An Analytical Study of the Opinions of a Number of Marketing Managers and Experts in a Group of Consumer Product Marketing Companies in the Iraqi Markets

A Thesis Submitted

to the Council of the College of Administration and Economics – University of Karbala as a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Business Administration

Submitted by:

Adel Abdul Ajeel Al-Saadaawi

Supervised by:

Prof. Dr.

Abdul Fattah Jassim Zalaan

Abstract

This study aims to identify the impact of marketing insight, with its dimensions represented by novelty, Actionability, credibility, market relevance, and commercial potential, on the success of the brand, whose dimensions include perceived quality, perceived value, brand awareness, and brand loyalty in consumer product markets—specifically food products and detergents in Iraq. The research problem lies in understanding the influence of market-derived insight on brand success. The importance of this study emerges in two main aspects: an academic aspect, due to the limited focus of previous studies on the importance of marketing insight within a highly relevant marketing concept—the brand; and a practical aspect, through the real-world application in Iraqi consumer product companies. To achieve the study’s objective, the focus was placed on companies marketing consumer products in Iraq, selecting marketing decision-makers, in addition to experts and consultants involved in marketing decision-making processes within those companies. An online questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. The number of targeted companies was 15, and the number of valid responses amounted to 71 managers and experts. The research included two main hypotheses and ten sub-hypotheses. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis, using several statistical techniques, most notably Pearson’s simple correlation coefficient test, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test to assess data normality, Cronbach’s alpha to assess scale reliability, weighted arithmetic mean, standard deviation, response intensity, coefficient of variation, and simple regression analysis. Based on the analysis, the researcher reached a number of conclusions, the most important of which was the attention given by the companies in the sample to marketing insight due to its significant role in brand success. The researcher also presented a set of recommendations, including the necessity of utilizing academic and marketing research conducted by reputable universities and research centers to develop marketing practices. The study also emphasized the need to establish consulting centers and investment projects affiliated with these academic institutions within Iraqi markets, in order to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical application in the target markets.