Effect of Marketing Strategies on Export Performance of Agricultural Products: The Case of Saffron in Iran

The trend of export in some developing countries such as Iran shows that, in addition to exogenous factors such as exchange rates volatility and government policies, endogenous variables also affect the volume and value of products export. Among endogenous factors, the role of marketing strategies is very important. In the current study, the role of marketing strategies of market penetration, market development, product development, and differentiation on the export performance of saffron exporting companies in Khorasan Razavi Province in Iran was investigated using spatial panel data regression model. In order to calculate the export performance index, the four components of firm’s profitability, sales volume, sales growth, and export intensity were considered. Data and information used in the study were obtained from a census of 14 saffron exporting companies during 2011-2016. The results show that marketing strategies of differentiation, market development, and product development had a significant positive effect on the export performance of saffron companies in Iran. Therefore, by applying appropriate marketing strategies in different markets, export performance could be enhanced.