Reflexive governance and the co-creation of socio-economic value: How macro-social marketing drives citizen-centric smart cities

Purpose
Partnerships are viewed as important in social marketing for addressing wicked socio-economic problems. However, research is required to understand partnerships in macro-social marketing for complex exchange. And to uncover how socio-economic value is co-created as a process through this exchange. The study explores reflexive governance as a systemic partnership platform for macro-social marketing in smart cities. It also identifies and breaks down the process of socio-economic value co-creation realised and determined by citizens.

Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory case study approach involved Belfast and Bristol as two UK cases at distinct stages of smart city development. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders from both cities alongside secondary data collection. With a structured thematic analysis approach to analyse the data collected.

Findings
Reflexive governance is identified as a systemic partnering platform for macro-social marketing in smart cities. Policy makers were the focal point in a boundary-spanning role to support citizen involvement in complex exchange. Involving upstream-midstream-downstream information flows facilitated by connectivity that enabled co-designed socio-economic solutions. Co-design principles were integral to a citizen-centric socio-economic value co-creation process. That was realised and subjectively determined as value through improvements in the lives of individual citizens.

Originality
Reflexive governance is introduced to social marketing literature as a systemic partnering platform for macro-social marketing. The study shows how partnering for complex exchange is integral to a process of socio-economic value co-creation. The novel setting of smart cities provides insights into the powerful supporting role of digital connectivity and data sharing.