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Introduction
With the increase in the popularity of sports organizations, the spread of participation in sports and the diversification of advanced sports products accordingly, the sports industry is expanding its place in the world economy. This industry consists of a combination of intangible services (e.g. sports organizations offering sports consultancy) and tangible products (e.g. sports manufacturers); some producers offer a combination of services and products (e.g. sports stores) and include activities (Funk, 2008). The sports products market is expanding with the growth of the trend of healthy and active living, which is a trend that is expected to continue to grow internationally. While globalization has enabled brands to reach worldwide, it has also greatly affected people's lifestyles (Handa and Khare, 2013). Sports products have become a popular category among young people as consumers identify a more relaxed lifestyle with versatility and comfort. This situation has prompted manufacturers such as Nike and Adidas to expand their range of sports products to generate higher sales volumes. According to the Digital 2020 report, Turkey's population is 83.88 million, and the active social media user population is 54 million. In addition, it is stated in the report that 81% of social media users between the ages of 16 and 64 years search for products or services online, while 63% of them shop online. According to the report, Nike came at third place in Google searches, while Adidas was at eighth place (Digital Report Turkey, 2020). Businesses that are aware of the importance of technological development in the field of marketing use the advantages such as targeted customer base, taste trends, choices and preferences among customers, and identification of potential customers with these platforms, which provide faster access to customers, to develop their own potential (Sharma et al., 2021).
Companies need to create exciting brand experiences that persuade customers to continually buy and stick to the brand's products to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Through these brand experiences, consumers connect to the brand's personality and develop strong relationships with the brand (Ramaseshan and Stein, 2014). Consumers develop a perception toward a brand based on sensations, feelings, cognitions, and behavioral responses. If this perception is positive, the customer remains loyal to the brand and repurchasing behavior. The development of the...