فصلنامه تحقیقات بازاریابی نوین
سال چهاردهم شماره 2 (پیاپی 53، تابستان 1403)

Foreign trade consultancy plays a crucial role in the advancement of international trade, requiring a distinct set of capabilities at both individual and organizational levels. This research aimed to develop a strategic capability framework for foreign trade consultancy. Employing a qualitative methodology, the study adopted a grounded theory approach from a Glaserian perspective and was fundamentally developmental in nature. The study population consisted of experts and professionals in foreign trade consultancy, including trade counselors and ambassadors. 12 participants were selected through purposeful judgmental sampling and data were collected using semi-structured interviews. To ensure the validity of the findings, inter-coder reliability was assessed using the Kappa coefficient, resulting in a value of 0.73, which indicated a satisfactory level of reliability. The results categorized the capabilities essential for success in foreign trade consultancy into two levels: individual and organizational. At the individual level, key capabilities included knowledge and expertise, communication and interpersonal skills, technical skills, and leadership and management abilities. At the organizational level, critical factors encompassed structure and resources, organizational culture, and processes and systems. Furthermore, value proposition and external relationships were highlighted as significant factors at the inter-organizational level. This framework can serve as a valuable management tool for organizations engaged in international trade.

In today's marketing landscape, brands increasingly leverage influencers as a strategy to introduce products. This study explored the impact of alignment between influencers and their audience on purchase intention, examining the mediating roles of customer citizenship behavior and customer participation behavior. By employing a descriptive-correlational research design, the data were collected from users of the Instagram social network. The sample consisted of 384 individuals determined by using the Krejcie and Morgan Table and selected through convenience sampling. A validated and reliable questionnaire was utilized for data collection. The research data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with a Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach, utilizing SPSS 22 and Smart PLS 4.0 software. The findings indicated that alignment between influencers and their audience positively and significantly affected customer participation behavior and customer citizenship behavior. Additionally, both customer participation behavior and citizenship behavior significantly influenced purchase intention. Finally, these behaviors served as mediators in the relationship between influencers and their audience regarding purchase intention. The results underscored the influential role of marketers in enhancing purchase rates through effective influencer strategies.

Customer’s perceived value is a critical factor in understanding consumer behavior and enhancing the shopping experience. In an era characterized by rapid technological advancements and significant shifts in the business landscape, customer experience has emerged as a vital component for differentiation and competitive advantage in the retail industry. Consequently, analyzing the factors that influence customer’s perceived value is of utmost importance. This research aimed to identify and investigate these factors, emphasizing their essential role in shaping perceived value within the retail sector. By doing so, we sought to contribute to the development of effective business strategies in this field. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the qualitative phase utilized MAXQDA software and thematic analysis to extract relevant factors from existing literature. In the subsequent quantitative phase, we prioritized these factors based on insights gathered from 502 customers in Mazandaran Province using Friedman's test, as well as perspectives from 30 marketing experts through Shannon entropy method. Notably, the ranking results from both groups were consistent, with social value emerging as the top priority for both customers and experts. This alignment underscored the significance of social value in shaping customer perceptions and experiences in the retail industry. Overall, this revision aimed to improve the flow of ideas, clarify the research objectives, and highlight the importance of the findings.

Entrepreneurial marketing has emerged as a pivotal concept within the realms of marketing and entrepreneurship, emphasizing innovative and creative marketing strategies employed by companies. With the rising volume of published research in this area, this study aimed to analyze the publishing process and conduct a bibliographic analysis of works in the field of entrepreneurial marketing. This research utilized 3 methods, i.e., bibliographic analysis, co-citation analysis, and co-word analysis, to investigate the influence of articles, authors, journals, and institutions. A total of 273 articles published between 1976 and 2024 were extracted from the Web of Science database for this analysis. The findings categorized research in entrepreneurial marketing into 3 main themes: Concept of Entrepreneurial Marketing Entrepreneurial Marketing in Practice Entrepreneurial Orientation and Market Orientation The results indicated a growing interest in entrepreneurial marketing, suggesting that future research should further explore the interplay between entrepreneurial orientation and market orientation to deepen understanding of this evolving field.

Customer brand co-creation behavior plays a crucial role in effective branding. However, previous research has not thoroughly explored the challenges associated with fostering this behavior or the strategies for overcoming them. This study aimed to identify these challenges, analyze their interrelationships, and propose actionable strategies. Conducted in 3 phases, the research involved a population of academic experts and professionals in the e-commerce industry, utilizing judgmental and snowball sampling methods. In the first and third phases, qualitative approaches—including semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis—were employed to identify challenges and strategies. The second phase utilized a quantitative approach, incorporating a researcher-designed questionnaire and fuzzy cognitive mapping to analyze the relationships among the identified challenges and create scenarios. The findings revealed 15 challenges categorized into 3 general levels: "internal organizational challenges", "environmental obstacles", and "customer-related issues". Notably, challenges, such as ineffective communication between brands and customers, a weak employer brand, and a lack of strategic alignment, were prominent across all backward scenarios, underscoring their significance. Conversely, cultural issues within society emerged as the most independent challenges in forward scenarios. Additionally, weak corporate branding and a closed organizational culture were present in all forward scenarios, highlighting their critical importance. The analysis of both scenarios emphasized the significant impact of the weak employer brand challenge. To address these potential obstacles, the study proposed 16 strategies organized into 3 key levels: "preparing the organization for co-creation", "mitigating the effects of external environmental obstacles", and "encouraging customer engagement in brand co-creation".

Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) is a fundamental concept in marketing and numerous companies continually seek to enhance their brand equity. This study aimed to elucidate CBBE within Iraqi telecommunication companies and identify its offline and online drivers. The research employed a qualitative approach, utilizing thematic analysis. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 academic experts and executives from various telecommunication firms in Iraq by using a targeted sampling method. Data analysis followed Castleberry and Nolen's (2018) 5-stage model, which included compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding. The findings revealed 55 open codes, which were organized into 13 sub-themes and 6 main themes and categorized into customer-based brand equity and its drivers. The components of CBBE encompassed perceived quality, brand association, brand awareness, and brand loyalty with perceived quality identified as a key element. Drivers of brand equity were divided into offline and online categories. Offline drivers included price equity, privacy, perceived security, ancillary services, customized services, and customer involvement in company affairs. Online drivers featured 2 sub-themes: internet support and advanced internet capabilities. The integration of both offline and online drivers could significantly enhance CBBE in Iraqi telecommunication companies.

Brand cultural symbolism is a crucial element of brand identity. In today's competitive marketplace, businesses strive not only to deliver high-quality products and services, but also to forge meaningful connections with their customers by establishing a distinctive and recognizable identity. In this context, brand cultural symbolism serves as an effective tool for creating emotional connections with customers and enhancing brand identity. These symbols can include slogans, logos, colors, motifs, and specific cultural concepts. The goal of brand cultural symbolism is to foster a deep relationship with consumers while differentiating the brand from its competitors. This research aimed to examine the impact of brand cultural symbolism on brand equity within the food industry. Additionally, it investigated the mediating roles of brand prestige, brand authenticity, and brand valuation in this relationship. The study was applied in nature and employed a descriptive survey methodology for data collection. A questionnaire was administered to 312 consumers in Tehran using convenience sampling. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS24 and Smart PLS3 software. The findings indicated that brand cultural symbolism significantly influenced brand prestige and brand authenticity. Furthermore, both brand prestige and brand authenticity had a substantial effect on brand equity through brand valuation. The results suggested that brand cultural symbolism played a key role in enhancing brand equity by leveraging factors, such as brand prestige, brand authenticity, and brand valuation.