The Role of Promotion Strategy In Building The Mental Image of The Organization (An Analytical Study of The Opinions of A Sample of Dairy Product Consumers In The Holy City of Karbala)
Abstract
In an increasingly competitive global marketplace, promotional strategies have become essential tools for organizations to influence consumer perceptions and sustain market presence. Promotion is not merely about advertising it shapes how consumers mentally image a brand or organization. Dairy product organizations, particularly in regions like Karbala, Iraq, must use tailored promotion strategies to compete effectively and build a positive organizational image. However, the interaction between promotional tools (e.g., price discounts, free samples, in-store displays) and the consumer's mental image has been understudied in localized contexts. Few empirical studies explore the direct statistical relationship between promotion strategies and the mental image of an organization, especially among food product consumers in developing markets. This study aims to examine the correlation and causal impact between promotional strategies and the mental image of dairy-producing organizations, using a sample of 21 consumers in Karbala. The dimensions of both constructs were operationalized and analyzed through SPSS-based statistical tests. The findings confirm a statistically significant and strong positive correlation (r = 0.897, p < 0.05) between promotion strategy and the mental image of the organization. The regression analysis revealed that promotion strategy explains 80.5% of the variance in the organizational image, highlighting the dominance of in-store display and free sample strategies. The research uniquely integrates promotional mix dimensions with multi-faceted mental image constructs (cognitive, emotional, behavioral, social), offering a model for local market assessment. The study provides actionable recommendations for enhancing promotional strategy, emphasizing informed and ethical communication practices that strengthen organizational perception among consumers.
References
Zakaria Ahmed Azzam and others, Modern Marketing between Theory and Application, Dar Al-Masirah for Publishing and Distribution, Amman, Jordan, Second Edition, 2008, p. 349
Muhammad Abdo Hafez, The Promotional Mixture of Direct Selling and Advertising, Dar Al Fajr for Publishing and Distribution, Cairo, Egypt, First Edition, 2009
Qahtaan Al-Abdeli, Bashir Al-Alaq, Marketing Fundamentals and Principles, Zahran Publishing and Distribution House, Amman, Jordan, First Edition, 2012, p. 241
Bashir Abbas Al-Alaq, Ali Muhammad Rababa’a, Promotion and Advertising, First Edition, Al-Bazouri Scientific House, Amman, 1998, p. 1
Journal of Business Administration and Economic Studies, The Role of Social Media in the Success of Corporate Promotion Strategy, Oran, Volume 4, Issue 2, 3018, p. 21 .
Muhammad Jassim Al-Sumaidaie, Strategic Marketing, First Edition, Dar Al-Masirah for Publishing and Distribution, Amman, 2011, p. 22
Saeid Reza Beigi (Organizational Mental Image, the Key to Organization’s Development and Excellence ) , Academic Journal of Research in Economics & Management , Vol. 2, No. 8, August 2014, 43-53
Craig E.Carrol, 2008, organizational image, Blackwellrefrenceonline,10.1111/b.9781405131995.2008.x,1
baidaa satar laftah (Effect of the Mental Image Building Dimensions for The Company to Attract Attention of Iraqi Consumers for Local Products - Exploratory Study), Journal of Accounting and Financial Studies, Volume 11, Issue 35, Chapter Two, Year 2016, Page 61 .
Muhammad Rizwan , Qasim irshad , Kashif Ali , Muhammad Nadir , Muhammad Ejaz (IMPACT OF SALES PROMOTIONAL TOOLS ON PURCHASE INTENTION ) , International Journal of Management Sciences and Business Research , Volume 2, Issue 1- ISSN (2226-8235) , p : 42 – 43
S. A. AL-Rhaimi, “The Impact of Internal Marketing on the Mental Image of the Tourism Program,” International Journal of Marketing Studies, vol. 7, no. 3, p. 76, 2015.
T. Aziz, “The Role and Importance of Marketing Strategy in Improving the Company's Image,” Frontline Marketing, Management and Economics Journal, vol. 4, no. 03, pp. 18–27, 2024.
K. Gourine and F. Gourine, “The Role of The Promotion Mix in Strengthening the Mental Image of The Entreprise—A Field Study on A Sample of 'Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Tourism and Travel' Tourism Agency Clients in Laghouat City (Algeria),” Research in Educational & Human Sciences Arts & Languages, vol. 2, no. 2, 2021.
M. A. Tran, B. Nguyen, T. C. Melewar, and J. Bodoh, “Exploring the Corporate Image Formation Process,” Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 86–114, 2015.
M. M. Ghezail, C. Abdellah, and A. Mohammed, “Sports Marketing Strategy in Achieving the Marketing Objectives of the Economic Enterprise: A Case Study (Djezzy-Fans of USMA Club),” International Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 182–188, 2017.
Copyright (c) 2025 Muntadher Kadhim Shamran, Abeer M. Mahdi AL-shammari, Nagham Dayekh Abd Ali, Mohsin abbood Bandar

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
In submitting the manuscript to the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- The publication has been approved by the author(s) and by responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and copyright agreement.
License and Copyright Agreement
Authors who publish with Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.