Tuğba Özbölük | Bozok University (original) (raw)

Papers by Tuğba Özbölük

Journal of Islamic Marketing

Purpose This study aims to examine the functions of hijab fashion among hijab-wearing women and e... more Purpose This study aims to examine the functions of hijab fashion among hijab-wearing women and explore the role of social media and influencers in hijab fashion. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted in-depth interviews with 29 hijab-wearing women in Turkey. The authors collected data in June–November 2020. Findings Findings show that hijab fashion functions as encouragement, attraction, modesty and social image among Turkish Muslim women. This study also shows that social media and influencers change the meaning of the hijab while promoting hijab fashion. Findings reveal that Instagram boutiques act as digital fashion magazines, which enable women to integrate faster into popular culture today. While influencers have increased the number of hijab-wearing women, they have also turned the hijab into a commodity in the market by degenerating its true meaning. Research limitations/implications This study has several limitations regarding the sample and geographic context o...

Leisure Studies, 2020

Luxury has always been an essential topic in consumer research. However, changing nature and flui... more Luxury has always been an essential topic in consumer research. However, changing nature and fluidity of its definition makes luxury still an interesting topic for researchers. Today, a combination of developing internet technologies and a shifting in the habit of travelling is leading to the rise of access-based accommodation services. Furthermore, modern travellers are searching for luxury experiences even with short term rentals. In this regard, understanding access-based luxury has become crucial in the accommodation sector, where consumer experience is the focus. Therefore, this paper investigates the nature of luxury within accessbased consumption in the context of consumers' accommodation experiences. A qualitative approach is adopted to uncover the circumstances that constitute luxury for consumers who use Airbnb Plus. The study found that luxury manifests itself in search of uniqueness and freedom. Exploring that consumers are seeking more immaterial forms of luxury in their vacations, the paper makes a significant contribution to tourism literature.

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2022

Leisure Studies, 2020

Luxury has always been an essential topic in consumer research. However, changing nature and flui... more Luxury has always been an essential topic in consumer research. However, changing nature and fluidity of its definition makes luxury still an interesting topic for researchers. Today, a combination of developing internet technologies and a shifting in the habit of travelling is leading to the rise of access-based accommodation services. Furthermore, modern travellers are searching for luxury experiences even with short term rentals. In this regard, understanding access-based luxury has become crucial in the accommodation sector, where consumer experience is the focus. Therefore, this paper investigates the nature of luxury within access-based consumption in the context of consumers’ accommodation experiences. A qualitative approach is adopted to uncover the circumstances that constitute luxury for consumers who use Airbnb Plus. The study found that luxury manifests itself in search of uniqueness and freedom. Exploring that consumers are seeking more immaterial forms of luxury in their vacations, the paper makes a significant contribution to tourism literature.

Journal of Economy Culture and Society, 2019

Öz: Sözsüz iletişim unsurlarının yerine kullanılması anlamında dijital iletişimde önemli bir boşl... more Öz: Sözsüz iletişim unsurlarının yerine kullanılması anlamında dijital iletişimde önemli bir boşluğu doldurduğu düşünülen emojilerin markaya yönelik tutuma ve ağızdan ağıza iletişime etkisinin olup olmadığı sorusu, bu araştırmanın çıkış noktasını oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın amacı, hem öğrencilerin genel olarak hem de cinsiyete göre ayrı ayrı, emoji kullanım durumlarının, emoji kullanan markalara yönelik tutumlarını ve bu tutumlarının da, emoji kullanan markalar hakkındaki pozitif ağızdan ağıza iletişimlerini etkileyip etkilemediğini belirlemektir. Üniversite öğrencilerinden anket yöntemiyle veri toplanmış ve toplanan veriler yapısal eşitlik modellemesi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma sonucuna göre, hem öğrencilerin genel olarak hem de cinsiyete göre ayrı ayrı emoji kullanımlarının emoji kullanan markalara yönelik tutumları üzerinde istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı ve pozitif yönlü bir etkiye sahip olduğu, emoji kullanan markalara yönelik tutumlarının da emoji kullanan markalar hakkındaki pozitif ağızdan ağıza iletişimleri üzerinde anlamlı ve pozitif yönlü bir etkiye sahip olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Bunun yanında, belirtilen etkilerin istatistiki olarak cinsiyete göre anlamlı bir farklılık göstermediği de tespit edilmiştir. Abstract: The question whether the emoji that is considered to fill an important gap in digital communication by being used as a nonverbal communication cue, has an effect on the attitudes toward brands and word of mouth communication is the main starting point of this research. Aim of this study is to determine whether the emoji usage of university students (both generally and according to gender) affect their attitude toward the brands using emoji, and if this attitude affect their positive word of mouth communication about these brands. Data were collected from university students by a questionnaire and analyzed by using structural equation modeling. The results show that emoji usage of students (both generally and according to gender) has a statistically significant and positive effect on the attitudes toward brands using emoji, and these attitudes have positive and significant effects on their positive word of mouth communication. Besides this, it was also found that the aforementioned effects did not show a statistically significant difference according to gender.

Journal of Product & Brand Management, 2017

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the different types of members based on their roles withi... more Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the different types of members based on their roles within an online brand community dedicated to Apple.

Design/methodology/approach
Data is drawn from an 18-month netnographic study including participant and non-participant observation.

Findings
Findings reveal that members of the online brand community share a common goal but they are heterogeneous in many respects. In this research, five different types of brand community members are identified: learner, pragmatist, activist, opinion leader and evangelist. These findings emphasize the heterogeneity of the brand community or the differences of members and subgroups they form in the community.

Practical implications
This paper offers some insights for brand managers. There are different sub-tribes in online brand communities and these sub-tribes develop their own meanings of the brand. This means that online brand communities do not form one single homogenous target group and can be segmented into subgroups. Findings also offer a deeper understanding of negative characteristics of online brand community members. The role “activist” found in this study may be crucial for marketers, as activists can represent the negative side of online brand communities.

Originality/value
The literature on brand communities has focused predominantly on the homogeneity of these communities. This paper extends the literature by demonstrating the heterogeneity in an online brand community. The paper contributes to the brand community literature by substantiating that online brand community members can be segmented into subgroups based on their roles within the community. In addition, the paper extends the existing literature on brand communities that has overlooked the destructive consumer roles.

GÖRSEL İLETİŞİM ÇAĞINDA MARKALARIN EMOJİ'YE ADAPTASYONU Öz Sosyal medyanın bilginin hem hızlı bir... more GÖRSEL İLETİŞİM ÇAĞINDA MARKALARIN EMOJİ'YE ADAPTASYONU Öz Sosyal medyanın bilginin hem hızlı bir şekilde paylaşılmasına hem de bilgiye müdahale edilmesine olanak tanıyan bir mecra olması, her geçen gün kullanımının da artmasına neden olmaktadır. Sosyal medya araçlarının yaygın bir şekilde kullanımı ise, markaların kullandıkları iletişim dilini yenilemelerini gerektirmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, dijital dünyanın yeni iletişim dili olarak görülen emojilerin pazarlama iletişimi açısından önemini ortaya koymaktır. Çalışmada bu amaçla, sosyal medyanın pazarlama iletişiminde meydana getirdiği değişimden hareketle, markaların sosyal medya iletişimlerinde emoji kullanımına ilişkin örnekler verilmiştir. Bu bağlamda, küresel birçok markanın, özellikle Z kuşağının ilgisini çekebilmek için yoğun bir şekilde emoji kullanımına yönelmiş oldukları tespit edilmiştir. Anahtar kelimeler: Emoji, duygu ikonları, emoji pazarlama, sosyal medya, pazarlama iletişimi, görsel iletişim

Reaching the parts that can't be reached by other research methods, etnographic research which re... more Reaching the parts that can't be reached by other research methods, etnographic research which reveals what people really do rather than what they say or what they think is becoming more prevalent in understanding the consumer behavior. However, online social experiences are significantly different from face to face social experiences, thus, ethnography alone is insufficient in explaining the consumer behavior. Therefore, a new research method is developed to understand today's consumer who is gradually socializing via internet. This paper aims to examine this research method called netnography. In this paper, netnography method is described within the frame of a paradigmatic transformation occurred in market research area and the process of netnography is examined in detail. Advantages and disadvantages of netnography resulted from being an online research method and criticisms of the method are also examined in this study.

Social classes which constitute modern society have given their place to tribes described as soci... more Social classes which constitute modern society have given their place to tribes described as societal micro-groups in which individuals share strong emotional links, a common subculture and a vision of life, common beliefs and consumption practices. This paper focuses on emerging of tribes in the postmodernism context and aims at describing postmodern consumer tribes relying upon the existing literature. In this paper, tribal marketing concept is also examined in terms of postmodern tribalism- a counterview to postmodern individualism. Tribal marketing, which emerges as a criticism of relationship marketing, creates a social link in a consumer generated tribe by providing the communication or interaction between the people who influence each other’s behavior closely. In tribal marketing the social link which is developed through consumption is more important than what is consumed.

Books by Tuğba Özbölük

Marketers are trying to find new ways to communicate with their customers and adapt rapidly chang... more Marketers are trying to find new ways to communicate with their customers and adapt rapidly changing consumer behavior which requires implementing new communication techniques. One of these techniques, brand storytelling is evolving to transmedia storytelling or transmedia marketing in a participatory culture. Despite the continuous interest of researchers in transmedia storytelling, few researchers have studied the concept from a marketing point of view. Therefore, this chapter focuses on the concept in a market-oriented context and offers insights on how to use transmedia storytelling in marketing and suggest some marketing strategies to attract transmedia customers.

The nature of communication has begun to change dramatically, as face-to-face communication has g... more The nature of communication has begun to change dramatically, as face-to-face communication has gradually been replaced by online communication. People's need to express their emotions and thoughts more visually than ever before has triggered an evolution in communication, from verbal to visual. In this sense, the importance of symbols and icons in communication is continuously increasing. Furthermore, this change can be closely related to the marketing discipline. Therefore, this chapter focuses on semi-otics as the field of research that studies symbols as an essential part of marketing communication in the digital age.

Development of Web 2.0 tools has changed the ways that cities communicate and build their brands.... more Development of Web 2.0 tools has changed the ways that cities communicate and build their brands. A growing number of travelers are influenced by user generated content, presenting a number of challenges and opportunities for city branding. This chapter focuses on the use of Internet and social media as international marketing communications techniques for cities and destinations. The chapter offers insights to city branding practitioners on how online city branding is carried out and suggests that using social media is an appropriate strategy to promote cities because of its participative and interactive nature. However, it is also emphasized that city branding practitioners should evaluate social media as an opportunity to get closer to customer, instead of a mechanism to be controlled. Exploring implications for practitioners, the chapter can be regarded as an important contribution to an area which is still fairly new and unexplored. The chapter also contributes to the city branding literature by introducing the use of netnography in city branding research.

Journal of Islamic Marketing

Leisure Studies, 2020

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2022

Leisure Studies, 2020

Luxury has always been an essential topic in consumer research. However, changing nature and flui... more Luxury has always been an essential topic in consumer research. However, changing nature and fluidity of its definition makes luxury still an interesting topic for researchers. Today, a combination of developing internet technologies and a shifting in the habit of travelling is leading to the rise of access-based accommodation services. Furthermore, modern travellers are searching for luxury experiences even with short term rentals. In this regard, understanding access-based luxury has become crucial in the accommodation sector, where consumer experience is the focus. Therefore, this paper investigates the nature of luxury within access-based consumption in the context of consumers’ accommodation experiences. A qualitative approach is adopted to uncover the circumstances that constitute luxury for consumers who use Airbnb Plus. The study found that luxury manifests itself in search of uniqueness and freedom. Exploring that consumers are seeking more immaterial forms of luxury in their vacations, the paper makes a significant contribution to tourism literature.

Journal of Economy Culture and Society, 2019

Journal of Product & Brand Management, 2017

Design/methodology/approach
Data is drawn from an 18-month netnographic study including participant and non-participant observation.