Investigating critical success factors in implementing marketing strategy in FMCG sector in Pakistan

Aiming the study at analyzing Critical Success Factors (CSFs) in implementing marketing strategy in the FMCG sector in Pakistan, the design consists of a survey of literature, primary data collection, modeling, and analysis. The population under study includes all stakeholders of the phenomenon, with a heterogeneous focus group (experts) from stakeholders serving as the sample. The sample size is eighteen experts. The modeling method used is ISM, and the analysis method is scale/data-centric MICMAC. The results of ISM show that the factor, namely brand visibility & awareness, occupies the bottom of the model; the composition of the team and diversity, and new business approaches occupy the middle of the model; whereas, the other fourteen factors occupy the top of the ISM model. The results of scale-centric MICMAC analysis indicate that CSFs, namely brand visibility & awareness, fall into the independent cluster, whereas all other factors fall into the linkage cluster. The dependent and autonomous clusters are empty. The results of data-centric MICMAC analysis show that CSFs, namely brand visibility & awareness, and green marketing campaigns, are independent; factors such as marketing innovation and market-oriented organizational culture are dependent; and all other factors fall into the linkage cluster. The autonomous cluster is empty. The study is based on first-hand real-time data collected from stakeholders and analyzed through scientific methodologies, providing valuable insights. It has profound theoretical and practical implications, contributing a list of CSFs in implementing marketing strategy, a scientific structural model, MICMAC diagrams, and a wealth of new and novel information about the phenomenon. Additionally, it offers a framework and important solid input for designing future research.