Marketing Mix in E-Commerce
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School of Business |
Bachelor's thesis
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Authors
Date
2018
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Markkinointi
Language
en
Pages
40
Series
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to examine McCarthy’s marketing mix, that is, the 4Ps of marketing – product, price, place and promotion – in e-commerce literature and answer the research question "How are the 4Ps presented in the context of e-commerce?". This is a current topic because e-commerce has experienced rapid growth in recent years and the evolution is still expected to continue. E-commerce has been said to reshape business processes and entire industries, bringing benefits for both the companies and the consumers. Thus, it could be assumed that the 4Ps in e-commerce are presented very differently compared to the traditional views on products, price, place and promotion. The differences are indeed visible in the presentations of the Ps in the academic literature. When it comes to products, virtual and digital goods have emerged and have even replaced physical goods in some industries. Product assortment has grown remarkably and niche products generate a great amount of the online sales. Pricing, on the other hand, is described as dynamic and price discrimination seems to be popular, especially in the travel industry but also in retail. Place-wise the purchase in not connected to a physical place anymore as shopping is possible 24/7 in online stores. Also, the role of the Internet as a distribution channel is widely noticed, as it enables e-, multi- and omnichannel solutions. In the case of promotion, the Internet provides the infrastructure for online advertising. However, the biggest opportunity and challenge offered by e-commerce is the electronic word-of-mouth that facilitates the spread of both positive and negative experiences from consumer to consumer and hence, is rather difficult for companies to control.Description
Thesis advisor
Hänninen, MikkoKeywords
e-commerce, marketing mix, 4Ps, distribution channels