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HOW MARKETING MIX MODEL CHANGES WITHIN A PANDEMIC SITUATION

HOW MARKETING MIX MODEL CHANGES

WITHIN A PANDEMIC SITUATION.

CU1022: Developing Academic Skills

ASSESSMENT TASK 3
DUE DATE: 22/01/2020

TUTOR: CARLA BRIDGE

NAME: NGUYEN DAT KHOA
ID STUDENT: 13998636
CU1022: DISCUSSION PAPER AND WRITTEN REFLECTION

JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY SINGAPORE

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HOW MARKETING MIX MODEL CHANGES WITHIN A PANDEMIC SITUATION
The impact of the SARS in 2003 and now the COVID-19 pandemic has had a terrible

impact on a wide range of sectors from education to health and politics and economics is no

exception when a series of businesses lose money or if not to the brink of collapse (Scott et

al., 2020). In this situation, the role of marketing is more important than ever (Scott et al.,

2020), but how will a marketing director have to market while the company in crisis,

especially the use of a marketing mix model 7Ps. Hence, it can be seen that determining

which P is the most important of the 7Ps is what a CMO has to do. To do that, a marketing

director must determine what the company's business products, services, and market

segmentation are and then go under the most important P of the 7Ps marketing mix to help

the business overcome difficulties and maximize profits, also make sure the customer's life in

the pandemic situation as a whole.

The marketing director must prioritize the most effective P in the 7Ps model during a

pandemic. The fundamental reason is to help businesses over the crisis period. As we may

know, the SARS epidemic in 2003 or currently Covid-19 has caused a series of businesses to

close or if not brink to the collapse, if these businesses could change the way they apply the

7Ps marketing mix, they could survive very well during this period. For instance, because the

Covid-19 pandemics has changed the food consumption behavior (Ben Hassen et al., 2020),

particularly, everyone limits to go out to buy food, therefore, capturing a customer's change

in food consumption behavior during an epidemic can help the marketing director determine

that the Place Distribution such as cooperating with home deliveries, digital marketing

companies will be most effective, not Promotion, Price, and so on (Herhausen et al., 2020).

Another example is a lot of restaurants in Hong Kong improved their food quality by offered

specialized “anti-SARS” menus, with items that claim to boost customers' immune system

(Tse et al., 2006). As a result, it helps food and beverage businesses cut down on marketing

costs but still achieve a certain profit. Furthermore, one of the worst-hit businesses in the

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HOW MARKETING MIX MODEL CHANGES WITHIN A PANDEMIC SITUATION
pandemic which is the hotels (Johnson Tew et al., 2008) have also proven that prioritizing the

right factor P application of the 7Ps model can help them survive very well during a

pandemic. The evidence is that many hotels offer their cleaning services to partner companies

or businesses in need at an affordable price (Lo et al., 2006), or even guest rooms become a

place for government to expand quarantine place should an unexpected outbreak of disease

arise. It can be seen that changing the use of the marketing mix model in times of crisis is one

of the solutions which is so effective with the core purpose of helping businesses survive and

overcome difficult times.

The marketing manager must determine what the product, what service as well as

what the market segment of the product or service is which helps them identify which P they

will prioritize during this period. On the one hand, marketing in the business-to-consumer

(B2C) market is more based on emotional aspects (Rėklaitis & Pilelienė, 2019). Therefore,

for products and services such as cosmetics, home appliances, and insurance, or fast-moving

consumer goods (FMCG) the main market segments will be mothers, housewives, and

women as a whole so integrating emotions into advertising (Majeed et al., 2017) will be an

effective way of applying Promotion to services and products of the B2C business model in

difficult times. In addition to the above products, health services, particularly hospitals and

clinics, also face going out shutdown if they cannot meet the needs of customers. However,

Ravangard et al (2020) found that Physical Evidence is the most important component in the

patient selection of hospitals. As a result, if hospitals and clinics can get the most out of the

Physical Evidence to ensure a safe, clean, and airy environment, as well as modern

equipment, will help hospitals and clinics to survive or even develop opportunities during

epidemics. In contrast, marketing in business-to-business sector focuses on more

professionalism. This is, compared to B2C models, companies with a B2B model focus more

on product logic and features, so B2B products will not need to focus much on mass media

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HOW MARKETING MIX MODEL CHANGES WITHIN A PANDEMIC SITUATION
(Rėklaitis & Pilelienė, 2019). For example, “The world's local bank” HSBC has made its

activities under four different segments namely Private Banking, Wealth Management &

Retail Management, Investment Banking & Global Banking, and Commercial Banking, and

HSBC also make sure they offer services to all the small and medium businesses like multi-

branch banking, phone banking, and doorstep banking. Another example is that we can see

that the Zoom enterprise has provided its products and functions to prevent the spread of

disease meanwhile optimizing work for partner organizations in a pandemic situation that

helps them flourish so fast (Lee, 2020). Obviously, in order to choose which P is the most

effective for the enterprises in a time of crisis, a marketing manager must identify the

company's products and services, as well as market segment, belongs to business model B2B

(Business-To-Business) or B2C (Business-To-Customer) since each model will use a

different marketing mix model.

Changing the way of using the marketing mix model at the right time to not only help

the enterprise overcome the period crisis but also make sure stabilize everyone's life or even

everyone's quality of life could be improved within an epidemic. Majeed et al (2017) declared

that “emotional feelings injected into an advertisement lead to significant positive changes in

the consumption behavior of women” (p. 5). Indeed, this statement have demonstrated that

Promotion optimization can positively change women's shopping behavior, helping them to

purchase more, from which more problems in life they will encounter will be less. For

instance, now housewives will not need to manually wash the dishes due to having the

dishwasher or they can also improve their family health with the oil-free fryer, and so forth.

Hence, their quality of life improved significantly. Furthermore, many businesses find the

pandemic phase as an opportunity for them to develop their responsibility to society as well

as building a lasting brand image because during the pandemic since many customers have a

high expectation of the customer services and social responsibilities of firms (Ding & Li,

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HOW MARKETING MIX MODEL CHANGES WITHIN A PANDEMIC SITUATION
2020, p. 10). For example, many UK manufacturing companies have switched to

manufacturing ventilators, special protective gear as well as hand sanitizers, or that many UK

supermarkets have special opening hours for priority for the elderly (He & Harris, 2020). In

addition, Jack Ma, the cofounder of Alibaba, though Jack Ma foundation and Alibaba

foundation, donated coronavirus test kits and other medical supplies to many countries

around the world (as cited in He & Harris, 2020). In Vietnam, Coca-Cola announced a 1-

month hiatus from advertising and set aside 7 billion VND to help Vietnam fight against the

Covid-19 pandemic which contributes a significant part to helping Vietnam become one of

the countries that control the pandemic best in the world. In fact, the importance of choosing

the most important P in the 7Ps model not only helps businesses cope well with the crisis but

also provides an opportunity for businesses to show their interest in society.

Not applying the marketing mix model properly will be the direct cause of the

business going to the brink of bankruptcy. Therefore, the role of a marketing manager at this

stage is extremely important when they are the ones to determine which Ps will be most

effective for their business through analyzing the products, services, and market segment of

the enterprise to not only help businesses respond well in times of crisis but also show their

interest in society. Cutting marketing budgets, helping businesses survive and thrive as

possible is the core reason why changing the 7Ps model use in a pandemic situation is crucial

ever. To do that, marketing managers must define their business as a B2B (Business to

Business) or B2C (Business to Customer) business model because each model will have a

different application of marketing mix together. Furthermore, social responsibility will also

be implemented by marketing managers through this marketing mix model to ensure not only

businesses exist but consumers will also be safe because there are no customers, businesses

will not ever exist. Developing a strategy to prioritize which factors to use in the 7Ps model is

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HOW MARKETING MIX MODEL CHANGES WITHIN A PANDEMIC SITUATION
essential in a crisis like SARS in 2003 or SARS - COV -2. This study will also serve as a

future reference for a marketing manager facing a similar crisis.

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References

Ben Hassen, T., El Bilali, H., & Allahyari, M. S. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on Food

Behavior and Consumption in Qatar. Sustainability, 12(17), 6973.

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176973

Ding, A. W., & Li, S. (2020). National response strategies and marketing innovations

during the COVID-19 pandemic. Business Horizons, 0007(6813), 2–12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.12.005

He, H., & Harris, L. (2020). The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Corporate Social

Responsibility and Marketing Philosophy. Journal of Business Research, 116(1), 176–

182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.030

Herhausen, D., Miočević, D., Morgan, R. E., & Kleijnen, M. H. (2020). The digital

marketing capabilities gap. Industrial Marketing Management, 90, 276–290.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2020.07.022

Johnson Tew, P., Lu, Z., Tolomiczenko, G., & Gellatly, J. (2008). SARS: lessons in

strategic planning for hoteliers and destination marketers. International Journal of

Contemporary Hospitality Management, 20(3), 332–346.

https://doi.org/10.1108/09596110810866145

Lee, N. R. (2020). Reducing the Spread of COVID-19: A Social Marketing

Perspective. Social Marketing Quarterly, 26(3), 259–265.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1524500420933789

Lo, A., Cheung, C., & Law, R. (2006). The survival of hotels during disaster: A case study of

Hong Kong in 2003. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 11(1), 65–80.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10941660500500733

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HOW MARKETING MIX MODEL CHANGES WITHIN A PANDEMIC SITUATION
Majeed, S., Lu, C., & Usman, M. (2017). Want to make me emotional? The influence of

emotional advertisements on women’s consumption behavior. Frontiers of Business

Research in China, 11(1), 2–25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s11782-017-0016-4

Ravangard, R., Khodadad, A., & Bastani, P. (2020). How marketing mix (7Ps) affect the

patients’ selection of a hospital: experience of a low-income country. Journal of the

Egyptian Public Health Association, 95(1), 2–8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-020-

00052-z

Rėklaitis, K., & Pilelienė, L. (2019). Principle Differences between B2B and B2C

Marketing Communication Processes. Management of Organizations: Systematic

Research, 81(1), 73–86. https://doi.org/10.1515/mosr-2019-0005

Scott, M. L., Martin, K. D., Wiener, J. L., Ellen, P. S., & Burton, S. (2020). The COVID-19

Pandemic at the Intersection of Marketing and Public Policy. Journal of Public Policy

& Marketing, 39(3), 257–265. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743915620932151

Tse, A. C. B., So, S., & Sin, L. (2006). Crisis management and recovery: how restaurants in

Hong Kong responded to SARS. International Journal of Hospitality

Management, 25(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2004.12.001

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Reflection

Scholarly Attributes Never Hardly Some Most All

at all of of the
the the time:
time time every
task
Academic humility: scholars have a thirst for
knowledge. They seek to do it better, strive to learn and     
try new and more things.
Ponder: Scholars think! Scholars know that quality
thoughts take time to develop and take time for reflection.     

Multiple perspectives: Scholars look beyond themselves

and see how others view things. They understand that we     
do not have to agree to understand other perspectives.
Prepared: Scholars have their materials ready and are
prepared mentally and physically with whatever is needed     
to learn.
Vision/Goals: scholars blaze trails and pave roads. They
know having a goal is key, not the content of the goal.     
Scholars understand that without a path, there can be no
vision. In this way, scholars set both long tem and short
term goals
Intellectual risk taking: Scholars challenge their minds
and constantly and view ideas and problems from     
different perspectives. Scholars exercise their mind by
trying challenging tasks
Excellence: scholars take pride in their work and seek
excellence in their finished products     

Save ideas: scholars organize their learning and find

ways to save their ideas: organized and systematic     
notetaking, notebooks, thumb drive, email, cloud storage
Perseverance: scholars exercise their minds by trying
challenging tasks an sticking to them, no matter how     
difficult
Varied resources: scholars look at multiple resources
including primary and secondary sources when learning     

Curiosity: Scholars always wonder: how does it work,

feel, interact, etc. and are willing to ask questions and     
seek answers. In this way, scholars are willing to
participate
Participate: scholars get involve, ask questions, seek
feedback, respond to the dialogue around them, are active     
with other scholars

Activities and questions to address

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HOW MARKETING MIX MODEL CHANGES WITHIN A PANDEMIC SITUATION
Please respond to the following questions. (There are no right or wrong answers)

1. Of all the things you have learned this semester, what has been most useful/valuable?

For me, what I learned is persistence and never give up. It can be said that this is the

first time I do the exercises in such a format, so I have a lot of difficulties in the

process of doing the homework. However, thanks to Ms. Carla for always gives me

great encouragement and advice so I can know where I am struggling and what to do.

Personally, I think I might not be able to complete it, however, in the end, I did it,

even I am grateful for what CU1022 brings as well as what Ms. Carla helped me out.

2. Describe an important turning point (i.e something you struggled with, an insight into

your topic…) in your research and writing process. What difference did it make and

why?

My topic research is how the 7ps mix marketing model has changed in a pandemic.

And at this time, I think a lot of times but still can't find the impact of this topic on

society as the requirement of the task. However, when I think slowly, learn more

thoughly about product services, especially the social impact of the topic that I study,

I found it is very close and happens every day in our life. Furthermore, through

reading many journal articles, I understand why some businesses go bankrupt and

some businesses have boomed in the pandemic situation in general.

3. If you had to use one scholarly attribute (from the list above) to describe your

learning journey this semester what would it be? What do you value about it?

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That is Perseverance - this is a skill that is really important not only in study but also

in many areas of life. What we are having trouble with, please stay calm, break down

it, and take care of them one by one. I see that if we ourselves still try, we still have a

chance, but if we stop too soon, we will fail. I also learned a quotation for myself is

that ''Don’t Stop When You’re Tired. Stop When You’re Done." - Marilyn Monroe.

4. Consider the purpose of the online lecture/tutorial classes. How would you sum up

or explain this experience to a new Diploma student? How can a new student make

the most use of these lessons? How did you make the most of the class time? What

did you learn about yourself from this online learning experience?

Even though I have to study online, however, I find that I absorb knowledge very

well. I believe that a new student when learning in this form must really focus during

each class and must take notes. I myself always jot down everything that is important

the teacher mentioned, after each learning, the first thing I do is download recording

to my computer to make a document for myself as I will review 1 to 2 times to make

sure you understand what your teacher taught. For me, I feel that online learning is

still a good form, however, it requires each person to have a good sense of and

responsibility for learning.

5. A lot of our learning happens offline. How successful have you been with managing

your time and finding solutions to your learning needs? What advice would you give a

new student to help them successfully study outside of the online classes? Did you use

your offline time well? What did you learn about yourself from this offline learning

experience?

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Honestly, I always start my work very early, you can see with Portfolio and Khan

Academy I finished very soon. Although coming to the following assessments, I had

difficulty managing my time because I tried to find out but there was no answer,

which resulted in a waste of time. Fortunately, I let go of the shyness to ask my

classmates, as well as ask my teacher to answer my questions. I just want to advise

new students to get started as quickly as possible with the most important document

you have is the Subject outline, then plan carefully and carefully so as not to be

pressured by time. During this offline study session, I found myself still having

problems in time management, and I found that I need to ask more questions and ask

questions when I don't understand something to avoid waste of time myself.

6. Consider the skills covered in classes: structure of essays, thesis statements and

topics sentences, peer review, reading, drafting, editing. How would you sum up

or explain the role of these key academic requirements to a new Diploma student who

may not have written many essays before? Why are they all important elements?

Each skill has a very important role, if there is no thesis statement and topic sentences

you will not know what you are writing about, without reading and drafting skills you

will take a lot of time and fast give up, in addition, peer-review is a great skill, it can

help you figure out where your essay is wrong, why this sentence is wrong, and so on.

Moreover, peer-review also helps us to gain more knowledge of many new fields.

Last but not least, if we have all the skills but do not know what the structure of an

essay will look like, the order in which it is, and how to cite it, everything becomes

meaningless.

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7. Using three or four sentences, describe yourself as a student scholar. Who are you

as a scholar? What are your strengths and weaknesses as a scholar?

I feel that I always have a spirit of improvement in studying, self-study skills are

improving day by day, as well as persistence skills. My strength is always wanting to

myself be able to learn as much knowledge and skills as possible. My weakness is that

I have low self-esteem in my work or think that I have not done well even though I

tried my best. However, I will change it immediately.

8. Give some advice to students entering the Diploma next semester? What are the three

things you think it is most important they know, understand, or do?

- Prepare as soon as possible with the materials available.

- Be persistent and never give up.

- Make friends with a few friends because when needed, they will always help and ask

the lecturer anything you have, please never be shy.

9. If you could give a short message to yourself at the start of the semester, what would

you say? Would you make any changes?

Always believe in yourself and try harder to complete the Diploma degree with the

best score.

10. What will you take away from this semester of study?

- Time management skills are improved.

- Better self-study and planning skills.

- Make a friend with a lot of great people.

- My essay and video in CU1022 and CS1022.

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