Recent developments in the Caucus region and intensified conflict between Georgia and Russian Federation have brought the attention of both scholars and practitioners to the region. There is now an initiative proposed by the government of Turkey to create a regional pact among the countries of the area (Turkey, Iran, Georgia, Armenia, the Russian Federation, and Azerbaijan). Its sole purpose will be, in addition to resolving political disputes, to assist the further development of the countries of the region. Since its independence in 1991, Georgia has shown a gradual and steady increase in trade between it and its neighbor Turkey. In particular, increased Turkish exports have raised greater attention to perception of Turkish products in the regional markets. Turkey is one of the major trading partners of Georgia. Turkey achieved 12.6% of Georgian export and 14.2% of its imports. Although Russia is the country that exports to Georgia the most, Turkey is the largest product exporter to Georgia. After the collapse of former USSR, uncontrolled export traffic of low-priced, low-quality products toward the region have resulted an unfavorable “Made in Turkey” image for certain product classes such as clothing and leather goods. On the other hand, recent business dealings of more organized trade practices and entrance of better quality Turkish products into the region seems to improve made-in Turkey image for some product classes. This recent trading phenomenon increases the importance of studying Georgian consumer perceptions of products of Turkish origin. Within this general perspective, our research aims to determine Georgian consumers perception of products sourced from Turkey. The study focuses on Georgian consumers' assessment of different product categories. Results based on the analysis of data related to 313 responses indicate that products made in Turkey perceived as low in quality. Home maintenance products sourced from Turkey were relatively high-rated product class. Research results were discussed and certain tentative conclusions were drawn.

The chapter discusses the features of using social media in the healthcare industry. It is emphasized that the role of social media in the era of digital technologies is especially increasing in the market of medical services, which leads to greater involvement of consumers in the field of healthcare. Digital technologies are gradually being introduced in the field of healthcare in Georgia, and an increasing number of medical organizations are using social media marketing to communicate with patients. Nevertheless, the use of social media by healthcare organizations is insufficient. One of the reasons for this is the lack of research in this field. With this in mind, this chapter presents a study that considers the impact of social media marketing activities on healthcare consumer behavior. Social media marketing activities, consumer engagement, consumer trust, and behavioral intention are selected as the main variables of the research. A conceptual model of the research has been developed, and relevant hypotheses have been formulated.

In the 21st century, the business has become a digital technology-driven system that can hugely impact consumer behavior and labor productivity. The use of the Internet in the new information age is a visible example of globalization. Electronic platforms offer continuous information dissemination, interactive communication with users, and digital systems for conducting transactions in the modern economy. In the context of the digital revolution, along with the changes made to improve services, the electronic transformation of banks has also become necessary, as modern technologies can increase the productivity, permanence, and transparency of the use of information. The paper identifies the key features of digital marketing that make companies successful in the banking sector. The use of digital channels in the financial industry is growing day by day and, regardless of the level of development of countries, is characterized by a growing trend everywhere. The article analyzes digital banking marketing strategies and opportunities that are indispensable conditions for attracting customers in a changing business environment. The paper highlights the role of social media in shaping individual messaging in the banking industry and creating a product tailored to the target audience. Based on secondary data analysis, the focus is on the role of mobile marketing in digital banking marketing. It is noted that mobile marketing simplifies the implementation of banking operations for customers. The article highlights the importance of switching to digital services in the banking industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicators of digital channel usage, customer engagement in mobile banking, and forecasts for the future. It has been shown that in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the key issue for banks is to identify consumer confidence-building indicators. The paper presents the latest statistics that have reflected on the underlying characteristics of consumer behavior from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to the present day. After analyzing the secondary data, the article found that the active use of smartphones has increased the importance of online advertising, which will continue in the future. With this in mind, the key recommendations that financial companies need to follow to succeed and optimize their budgets are precisely in the direction of popular digital platforms. One of the most important issues of the paper is the increased consumption of cryptocurrency in the world, which is due to its sharp increase in popularity among users. Based on the above, the article shows that if technology companies expand the use of digital currency, the forms of physical services of banks will become obsolete, and the only way to popularize banking products will remain digital marketing. Keywords: Digital Marketing, Banking Marketing, Mobile Banking, COVID-19 Pandemic.

Genetically modified products (GM) have been sensitive topic in different societies. This paper looks at (GM) from one consumer group’s perspective; specifically, from the Ajara region of Georgia in February 2014. A survey of 603 consumers revealed that these respondents knew very little about genetic engineering but held a negative attitude towards GM products, expected the government to regulate both their import and production, and wanted GM to be identified as such. Even if priced lower than comparable foodstuffs, most consumers would not buy them. An empirical investigation based on analysis of variance and Pearson’s correlation coefficient demonstrated that education, income and social class were significant determinants of genetic engineering awareness among consumers, while age had no impact

This study aims to investigate the determinants of green smartphone application adoption among users. The study employs content richness model and modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as well as extrinsic constructs such as customisation and environmental concerns. A quantitative approach using a survey is utilised by collecting 700 responses. The data is analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and three machine learning techniques including Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Classification Regression Tree (CRT) and Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID). The results indicate that UTAUT, customisation and environmental concerns positively impact the adoption of green applications. Further analysis revealed fitness of analytical methods and the importance of variables for the overall sample and the subsamples derived. The study provides theoretical and practical contributions to academics, marketers and software developers in understanding consumer behaviour in the field. The result assist developers and marketers to decipher consumer behaviour towards green applications for sustainable consumption. The research contributes to theory and practice by employing an integrative model to investigate the role of technology in sustainable consumption. Moreover, the findings revealed the fitness of three machine learning methods to analyse the data collected for green consumption and the importance of variables in the model. The data is collected by employing convenience sampling. Hence, the results cannot be generalised accurately. Furthermore, data collection is conducted using a cross-sectional approach. Future researchers can add to the findings using a probability sampling and/or longitudinal data collection to generalise the results and reveal the changes in consumer behaviour. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54663/2182-9306.2023.v11.n21.179-212