Validation of a Digital Marketing Model in the Iranian Restaurant and Fast-Food Industry (Case Study: Restaurants in Tehran)

Abstract

This study was conducted with the aim of validating a digital marketing model in the Iranian restaurant and fast-food industry. In terms of purpose, the study was applied; in terms of approach, it was developmental; and regarding data analysis, it employed a mixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) design. In the qualitative phase, the statistical population consisted of a group of experts, including senior restaurant managers, university faculty members specializing in digital marketing, and marketing consultants familiar with the restaurant and fast-food industry. Accordingly, 11 experts were selected using theoretical sampling. The primary data collection tool in the qualitative phase was in-depth, unstructured interviews with the experts. The interview data were analyzed using the Grounded Theory approach. In the quantitative phase, managers of restaurants and fast-food establishments actively engaged in digital marketing in the city of Tehran were considered as the study population. Among them, 400 participants were selected as the statistical sample using non-probability convenience sampling. In this phase, a researcher-developed closed-ended questionnaire consisting of 42 items was used as the primary data collection instrument. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were examined and confirmed using various methods. For descriptive and inferential statistical analyses in the quantitative phase, SPSS and SmartPLS software were utilized. The findings led to the development of a digital marketing model for the Iranian restaurant and fast-food industry in the form of a paradigmatic model (comprising six variables and seventeen main categories). Furthermore, the proposed model was empirically tested and validated.