Identifying Key Drivers Influencing the Future of Humanitarian Marketing in Companies Active in Green Products
Keywords:
Humanitarian marketing, green products, thematic analysis, customer rights, strategic philanthropyAbstract
This study aims to identify and thematically model the key drivers influencing the future trajectory of humanitarian marketing in companies engaged in green product development. This qualitative exploratory study utilized semi-structured interviews with 12 purposively and theoretically sampled experts in green and humanitarian marketing. Participants were selected based on academic rank, expertise in sustainability, and familiarity with content analysis. Data collection was informed by a prior literature review (2020–2024) and evaluated using a 10-item critical appraisal checklist. Interviews transitioned from unstructured to semi-structured formats to ensure thematic emergence. Thematic analysis followed a three-level coding process (open, axial, selective), resulting in 315 codes, 32 basic themes, 6 organizing themes, and 3 global themes. MAXQDA software was used for coding. Reliability of themes was confirmed via Fuzzy Delphi analysis, applying triangular fuzzy numbers and a defuzzified mean threshold of 0.70. Thematic analysis revealed three global dimensions—individual rights, institutional rights, and social rights of customers—governing humanitarian marketing in green product firms. The “social rights” dimension, encompassing green norm internalization and legitimacy, had the highest frequency (35.55%), followed by institutional rights (32.69%) and individual rights (31.76%). The most robust theme in the Delphi analysis was “Green Customer Solidarity” (mean = 0.79), affirming stakeholder involvement as a key future driver. Themes highlighted include green value cognition, eco-symbolism, legal compliance, trust-building, societal equity, and participatory marketing. Humanitarian marketing in green product contexts is evolving into a multidimensional rights-based framework that requires alignment between ethical narratives, customer values, and institutional accountability. Future success hinges on firms’ ability to integrate cognitive, legal, and societal imperatives while ensuring cultural coherence, technological readiness, and stakeholder engagement.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Seyed Shahabaldin Tabatabaei (Author); Alireza Rousta; Farzad Asayesh , Mahmood Ahmadi sharif (Author)
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