces the best customer products and services.

The tourism sector in Turkey recorded a major growth in the year 2014 due to the use of social media as an advertising tool. An increase in the number of online companies and travel agencies are advanced online platforms in lodging and travel and intermediaries. Moreover, an increase in the production of Internet-enabled smartphones and tablets that are high speed in nature additionally boosted online travel performance (Sanliöz et al 2015). The young population in Turkey, which is a considerable number, also impacted positively on the increase of online travel. This is mainly because their inclination towards amenability to new technological advancements with a preference for convenience and practicality made it easier to discern turkeys best tourist destinations.

Relation between Social Media and Consumer Behavior.

Social media is seen as a tool that allows for social and economic networking. Social networking sites enable a myriad of individuals to share their thoughts through virtual meetings. Companies consider social networking as not only a vital communication tool but also a significant apparatus for broadcasting marketing messages thus setting up a broader presentation of their services and products. The substitution of traditional marketing tools like newspapers and magazines with more contemporary ways like social media and the shift to internet shopping from the customary shopping environment is a leap that cannot be ignored.

Nowadays, the majority of shoppers, including holidaymakers and destination shoppers, spend much of their time browsing social media websites for the perfect offer (Rojsurakitti, 2015). Society as a whole has been absorbed by social media and thus altered their consumption trends. Services and products are offered by companies through this medium as they also get to learn the extent to which their services or products are being criticized.

In Turkey, social media has been at the forefront in promoting various towns, regions and cities as tourist destinations. The “Turkey Home” campaign in social websites such as Youtube, Instagram, Vine, Linkedin, Google, Twitter, and Facebook has exposed Turkey as a country rich in history and the home of various civilizations thus attracting many tourists to this multiple cultured heritage. The total number of social media followers interested in visiting Turkey amounted to about 3.9 million people, making Turkey rank fourth globally in 2015 in such activities.

Research Design and Methodology

While observing the central objective in research methodology, researchers ought to espouse the research methodologies that enable them to ascertain the truth via procedural applications that are scientific. Research methodology engenders the end product of any research, and it is, therefore, imperative to choose the most suitable research method for a successful research project (Cimbaljević, 2015).

Empirical Investigation

There are three categories involved in an empirical investigation. These are Exploratory, Explanatory, and Descriptive. Because of its quantitative nature, descriptive research occupies the bulk of surveying and is normally seen as being conclusive. This conclusiveness is because it is preplanned and has a structured design for data to be statistically gathered on a population. Explanatory research is equally preplanned with a structured design. More so, it is conclusive in nature though it tries to explain how variables under scrutiny are related through cause and effect. Conversely, exploratory research is broadly used in business and marketing research. The main aim of the exploratory research is to probe the insights and ideas unlike the compilation of statistical data (Close, 2012).

Since this research is specifically exploratory in nature, the particular research will explore advertising through social media and how it impacts on the tourism sector in Turkey. Two significant facets of marketing strategy will be discussed at length .these include the attitudes and behaviors of potential tourists to Turkey and social media as a means of advertising. The selection of Turkey as a case in point will be a means of bridging the wide research gap in the field of transition to social media as a means of advertising.