Providing a framework for the role of marketing in local development, focusing on key success factors

Articles in Press

Document Type : Article extracted From phd dissertation

Authors
Mohammad Dawwod Mansouri 1
Mohammad Bashokouh Ajorloo 2
Gaseem Zarie 2
Naser Seyfollhi 2
1 PhD Student in Marketing Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
2 Professor, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
10.22034/he.2026.565237.1179
Abstract
In the contemporary business environment, characterized by globalization, digital transformations, and an emphasis on sustainability, marketing management plays a pivotal role in enhancing local development. This approach positions marketing as a strategic tool for exploiting local potentials such as natural resources, cultural heritage, and young workforce. However, emerging economies like Iraq face structural challenges, including political instability, financial constraints, and environmental issues, which impact local development. These challenges highlight the necessity of identifying critical success factors in local marketing, where place branding and territorial marketing position local communities as competitive products in global markets and facilitate foreign direct investment attraction. The primary objective of this research is to examine the design of a model based on critical success factors to strengthen the performance of local development projects. The present study employed a qualitative approach using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory, based on semi-structured interviews with experts (professors, managers, and marketers). Snowball sampling continued until theoretical saturation, and data were coded at three levels: open, axial, and selective. The findings reveal a paradigmatic model comprising causal conditions (employment development, technological innovation), central phenomenon (digital and brand-oriented marketing), context (community participation, cultural adaptation), intervening conditions (local risks, government regulations), strategies (stakeholder interaction, performance monitoring), and consequences (economic growth, environmental protection, social welfare). Consequently, marketing as a critical success factor not only enhances local economic sustainability through market-oriented coordination and strategic utilization of digital tools but also, by reducing project failure rates and overcoming structural challenges in emerging economies like Iraq, increases long-term competitiveness and contributes to sustainable and inclusive community development. This model provides a practical framework for policymakers and managers to optimize the integration of marketing in local planning.

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Human Ecology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 24 February 2026