Sustainable B2B Branding Through Social Media: An Exploratory Analysis of Iranian Ports (مقاله علمی وزارت علوم)

چکیده

Business-to-Business markets use the positive effect of sustainable measures to strengthen their brand. Because sustainable branding supports competitive advantage with a positive impact on customer perceptions and satisfaction, in this regard, the tools and platforms available in the online environment can be effective in sustainable B2B branding by facilitating interaction and dialogue in an informal way between the company and its audience. Therefore, the current research was conducted to provide a conceptual framework of sustainable B2B branding through social media using the qualitative method of theme analysis on Iranian ports. This is an exploratory research with an aim to be applicable. The statistical population is Iranian port managers, and to collect information, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 14 key informants (saturation limit) who were selected by a targeted method. To analyze the data, the text of the interviews was transcribed. Then, using Atlas software and the inductive thematic analysis method, data were coded, analyzed, and interpreted. In this research, the framework of sustainable branding from company to company was explained through social media with 117 basic codes, 10 sub-themes, and 3 main themes of social media management, brand mantra, and sustainability action.