Journal of Intelligent Marketing Management

Journal of Intelligent Marketing Management

Developing a brand reputation model with a social responsibility approach in the Shiraz tourism industry

Document Type : Excerpt from doctoral thesis

Authors
Mohammad Mahmoudi Maymand 1
Hassan Ansari 2
Ali Asghar Eyvazi Heshmat 3
1 Professor, Department of Business Management and IT, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Ph.D. Student in Business Administration, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Business Management and IT, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
JABM.3.2.15564.3515415139
Abstract
In the era of deep globalization, companies benefit from numerous advantages but face intensified competition, environmental harm, and declining customer trust. Consequently, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies are essential for meeting societal expectations and achieving sustainable development. CSR encompasses all value-chain activities and their societal, economic, and stakeholder impacts, serving as a critical factor in building credible brands, distinctive reputations, and lasting customer trust. Brand reputation is defined as stakeholders’ overall evaluation of a company based on past actions and future prospects (Su & Teo, 2025). CSR practices foster positive reputation and enhance brand image (Brahmi et al., 2025), representing foundational elements for reputation growth (Falk & Heblich, 2007). Despite the extensive CSR literature, significant gaps persist in specific sectors like tourism and hospitality, particularly in developing regions such as Fars Province, Iran.
This applied study adopted a mixed method approach to develop a conceptual brand reputation model through a CSR lens in Fars Province’s tourism and hospitality industry. Using purposive sampling, 12 marketing and tourism experts were interviewed via semi-structured and unstructured methods. Content validity was confirmed by CVR and CVI coefficients, while reliability exceeded Cronbach’s alpha of 0.8. An innovative combination of library research and the Delphi technique identified core variables, enabling the discovery of meaningful patterns.
Findings revealed a comprehensive model in which brand reputation is influenced by five key variables: brand identity, brand equity, social influence of the brand, brand visibility, and customer relationship. These dimensions collectively strengthen reputation through CSR integration.
In conclusion, this developmental research successfully formulated a CSR-based brand reputation model for Fars Province’s tourism and hospitality sector. The model, grounded in identity, equity, influence, visibility, and relationships, offers a practical tool for brand differentiation in a growing market. Recommendations include embedding CSR into core operations, launching transparent sustainability initiatives, and utilizing digital platforms to boost visibility. The framework provides valuable guidance for future research and strategic marketing policies in reputation management.
Keywords
Brand reputation
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Delphi technique
Tourism industry
Shiraz

Subjects

فلاحتی,علیرضا , میرابی,وحیدرضا و محبی,سراج الدین . (1404). طراحی مدل ساختاری تفسیری تجربه مشتری مبتنی بر نظریه برند و تجربه برند در بازاریابی هوشمند. مدیریت بازاریابی هوشمند, 6(1), 224-247. doi: JABM.3.2.15564.351256.548456
صادقی,سیده فاطمه . (1399). مطالعه تأثیر پیشینه تعاملات برند بر ابعاد ارزش برند مبتنی بر مصرف کننده از طریق ابعاد تعامل برند (مورد مطالعه: مشتریان دیجی کالا در اینستاگرام). مدیریت بازاریابی هوشمند, 1(1), 91-111.
کباری,یاسین . (1399). بررسی تاثیر مسئولیت پذیری اجتماعی شرکت و کیفیت خدمات بر تصویر برند با نقش میانجی رضایت مشتری(مورد مطالعه: فروشگاه پوشاک ارشید در شهر تهران). مدیریت بازاریابی هوشمند, 1(1), 112-134.
اکبرزاده,آیسان و محمودی میمند,محمد . (1399). بررسی تأثیر ارزش ویژه ی برند مبتنی بر مشتری بر وفاداری مشتری با در نظر گرفتن نقش میانجی رضایت مشتری و اعتماد (مورد مطالعه: مشتریان خودپرداز بانک ملت شهر تهران). مدیریت بازاریابی هوشمند, 1(1), 1-27.
حاجی بابائی,حسین , وثوق تبریزی,محمد و عبدی تکیه,کوثر . (1404). همسویی دنبال کننده، اینفلوئنسر و برند: از روابط پاراسوشال، ویژگی های برند و اینفلوئنسر تا قصد خرید. مدیریت بازاریابی هوشمند, 6(4), 212-236. doi: JABM.3.2.15564.351552.6768
Aaker, D. A. (1991). Managing brand equity: Capitalizing on the value of a brand name. Free Press.
Aaker, D. A. (1996). Building strong brands. Free Press.
Adewole, O. (2024). Leveraging on CSR as a tool of brand communication based on consumer’s perception with extrapolation from a novel 3-factor model. International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 9(1), Article 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-024-00101-2
Agarwal, R., Mehrotra, A., Mishra, A., Rana, N. P., Nunkoo, R., & Cho, M. (2024). Four decades of sustainable tourism research: Trends and future research directions. International Journal of Tourism Research, 26(3), e2643. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2643
Ahmadi, A., & Ataei, A. (2024). Emotional attachment: A bridge between brand reputation and brand advocacy. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 16(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-11-2021-0579
Alfian, R., Nugroho, F. W., & Yuliana, L. (2024). Analysis of brand awareness, brand loyalty and brand reputation on purchase decisions. Jurnal Bisnis dan Manajemen, 11(1), 63–74. https://doi.org/10.24198/jbm.v11i1.12636
Ali, M. F. B. M., Rehman, A. U., Sherief, A. R., & Nawal, A. (2025). Big data analytics and brand reputation: Catalysts for circular economy and sustainable performance. E&M Economics and Management, 28(3), 229–243. https://doi.org/10.15240/tul/001/2025-3-014
Arhinful, R., Mensah, L., Amin, H. I. M., Obeng, H. A., & Gyamfi, B. A. (2025). The strategic role of sustainable finance in corporate reputation: A signaling theory perspective. Sustainability, 17(11), Article 5002. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17115002
Brahmi, M., Hussain, Z., Majeed, M. U., Khan, A., Qureshi, M. A., & Bansal, R. (2025). Corporate social responsibility’s influence on brand image in the automotive sector: The corporate reputation and product quality role. Administrative Sciences, 15(4), Article 121. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15040121
Carvajal-Trujillo, E., Pérez-Gálvez, J. C., & Orts-Cardador, J. J. (2024). Exploring tourists’ pro-environmental behavior: A bibliometric analysis over two decades (1999–2023). Journal of Tourism Futures. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-02-2024-0033
Chen, X., Li, L., & Ling, X. (2024). Research on driving factors of digital innovation in the tourism industry. SAGE Open, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241304537
Choi, L., & Burnham, T. A. (2021). Brand reputation and customer voluntary sharing behavior: The intervening roles of self-expressive brand perceptions and status seeking. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 30(4), 565–578. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-12-2019-2670
de Chernatony, L. (1999). Brand management through narrowing the gap between brand identity and brand reputation. Journal of Marketing Management, 15(1–3), 157–179. https://doi.org/10.1362/026725799784870432
Du, S., Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2010). Maximizing business returns to corporate social responsibility (CSR): The role of CSR communication. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), 8–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00276.x
Falk, R., & Heblich, S. (2007). Corporate social responsibility: Doing well by doing good. Business Horizons, 50(3), 247–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2006.12.002
Fombrun, C. J. (1996). Reputation: Realizing value from the corporate image. Harvard Business School Press.
Greyser, S. A. (2009). Corporate brand reputation and brand crisis management. Management Decision, 47(4), 590–602. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740910959431
Hur, W.-M., Kim, H., & Woo, J. (2014). How CSR leads to corporate brand equity: Mediating mechanisms of corporate brand credibility and reputation. Journal of Business Ethics, 125(1), 75–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1910-0
Keller, K. L. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. Journal of Marketing, 57(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299305700101
Mahmood, A., & Bashir, J. (2020). How does corporate social responsibility transform brand reputation into brand equity? Economic and noneconomic perspectives of CSR. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 12, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1847979020927547
Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2006). Strategy and society: The link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility. Harvard Business Review, 84(12), 78–92.
Price, J. M., & Sun, W. (2017). Doing good and doing bad: The impact of corporate social responsibility and irresponsibility on firm performance. Journal of Business Research, 80, 82–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.07.007
Rust, R. T., Rand, W., Huang, M. H., Stephen, A. T., Brooks, G., & Chabuk, T. (2021). Real-time brand reputation tracking using social media. Journal of Marketing, 85(4), 21–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242921995173
Ryan, J., & Casidy, R. (2018). The role of brand reputation in organic food consumption: A behavioral reasoning perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 41, 239–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2017.12.008
Selnes, F. (1993). An examination of the effect of product performance on brand reputation, satisfaction and loyalty. European Journal of Marketing, 27(9), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090569310043179
Sinambela, F. A., Lim, J., & Fahlevi, R. (2025). The influence of brand reputation, information quality, information quantity, information credibility and customer reviews on purchase intention regarding hotel booking on the travel online application via information usefulness. Jurnal Ekuilnomi, 7(1), 220–229.
Somuah, C. O., Mensah, H. K., Okyere, G. A., Gyimah, P., & Kamil, N. M. (2025). A systematic review on socially responsible human resource management: Implications for social value creation. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 32(4), 5102–5118. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2769
Vigolo, V., Mion, G., & Moura e Sá, P. (2025). Gaining legitimation during environmental crises: An inquiry into the relationship between corporate social responsibility, reputation, and blame attribution. Social Responsibility Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/srj-04-2024-0294
Journal of Intelligent Marketing Management
Volume 7, Issue 1 - Serial Number 31
Winter 2026
Pages 129-152

  • Receive Date 13 November 2025
  • Revise Date 06 December 2025
  • Accept Date 15 December 2025