CRISIS-INDUCED TRANSFORMATİON OF DİGİTAL MARKETİNG AND

CONSUMER BEHAVİOUR: RESEARCH ON GENERATİONS

Problem: Periods of crisis have redefined social, cultural, political and economic
climates throughout human history. Digital marketing, which is the result of the digital
developments we are experiencing, is in rapid change and transformation in the context of crises.
As the internet has become an important and indispensable part of individuals' lives, the increase
in internet users has caused many marketing activities to be moved to internet-based digital
platforms. Individuals who spend time on the internet meet all their needs, including their daily
needs, by using digital platforms. However, especially in times of crisis, meeting these needs
with internet-based tools has become a necessity. At this point, businesses rely on traditional
marketing activities and furthermore, they build digital marketing activities on this basis.
Responding to consumer requests and demands is important for businesses.
As the internet has become an important and indispensable part of individuals' lives, the
increase in internet users has caused many marketing activities to be moved to internet-based
digital platforms. Moving consumption to the digital environment also leads to changes in digital
marketing practices depending on the process. These obligations not only make digital
consumption a rapid entry into the consumer's life, but also cause companies to be active in the
electronic commerce sector and develop new strategies for the use of digital marketing
applications in order to increase their market shares.
Crisis has been defined similarly by many disciplines, from sociology to psychology,
from medicine to politics, from law to communication, and especially the concept of unexpected
has been discussed. It is a set of events in which the existing order or structure is disrupted, the
targeted situation is threatened, and activities are necessarily interrupted in case of an unexpected
danger. The uncertainty that begins with the crisis causes the environment to become even more
tense. During these periods, new conditions arise and within the framework of these conditions,
the solutions previously developed to solve problems become inadequate and ineffective. Crises,
which can be short or long term, can spread over a wide area and increase their impact, or they
can be limited to a narrow area.
Every crisis causes change and transformation. Digital marketing, which is the result of
the digital developments we are experiencing, is also in rapid change and transformation in the
context of crises.
Purpose of the research: The purpose of this research is to examine the purposes of use
of digital marketing activities by generations X, Y and Z in crisis environments. For this
purpose, answers were sought to the following questions:
 1. What are the opinions of Generation X, Y and Z participants about the benefits of
digital marketing?
2. Do the participants' opinions about the benefits of digital marketing differ significantly
according to their generations (X, Y and Z)?
3. Do the opinions of Generation X, Y and Z participants about the benefits of digital
marketing differ significantly according to their gender?
4. Do the opinions of Generation X, Y and Z participants about the benefits of digital
marketing differ significantly according to the time they spend on the internet?
5. Do the opinions of Generation X, Y and Z participants about the benefits of digital
marketing differ significantly according to their education levels?
6. Do the opinions of Generation X, Y and Z participants about the benefits of digital
marketing differ significantly according to their income levels?
7. What are the opinions of Generation X, Y and Z participants regarding purchasing
behavior?
8. Do the participants' opinions about purchasing behavior differ significantly according
to their generations (X, Y and Z)?
9. Do the opinions of Generation X, Y and Z participants regarding purchasing behavior
differ significantly according to their gender?
10. Do the opinions of Generation X, Y and Z participants regarding purchasing behavior
differ significantly according to the time they spend on the internet?
11. Do the opinions of generation X, Y and Z participants regarding purchasing behavior
differ significantly according to their education level?
12. Do the opinions of Generation X, Y and Z participants regarding purchasing behavior
differ significantly according to their income levels?
The significance of the research: It is very important for both consumers and businesses
to be able to contact the vendor that provides digital marketing at any time or to make the
purchase at any time, to give notifications such as complaints or expectations instantly, and
indirectly to be a part of the production. For the business, it is important to meet the consumer on
different platforms, to reach a wide audience and to achieve this at a low cost within the
framework of this goal, both in terms of ensuring the continuity of the business and in terms of
benefiting the consumer. The data and findings obtained from this study are expected to be
academically valuable.