RESEARCH METHODS
According to the review of marketing strategy literature, we have learned that marketing concept should concentrate on deepening customer thinking. In order to create customer value and satisfy customer needs and desire, corporations should realize the “customer-dominant” perspective and pay more attention to the direct messages about needs sent by the customers. SIVA marketing mix fits into the above marketing concept. Nevertheless, marketing concept only adopts the principle ideas of the four dimensions (customer solution customer information, customer value, and customer access) from SIVA marketing mix. When executives and managers plan marketing strategies based on its marketing concept, there is no practical and complete
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evaluation framework available. After the marketing strategies implemented, there is no concrete indicators to examine whether the strategies based on SIVA meet the goal—create satisfied repeat-purchase customers. Thus this study argued that each dimension of SIVA should contain several measurable attributes which fit into the corresponding dimension. By adding these attributes, SIVA could then become a complete and solid marketing strategy evaluation model, and the attributes in the model could then be used as indicators for goal-attainment. To achieve this, a transcendent theory about all human needs is required to link with dimensions of SIVA before developing a marketing strategy model containing indicators of customer needs. According to the literature review, Maslow’s [32] is the most suitable candidate.
Maslow [32] hierarchy of needs seeks to explain human needs, from the most basic to the highest, and a SIVA marketing mix similarly seeks to explain how an enterprise should precisely identify and satisfy customers’ needs and wants [69, p.124]. The core aspects of these two theories both emphasize human needs, and attributes developed by linking the individual aspects of the two theories are the “needs” attributes of customers at each level of the hierarchy of needs when engaging in consumer activities. These attributes can be used to construct comprehensive marketing strategy assessment models possessing both depth and breadth. Only a fully customer-focused marketing strategy MADM model of this type can identify customers’ true inner needs and wants at each level of the hierarchy of needs.
Therefore, this study used the customer-centric SIVA marketing mix and connected it with Maslow’s to establish a matrix (the dimensions of SIVA marketing mix is the longitudinal axis whilst Maslow’s is the horizontal axis). Based on the matrix, this study correspondingly developed the matched attributes of SIVA dimensions. Needs at each hierarchy in Maslow’s theory were used to conceptualize the attributes embedded in SIVA dimensions. Following this, nominal group technique (NGT) was applied to decide the most appropriate attributes of corresponding attributes in SIVA. An innovative marketing strategy MADM model which deepens customer thinking was then established, and was termed the SIVA-Need model.
3.1 Conceptualization of SIVA-Need latent attributes After reviewing related studies, Peronard and Ballantyne [77, p2-3] suggested that:
「 Conceptualization is an application of typology. Typology is used to establish construct validity and external validity. Methodologically speaking, the construction in typology relies on the identification of the different attributes that compose the overall structured entity. Therefore, attributes of a certain dimension should be homogeneous whereas heterogeneity between different attributes should be as high as possible [78]. Although in the past, typology was viewed as an overly simplified classification method, and too abstract to be used as a theory, it may reach the standard for proper theories after extensive development and explanations [79].」
Barsalou [80] argued that conceptualization is neither simple nor unstructured, but rather an analysis with systematic and rigorous processes. Under what condition is conceptualization a suitable analysis method? Hollebeek, et al. [81] suggested that conceptualization can be adopted based on the sufficient explanations of the dimensions and attributes used in the study following literature review and qualitative explorations. In brief, conceptualization is a rigorous systematic classification method. In specifics, after literature review and qualitative analysis, conceptualization classifies various
Tsuen-Ho Hsu, Sen-Tien Her, Yung-Han Chang and Jia-Jeng Hou 41
attributes into groups, which each corresponds to a particular concept identified by hypothetical categories and implications. Within groups, there are differences among attributes in a way that they are mutually exclusive. However, they are also homogeneous in a way that all these attributes belong to the same dimension. Give this classification method could establish logical connections between different phenomena in dealing with abstract concepts, it may benefit academic discussions and exploratory research.
This study followed the content and conditions mentioned above and conducts rigorous conceptualization analysis. Based on customer-focused perspective, this study conducted rigorous analysis and make inferences and then identified the potential background factors, incidents, and thinking needs with previous studies1 and typology are utilized as the guidelines. Meanwhile, the classified attributes were created by connecting the dimensions of SIVA marketing mix to the aspects of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The latent attributes at the intersections of longitudinal axis (SIVA marketing mix dimensions) and horizontal axis (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) were conceptualized. After authors voting for each attribute in the SIVA-Need latent attributes database anonymously without interferences, attributes without more than half of the votes are deleted. In the end, a SIVA-Need latent attributes classification matrix is generated (Table 1).
1A total of 1,012 articles from Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were examined; these included 124 articles concerning basic needs, 92 concerning safety needs, 131 concerning social needs, 109 concerning esteem needs, 106 concerning self-actualization needs, 112 concerning customer solutions, 133 concerning customer information, 108 concerning customer value, and 97 concerning customer access.
The conceptualization method, used to analyze the implications at the liking points in order to obtain the latent attributes, is derived from the conceptualization and typology descriptions provided by Hoyer and MacInnis [78], MacInnis [82], and Peronard and Ballantyne [77]. Accordingly, the attributes at one particular intersection point are homogeneous with heterogeneity among them with the advantage of high construct and external validity without confusions inter-attribute.
Table 1. SIVA-Need Latent Attributes Classification Matrix needs
attributes SIVA
Physiological needs Basic needs＊
Safety needs Social needs Esteem needs Self- actualization
Customer solutions
1.amenity 2.convenience 3.pleasantness
1.commodity safety 2.reliability 3.certainty
1.affectivity 2.sociability 3.emotionality
1.sense of accomplishment 2.exclusiveness 3.applicability
1.personal style 2.customized
Customer information
1.transparency 2.intelligibility 3.completeness
1.information safety 2.traceability
1.communicability 2. online consultation
1.respect for diversity 2.privacy
1.completeness 2.sufficiency 3.uniqueness
Customer value
1.Usability 2.affordability 3.product benefits
1.dependability 2.psychological benefits
1.connectability 2. brand community value
1.exceptioness 2.sense of honor 3.dignity
1.personal value 2.perfection 3.integration
Customer access
1.efficiency 2.effectiveness 3.immediacy
1.friendliness 2.consumption safety 3.accuracy
1.serviceability 2.care ability 3.belongingness
1.courteous reception 2.warmth 3.initiativeness
1.autonomous consumption 2.actualization
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＊ Physiological needs are defined as the needs to be satisfied through food, excretion, sleep, warmth, and sex. However in the market, commodities are not limited to the goods or services providing the above. Therefore, this study expanded the physiological needs to basic needs to cover various commodities.