Reflexive governance and the co-creation of socio-economic value: how macro-social marketing drives citizen-centric smart cities

Purpose Partnerships are viewed as important in social marketing for addressing wicked socio-economic problems. However, research is required to understand partnerships in macro-social marketing for complex exchange. And to uncover how socio-economic value is co-created as a process through this exchange. This study aims to explore reflexive governance as a systemic partnership platform for macro-social marketing in smart cities. It also identifies and breaks down the process of socio-economic value co-creation realised and determined by citizens. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory case study approach involved Belfast and Bristol as two UK cases at distinct stages of smart city development. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders from both cities alongside secondary data collection. With a structured thematic analysis approach to analyse the data collected. Findings Reflexive governance is identified as a systemic partnering platform for macro-social marketing in smart cities. Policymakers were the focal point in a boundary-spanning role to support citizen involvement in complex exchange. Involving upstream-midstream-downstream information flows facilitated by connectivity that enabled co-designed socio-economic solutions. Co-design principles were integral to a citizen-centric socio-economic value co-creation process. That was realised and subjectively determined as value through improvements in the lives of individual citizens. Research limitations/implications The study identifies reflexive governance as a systemic partnership platform for macro-social marketing. With policymakers crucial to planning and deploying digital connectivity for supporting citizen involvement in complex exchange. The role of strategic frameworks is identified for forming and resourcing reflexive governance and macro-social marketing in smart cities. Prioritising digital connectivity for upstream-downstream information flows in strategy implementation. The study also shows how systemic partnering through complex exchange co-creates socio-economic value in smart cities. With co-design principles for citizen-centric smart developments integral to a value co-creation process that improves citizens’. Practical implications The study shows that policymakers have a central role in developing and sustaining reflexive governance as a systemic partnership platform in smart cities, built upon digital connectivity and data sharing. And for deploying macro-social marketing as a tool for equitable socio-economic development. Reflexive governance and macro-social marketing therefore require integration into urban policy for tackling wicked socio-economic problems. The Bristol case provides an example of a city leveraging connectivity and data sharing to form reflexive governance that put citizens at the centre of a value co-creation process. Originality/value Reflexive governance is introduced to social marketing literature as a systemic partnering platform for macro-social marketing. The study shows how partnering for complex exchange is integral to a process of socio-economic value co-creation. The novel setting of smart cities provides insights into the powerful supporting role of digital connectivity and data sharing.