Marketing public policy in the digital age: Government strategies for effective new media engagement under marketing 4.0

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained systems of public health globally and spurred effective communication by governments in the digital age. For Taiwan, which is an information technology world leader, the pandemic represented an important test of digital governance and communication of policies. As social media and online platforms have increasingly formed public discourse, marketing by the government should develop beyond compliance legally to tactical engagement that promotes policy comprehension and acceptance. This study developed a Marketing 4.0-based grey multi-attribute decision-making (G-MADM) model to evaluate and improve government policy marketing effectiveness. The analytical framework comprised four key dimensions: brand identity, brand image, brand integrity, and brand interaction. Inputs from experts were used to create an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the assessment criteria priority. Causal interrelations were determined through the grey decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (G-DEMATEL). Subsequently, an influential network relationship diagram (INRD) was constructed. The weighted influence per factor was established using the G-DEMATEL-based analytic network process (G-DANP). Finally, performance gaps were assessed through the modified VlseKriterijuska Optimizacija I Komoromisno Resenje (m-VIKOR). Results revealed that brand integrity was the most important causal influencing factor, while brand image recorded the highest influence weight. Brand interaction required the most instantaneous enhancement. The suggested model presented a framework of integrated decision support for government institutions to develop evidence-based strategies for digital communication. Hence, decreasing information asymmetry and modifying misinformation would contribute to post-pandemic policy governance that is more credible, transparent, and centred on the public.