A cause-related marketing model for the iranian banking system: a phenomenological approach

Despite almost four decades of introducing the Cause-Related Marketing (CRM) concept into business and marketing literature, there is still no general agreement as to the definition, content, and scope of marketing, in particular, in countries such as Iran. In this regard, while this article will examine and present the conceptual framework of this issue during the period of creation, it aims to achieve a conceptual model for Cause-Related Marketing in the banking system of Iran. For this reason, the concept of Cause-Related Marketing is analyzed in terms of its origin and evolution, content and scope, and various well-known definitions. The first part reviews the subject literature and integrates the findings of previous researchers. The second section was done by the phenomenological method and through a detailed interview with banking system experts. The study population was senior managers of Keshavarzi Bank, and the strategy of sampling was non-random, available, and utilized theoretical sampling methods. In this regard, 16 senior managers of the Agricultural Bank of Iran were selected as the statistical sample for data collection. Qualitative data were analyzed using open and axial coding using the MaxQDA12pro software. Findings separate the concept of Cause-Related Marketing from other related or similar terms and describe various types of Cause-Related Marketing campaigns. Finally, the phenomenological method was used to examine and provide the dimensions and components of Cause-Related Marketing in the banking system of Iran. Analyzing the results of the interviews shows that Cause-Related Marketing in the banking system has direct (management, economic, and characteristics of the causal activities) and indirect (social, scientific, cultural, religious, and geographical components) dimensions.