Optimal Tobacco Marketing Strategies Using Strategic Planning Tools(Case study: rural areas of Boqmech district, Chenaran city)

The most important task after the production of any product is to deliver that product to the consumers. Boqmech village in Chenaran city is considered as the center of tobacco production in Khorasan Razavi province for various historical, environmental, social and economic reasons; However, it faces many problems in product (Tobacco wood and leaves) marketing. Therefore, identifying the best tobacco marketing strategies will have a great impact on improving the economic situation of the people living in the region. The present study, in the framework of strategic planning, while recognizing the internal and external factors affecting tobacco marketing, provides appropriate strategies in tobacco marketing. The research was conducted in a descriptive-analytical method. To achieve the objectives of the research, 17 strengths, 23 weaknesses, 10 opportunities and 17 threats facing tobacco marketing were identified through the analysis of government policies, interviews with tobacco marketing activists and a number of tobacco growers. The analysis unit was 41 tobacco growers and activists in the field of tobacco marketing. In this research, two strategic planning tools, SWOT and QSPM, were used. In the SWOT matrix, according to the final scores in IFE = 2.54 and EFE = 2.170, the optimal competitive strategies (maximum-minimum) to improve tobacco marketing were identified. Optimal strategies were identified with the help of Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) and prioritization, as the most important strategy identified with a score of 0.996 was “to form a cooperative in the village with the participation of all tobacco growers”.