Abstract

The growth of startups in the fisheries industry, alongside intensifying competition, shifting consumption patterns, and market complexities, underscores the necessity of revisiting traditional marketing approaches and moving toward creative and innovative models. Despite the importance of this issue, indigenous and systematic frameworks for explaining innovative marketing in this industry remain limited. Accordingly, the present study aims to develop and articulate a comprehensive model of innovative marketing in fisheries startups. This research employs a mixed-method approach (qualitative–quantitative). In the qualitative phase, grounded theory methodology was applied, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 academic experts and experienced managers in the fisheries industry. Participants were selected using a combination of judgmental and snowball sampling, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population consisted of fisheries industry practitioners, from whom 384 valid questionnaires were collected and analyzed using convenience random sampling. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed model and research hypotheses. Qualitative findings revealed that the innovative marketing model in fisheries startups comprises six main dimensions: causal conditions (e.g., weak market information, limited awareness, organizational strategy, and adoption of modern advertising methods), contextual conditions (including SWOT analysis, value creation, effective customer communication, and use of social media), intervening conditions (such as health and quality standards, data sharing and advanced analytics, global markets, and changing consumption patterns), core category (training, user experience, motivational strategies, and transformation in products and services), strategies (educational content delivery, value creation, strategic evaluation, and effective customer interaction), and outcomes (such as enhanced credibility, personalized offerings, experiential and content marketing, adoption of advanced technologies, and sustainable raw materials). Quantitative results confirmed that all research hypotheses were significant at the 0.05 level, indicating good model fit and meaningful relationships among its components. Overall, findings suggest that adopting innovative marketing can play a pivotal role in enhancing brand credibility, boosting sales, strengthening innovation, creating competitive differentiation, improving performance, and attracting new customers in fisheries startups.