Businesswoman talking on a cell phone
The service marketing mix is a marketing concept that considers all the different aspects that come into play when it comes to marketing a service to the public. Marketers need to adjust the focus of the different elements of the mix based on the service being sold and the specific market they inhabit. Four of the elements of the mix, the so-called “Four P’s”, which are product, price, location and promotion, are similar to the product’s marketing mix. Because the service business is inherently different from the business for those who sell products, the service marketing mix adds three more P’s – people, process and physical evidence – to give service sellers the “Seven P’s” in to concentrate.
Marketing a product and marketing a service require two different schools of thought. This is because a service does not provide any physical product to the consumer. Instead, the service provided is more of an intangible thing that is delivered to consumers. In addition, there is often competition in the market that offers the exact same service to the public. These are concepts that must be understood by marketers when controlling the services marketing mix.
There are certain factors that the services marketing mix shares with the product marketing mix. In the service industry, the product is the service provided, such as washing a car or paying someone’s taxes. The location is where the service is provided, which can be important to marketers if their location is beneficial to the business. Promotion refers to the measures used to market the service. Rounding out the Four Ps is price, which can be crucial in an industry where many competitors offer the same service.
In addition to these concerns, three other factors are unique to the services marketing mix. People are the employees who provide the service and frequently interact with consumers. The process refers to the way the service is provided, in terms of speed, efficiency and positive impact on the consumer. Finally, physical evidence can be roughly defined as the consumer’s experience of the place where the service is provided.
This gives marketers a total of seven key factors, the seven Ps, to consider in the services marketing mix. All of these elements, and the importance attached to them, can be manipulated to reflect the strengths of the company in question. For example, a company can promise fast pizza delivery by focusing on process. On the other hand, an independent company that offers the tastiest pizza would be wise to focus on the product. Marketers can budget according to the elements of the mix that are most useful to them.