How Economic Crisis Transformed Digital Consumption: What Marketers Should Do

Turkey's sociological map is being redrawn… We're in the midst of a silent yet powerful transformation. Economic crisis, internal migration, individualization, digitalization, major shifts in cultural habits… KONDA's Lifestyle Research, which has been tracking developments step by step since 2008, presents a striking picture of today's Turkey with 2025 data. And this picture tells us a lot not only sociologically but also in terms of digital marketing.

In this episode, we focus on the question: "How are changing lifestyles reflected in digital platforms and marketing?"

Internal migration continues, and as cities grow, rural values haven't disappeared yet. The number of unemployed university graduates has reached millions. Consumers can no longer be analyzed solely by purchasing behavior but also by emotional, cultural, and economic motivations. Because half of society is outside employment, some are job hunting, and some spend time at home with digital content.

Turks living abroad try to provide remote support to their loved ones in Turkey, while millions within the country continue to say "I'm fine" while hiding the economic hardships they face. This emotional burden also reflects in behaviors on digital channels. Social media is no longer just an entertainment space but also an escape, a means of expression, and a status indicator.

While cinema attendance rates decline, participation in concerts and museums rises rapidly. The number of people sharing on social media is low but the number of viewers is high. TikTok is spreading rapidly, mobile banking is becoming an indispensable part of daily life. In fact, one in every 10 people is now familiar with artificial intelligence applications.

All these changes directly impact digital marketing. Now campaigns should not only focus on product sales but also touch on emotions, value sets, and lifestyles. Because today's marketing requires understanding not just the consumer but their story as well.

In this episode;

– How do digital consumer behaviors change in an economic crisis environment?

– Has social media really moved to the center or is it an optical illusion?

– Which platforms does the new generation of consumers use and what do they react to?

– How can brand managers and digital marketers turn this change to their advantage?

We discussed all this and more in this episode.

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