Proposing a Social Marketing Model for Gaining Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Knowledge-Based Companies

Objective In today’s knowledge-based economy, small and medium-sized knowledge-based companies play a crucial role in the economic and social development of countries. Governments, therefore, strive to provide the necessary support to foster the growth of such companies. However, one of the key challenges is the high level of competition in this sector. Hence, this study aims to present a social marketing model to help knowledge-based companies achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Methodology This research is applied-developmental in terms of purpose, descriptive in terms of data collection, and mixed-method in terms of data nature. The qualitative study population includes managers of knowledge-based companies selected through purposive sampling, with theoretical saturation reached after interviewing 17 individuals. The quantitative population consists of managers and experts from knowledge-based companies, with a sample size of 113 determined using Cohen's power analysis rule and G*Power software. Cluster-random sampling was used to select the participants. Data collection tools included semi-structured interviews for the qualitative part and a researcher-made questionnaire for the quantitative part. Thematic analysis was used for analyzing the qualitative interviews, while quantitative data were analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) method. Data analysis was conducted using MaxQDA and SMART PLS software. The reliability of the qualitative section was assessed using Holsti’s method (observed agreement percentage), yielding a coder agreement of 0.633, which is greater than 0.6, confirming sufficient reliability for the qualitative analysis. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed through expert opinions. Additionally, Cronbach's alpha for the questionnaire was 0.816 in a preliminary study. After distributing the questionnaire, its validity was further assessed using three methods: construct validity (outer model), convergent validity (AVE), and discriminant validity. The AVE values for all variables exceeded 0.5. Reliability was also confirmed with composite reliability (CR) and Cronbach’s alpha for each factor being greater than 0.7. Findings In the open coding phase, 283 codes were identified. Ultimately, through axial coding, five overarching themes, 11 organizing themes, and 51 basic themes were derived. Conclusion The results indicate that the social marketing mix, customer orientation, and marketing influence the legal and ethical responsibilities of the company. Legal and ethical responsibility, in turn, shapes the social marketing strategy, which impacts the company's economic, social, and environmental performance. It is expected that the sustainable performance of knowledge-based companies will lead to a competitive advantage in this sector. In this study, the GOF index was 0.616, which is greater than 0.36. Additionally, the RMS_theta index was 0.101, lower than 0.12. The SRMR index was calculated at 0.05, which is below 0.08, indicating a well-fitting model.