Digital transformation of rural marketing: A bibliometric analysis and future research agenda

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of rural marketing research over the period of 2015-2025, examining its intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and emerging research directions. Using Scopus-indexed publications (n = 170) and employing bibliometric tools such as VOSviewer, the study identifies significant growth in scholarly output, particularly after 2020, indicating increasing academic and practical interest in rural markets. The analysis highlights leading journals, influential publications, and dominant research contexts, with China emerging as a key contributor. Science mapping reveals major thematic clusters, including rural development, rural tourism, digital marketing, sustainability, and social media. The findings further demonstrate a transition from traditional agricultural marketing approaches to digitally enabled and sustainability-oriented frameworks. Despite this growth, the field remains characterized by conceptual fragmentation. By synthesizing diverse research streams, this study contributes to a more coherent understanding of rural marketing and proposes a future research agenda focused on digital transformation and sustainable rural development. The findings offer valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners engaged in rural and tourism development.