Designing a Social Marketing Model for Banking Services with an Emphasis on Consumer Behavior Patterns at Rafidain Bank in Iraq

Document Type : Original Article (Qualitative)

Authors

1 Department of Business Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

2 Prof., Department of Business Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

10.22034/jvcbm.2026.578953.1729
Abstract
This study aims to design and validate a social marketing model for banking services with an emphasis on consumer behavior patterns at Rafidain Bank in Iraq. The research was conducted using a qualitative sequential exploratory approach within an interpretive–inductive paradigm and was guided by the systematic grounded‑theory method of Strauss and Corbin (2015). Data were collected through 19 in‑depth semi‑structured interviews with experts, including managers and specialists at Rafidain Bank and academic marketing scholars, continuing until theoretical saturation was reached. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA 2024 through open, axial, and selective coding, which resulted in the extraction of 147 initial codes that were subsequently consolidated into 20 major categories. The reliability of the coding process was confirmed using Cohen’s Kappa coefficient (0.81). The findings were organized into a paradigmatic model of social marketing for banking services, incorporating causal conditions such as economic and political instability, the traditional structure of the bank, low levels of financial literacy, and limited social trust; contextual conditions including the socio‑cultural environment, social capital, and public attitudes toward state‑owned banks; and intervening conditions such as institutional and legal constraints, the perceptual gap between the bank and its customers, employee attitudes and readiness, and weaknesses in digital infrastructure. The resulting strategies comprise public financial education, transparent and bidirectional communication, genuine social engagement, internal organizational alignment, and the use of digital media. The outcomes of the model include enhanced customer trust and loyalty, improved consumer experience and behavior, strengthened social image and legitimacy of the bank, and increased economic participation within the community.

Keywords

Subjects



Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 December 2026

  • Receive Date 16 January 2026
  • Revise Date 21 February 2026
  • Accept Date 07 May 2026