Developing a Marketing Strategy–Based Model to Enhance Political Participation Using Smart Data

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and contextualize a political marketing strategy–based model using smart data to enhance political participation in South Khorasan Province. This applied study adopted a qualitative approach using qualitative content analysis. Data were obtained from three complementary sources: scientific literature and previous studies, documentary and media content related to elections and political participation, and semi-structured interviews with experts in marketing, political science, media, communication, electoral behavior, election administration, data analysis, and political sociology. Experts were selected purposively according to their academic expertise, professional experience, relevant practical background, and familiarity with the local electoral context, and interviewing continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were analyzed following Graneheim and Lundman’s qualitative content analysis procedure, progressing from identification and condensation of meaning units to initial coding, categorization into subthemes, and abstraction of overarching themes. Trustworthiness was ensured using Lincoln and Guba’s criteria of credibility, transferability, confirmability, and dependability. Inductive analysis revealed a three-stage process model for enhancing political participation. The pre-competition stage comprised political market analysis and monitoring, target-market selection, and political relationship marketing. The competition stage incorporated political branding, electoral media management, integrated political marketing communications, and content marketing. The implementation stage centered on the management and execution of the electoral process through improved voting experience, electoral transparency, and process mechanization. The inferred relationships among the themes indicated that systematic audience and public-opinion analysis, voter segmentation, trust building, message consistency, favorable candidate positioning, differentiated and measurable political content, and a transparent, accessible, and reliable voting experience operate sequentially and synergistically to strengthen political participation. Thus, participation emerged as the outcome of an interconnected strategic chain extending from voter understanding to trust formation and ultimately to a credible electoral experience. Sustainable and informed political participation requires a process-oriented, data-driven, and human-centered approach integrating political marketing activities across the pre-competition, competition, and electoral implementation stages; accordingly, the proposed model provides a locally grounded and practical framework for designing strategies to strengthen political participation.