EXPLORING THE MARKETING STRATEGIES OF KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS IN EUROPE

Sa？etak The aim of this paper is to analyze and identify the marketing activities of different communities devoted to Krishna consciousness in Europe, and to develop a model based on these findings to interpret the system devotees have built up throughout the years to gain more followers of the religion. Krishna consciousness is well-known for the marketing efforts of the community; however, the research literature is limited so far concerning the activities they apply in order to reach a wide audience. In 2016 and 2017 a qualitative research was carried out including observations and interviews in five European villages in Hungary, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Germany. The research identified a pattern of a two-step marketing process in all of the four communities. In the first step the communities are promoted as touristic destinations, focusing mainly on tourism and its cultural motives. Here the devotees apply a wide range of methods, such as online media, fliers and organize numerous festivals and cultural events to attract people. In the second phase tourists - who have already taken the first step towards Krishna consciousness by visiting the villages – are informed about the essence and most important teachings of the religion and they can experience many aspects of it via interactive programs, which increases involvement and understanding. The model created contributes to analyzing and understanding the marketing activities of Krishna consciousness more in details. In the long run it can also be extended to other religions, therefore makes the analysis and development of marketing concepts of other religious groups also possible