This study aims to identify the capacities of social media for marketing high-budget (“A-special”) TV series produced by IRIB. It is applied in purpose and exploratory in nature. Drawing on the marketing mix and viral marketing frameworks, adapted to social media and media products, the study investigates this field. Data were collected through 16 in-depth semi-structured interviews with producers and crew, IRIB managers, and marketing and digital media experts using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis with open, axial, and selective coding. Findings fall into seven themes: content, production, platform, promotional-interactive, economic, organizational, and international capacities. Results show that aligning subject, genre, and characters with contemporary audience lifestyles and social media logic enables organic creation of teasers, clips, and discussions. Large-scale production can support branding if well planned; however, lack of platform strategies, 360-degree campaigns, balanced budgeting, and structural barriers limit these capacities. Overall, the findings confirm and localize marketing mix and viral marketing frameworks and highlight the need to shift from one-dimensional advertising to an ecosystem-based, interactive, data-driven approach.
hosseini,S B and Tazikeh,M . (2026). Identifying the Capacities of Social Media for Marketing Special Alef Series of IRIB. (e12605). Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture, 16(1), e12605 doi: 10.30465/ismc.2026.54225.3031
MLA
hosseini,S B , and Tazikeh,M . "Identifying the Capacities of Social Media for Marketing Special Alef Series of IRIB" .e12605 , Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture, 16, 1, 2026, e12605. doi: 10.30465/ismc.2026.54225.3031
HARVARD
hosseini S B, Tazikeh M. (2026). 'Identifying the Capacities of Social Media for Marketing Special Alef Series of IRIB', Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture, 16(1), e12605. doi: 10.30465/ismc.2026.54225.3031
CHICAGO
S B hosseini and M Tazikeh, "Identifying the Capacities of Social Media for Marketing Special Alef Series of IRIB," Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture, 16 1 (2026): e12605, doi: 10.30465/ismc.2026.54225.3031
VANCOUVER
hosseini S B, Tazikeh M. Identifying the Capacities of Social Media for Marketing Special Alef Series of IRIB. Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture. 2026;16(1):e12605 (In Persian). doi: 10.30465/ismc.2026.54225.3031
