Strategic Marketing of Insurance Products in Competitive Urban Markets: Evidence from Kano

This study examines strategic marketing approaches employed by insurance companies to grow their market share in the competitive urban insurance market in Kano, North West Nigeria. Despite being Nigeria's second most populous city and a major commercial hub, Kano's insurance market remains significantly underdeveloped relative to Lagos and Abuja, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for strategically positioned insurers. This research employs a management study design with data from 40 insurance company marketing managers and 200 policyholders in Kano metropolis. Marketing manager questionnaires assess product development strategies, distribution channel choices, pricing approaches, promotional expenditure allocation, and digital marketing integration. Policyholder questionnaires capture awareness sources, product preferences, and purchase motivations. Descriptive statistics and factor analysis identify dominant marketing strategy configurations and their effectiveness metrics. Preliminary findings are expected to document limited marketing investment in the Kano market relative to southern cities, and a heavy reliance on agent-based distribution over digital channels. The study recommends culturally adapted marketing strategies including Takaful product promotion, community-based distribution networks, and Arabic-language communications targeting Kano's predominantly Hausa-speaking consumer base. Keywords: Insurance Marketing, Market Strategy, Kano, Urban Insurance, Product Distribution.