DELVING THE MARKETING STRATEGY OF PARLOR AND BARBERSHOPS

DURING PANDEMIC: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A marketing strategy has become an important tool globally for any business

to remain competitive in a market environment and be stronger. It is all about

satisfying the needs and wants of the people. Marketing management, on the other

hand, is the process of satisfying product demand and building a profitable

relationship with the market by providing them with products of superior value and

satisfaction. If firms want to survive in the competitive world of business, we need

marketing strategies to fulfill this. In essence, a marketing strategy clearly explains

how a business reaches its predetermined objectives. However, Prof. Philip Kotler

defines marketing strategy as the basic approach that the business unit will use to

attain its goals and which comprises elaborate decisions (strategies) on the largest

markets, market positioning and mix, and marketing expenditure allocation.

Some of the entrepreneurs, specifically the parlor salons and barbershop business

still manage efficiency to continue to operate while dealing with the COVID-19

Crisis with their creative marketing strategy. However, this study will seek to

present the common marketing strategies used by salon parlors and barbershops to

survive and continue to operate during the pandemic.

 In US, a study was conducted about the ways on how they do business to

navigate the difficult times brought on by the pandemic and the finding reveals that

the owners of the parlor and barbershops are motivated to embrace new ways to

adapt and ensure they stay in business, survive the crisis and continue to surprise

and delight their customers. However, they face several obstacles in the process of

adapting new ways, especially in using the marketing channels like email and social

media. (McGovern, 2020)

In the Philippines, particularly in Metro Manila it was found that COVID-19

pandemic represents one of the most important environmental challenges in the

modern corporate world, which has a strong effect in the entrepreneurs. However,

they still manage to thrive in continuity of the businesses where they had to rethink

and innovate their habits, strategies and the way to move forward in these dilemmas

(Rana, 2021).

In Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, the researchers observed that there are some of the

entrepreneurs especially the salon parlor and barbershops owners have been

struggling mightily through the COVID-19 pandemic, but some have survived and

plan to use innovations adopted during the pandemic to derive revenue and

continue to operate the business. We found out that entrepreneurs require new

approaches or marketing strategies in order to afloat during the pandemic.

With this, it poses a question as to what are the marketing strategies of the

entrepreneurs especially the salon parlors and barbershops owners. Unfortunately,

there has been no qualitative research about the marketing strategies of salon parlors

and barbershops during the pandemic. From the different studies we read, we found
out that there are many studies about marketing strategies but it does not talk about

the salon parlors and barbershops. There is no qualitative research conducted that

delved through the experiences of the salon parlors and barbershops owners and

employees; also, in knowing their ways on how they get through those struggles or

obstacles they encountered during the pandemic. Hence, this study will fill the gap

in literature as the researcher will get to know more on the lived experiences,

marketing and coping strategies of the entrepreneurs involved in the study.

We believed that this study should be conducted as a means to know the

underlying and creative marketing strategies that the salon parlors and barbershops

owners of Trento, Agusan del Sur implemented in order to survive during this

COVID-19 crisis. Furthermore, the goal of this study is also to know how their

strategies affect their business and how the customers deal with their marketing

strategy wherein it can be useful for everyone especially to our future entrepreneurs.

With this, certain actions could be taken to address this problem at hand.

In this pandemic, we change how we see that world, the ways in which we think

and how we conduct our lives especially in the corporate world. A lot of business

owners were affected wherein it result in temporarily shutdown of nearly 10000

establishment considering a lot of factors, but some of the organizations still manage

to thrive or survive creatively during the pandemic such as the parlor salons and

barbershops.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore and describe the

marketing strategies of the salon parlors and barbershops owners of Trento, Agusan

del Sur during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, we can apply their marketing

strategy, if we build a small or large business in the future. This study will benefit

the other business because the result of this study may serve as the guide of small-

scale business to improve their marketing strategy.

At this stage of research, the marketing strategies of salon parlors and

barbershops owners will be known through exploring the lived experiences of salon

parlors and barbershops owners and employees, their ways of surviving with the

struggles they experienced during the pandemic, and their insights and aspirations

with their experiences.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study aims to know what are the marketing strategy used by the salon

parlors and barbershops in Trento, Agusan del Sur and how these affect their

business. Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What are the lived experiences of salon parlors and barbershops during

pandemic?

2. How did the salon parlors and barbershops cope with their experiences

during pandemic?

3. What are the insights of salon parlors and barbershops about their

experiences during pandemic?

THEORITICAL LENS

This study is linked to the Action Theory of Modern Marketing by Seth Godin

(2015). Godin expresses that every marketer, business and product must address 4

key elements in the modern marketing model (Emotion, Change, Alert and Share)

which explains the basic knowledge about marketing strategies like choosing what

emotion they want to invoke and in who, changes in new thoughts or perceptions

that will leave to customers, gain privilege of delivering anticipated business and the

permission to alert them when exciting things arise, and lastly making something

that is worth sharing that when change happens people will choose to share the

experience on social medias or with friends. In addition, Godin also suggest that

another attribute of good marketers is humility. It is required in order to give up the

perspectives and the beliefs to understand those from our customers.

This theory is relevant to the research because it attempts to explain and define

the methods and techniques used to change the way customers and businesses

operate, particularly at this time of pandemic, and to comprehend marketing

strategy as a means of change. And also, this explains the distinction between bad

marketing and good marketing which also states the fundamental effective

marketing.

This is also supported to the Kotler's Five Product Level Model Theory. Kotler’s

theory states that it is a way to show the different levels of need customers have for a

product or services, such as: Core benefit, Generic Product, Expected Product,

Augmented Product and Potential Product (Philip Kotler, 1960). It provides

businesses with a proven method for structuring their product portfolio to target
various customer segments. This enables them to analyses product and customer

profitability (sales and costs) in a structured way. By organizing products according

to this model, a business' sales processes can be aligned to its customer needs and

help focus other operational processes around its customers – such as design and

engineering, procurement, production planning, costing and pricing, logistics, and

sales and marketing.

This theory is also relevant to the study due to the fact that it discusses about

marketing strategies which give explanation on how important marketing is to the

businesses and the operational processes for an effective marketing. And also, it

suggests a lot of techniques related to the business.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study was limited to the lived experiences of salon parlors and barbershops

owners and employees in their marketing strategies during the pandemic. This

study will be conducted in the public market of Trento, Agusan del Sur wherein

salon parlors and barbershops are located on February to March 2022. Since there

were only three (3) parlor salon and barbershops that participate, results will not be

generalized to all salon parlors and barbershop that implement those marketing

strategies and techniques.

IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

Every research project aims to add to the current body of knowledge.

 This study will be beneficial to the students because they’ll be given a

background knowledge and information about the marketing strategies in times of

crisis especially those future entrepreneurs.

This research could also be great help to the parents as they will become mindful

in embracing new ways in difficult times especially those who owns business that

greatly affected by the pandemic.

Additionally, this research could also be helpful to teachers particularly those

who were under the field of business. This will enable them to organize and develop

tactics to assist their students in comprehending marketing strategies. In addition,

this research will assist them in learning more about how a corporation overcomes

challenges and adapts new strategies in times of crisis. As a result, they will be able

to think about and discuss efficient marketing strategies with their students in order

to improve their enterprises in the future.

Moreover, this research will be useful to parlor and barbershop owners in

embracing new strategies to survive the pandemic that will respond to and please

their clients, particularly their marketing strategy throughout the epidemic.

Furthermore, school administrators will benefit from this since the results will

assist them in addressing teachers in developing action plans and strategies for

students in the field of business on marketing strategy during a pandemic.

Lastly, this study may prove to be helpful for future researchers who want to do

their own research related to this topic. They can gain a better understanding of the

various marketing strategy used by parlor and barbershop businesses throughout

this pandemic.
DEFINITON OF TERMS

In order to provide clarity and to establish a common view of understanding, the

term below is operationally and conceptually defined:

Marketing Strategy. refers to a business's overall game plan for reaching

prospective consumers and turning them into customers of their products or

services. A marketing strategy contains the company’s value proposition, key brand

messaging, data on target customer demographics, and other high-level elements. A

thorough marketing strategy covers "the four Ps" of marketing—product, price,

place, and promotion ( Investopedia.com ). In this study, this refers to the business

marketing strategies that implemented to afloat during the pandemic which is given

by the salon parlors and barbershops owners and employees.

Salon Parlors/ Barbershops. It is an establishment that offers a variety of cosmetic

treatments and cosmetic services for men and women. It may offer a variety of

services including professional hair cutting and styling, manicures and pedicures,

and often cosmetics, makeup and makeovers (salonbuilder.com). In this study, it is a

service business that offers services that would pamper oneself which continue to

operate creatively during the pandemic.

Organization of the Study

Each chapter were properly discussed and the details are arranged

accordingly to provide understanding of the full concept of the study

The chapter 1 introduces the problem statement and details the study's

significant challenge as well as design elements. Some broad questions are offered

below, which served as the foundation for a more in-depth discussion towards the
conclusion of this qualitative study. In addition, facts and pertinent studies that

clarified and supported the need for this research are presented.

Chapter 2 presents various studies and concepts to support and help in the

knowledge of various aspects of marketing tactics or strategies. It is dealing with a

review of related literature (RRL). It is the section of the research in which common

research works and theories were sourced from the internet, books, and even trusted

authors and experts.

Chapter 3 discusses the methodology applied in the study including: research

design, role of the researcher, research participants, data collection and analysis,

criteria of trustworthiness in the study, and finally the ethical consideration in the

conduct of this study.

The results of the study are presented in Chapter 4 based on the interviews

conducted with the participants, which reveal the underlying reasons for this

qualitative study, which is designed to explore and collect information from the

owners and employees of salon parlors and barbershops who continue to operate

and strive during the pandemic.

In Chapter 5, the results of the carefully collected and processed data in the

form of participant responses are discussed. These are discussed based on the

preceding chapter's sufficient grasp of the research questions. It also determines the

theories' efficacy and applicability. More specifically, it discusses the implications of

practice, future research, and final remarks.