Institutionalization of components of Iran national soft power based on social marketing approach

Social marketing approach is the use of commercial marketing techniques to increase the acceptability of a belief or behavior among targeted audience. Based on social marketing school of thought, marketing concepts can be used to promote favorable beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. The aim of this study is to determine the role of social marketing in the institutionalization of components of the Iran National soft power. In the first step of study, components of Iran National soft power were identified. In the second step, through library study and interviews with experts, strategies for Institutionalization of components of Iran national soft power based on social marketing approach were presented. Components of Iran national soft power include the truth believing, justice orientation, anti-oppression, cultures of perseverance, supporting national sovereignty, national Solidarity, patriotism, social capital, Iranian - Islamic lifestyle and cultural-ethnic conformity. To institutionalization of the components of soft power, Social marketing can be used to modify and change society's attitude towards these components. According to opinions of the experts, to institutionalize component of soft power, we should by using integrated management of social marketing tools, explain importance and necessity of soft power, so that, society's attitude towards these components internalized. Results of this research show that six Components of Iran national soft power include the truth believing, justice orientation, anti-oppression, cultures of perseverance, supporting national sovereignty and patriotism are very important issues for the majority of the population. But Components of Iran national soft power include national Solidarity, social capital and Iranian - Islamic lifestyle and cultural-ethnic conformity are not very important issues for the majority of the population. Experts suggest that myth-building strategy can be used to institutionalize truth believing, justice orientation, anti-oppression, cultures of perseverance, supporting national sovereignty and patriotism; and linking strategy can be used to institutionalize national Solidarity, social capital and Iranian - Islamic lifestyle and cultural-ethnic conformity.