A01 chaf6542 06 se fm indd

Process variable

The element of the 

marketing mix that 

involves the methods and 

procedures companies 

use to achieve all 

marketing functions.

Physical evidence 

variable

The element of the 

marketing mix that 

involves the tangible 

expression of a product 

and how it is purchased 

and used.

Figure 8.24

Options for the online vs offline communications mix: (a) online > offline, 

(b) similar online and offline, (c) offline > online

(a)

(b)

(c)

Offline

Online

Key

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Part 2  Strategy and applications

● 

 Call-  back  facility. Customers fill in their phone number on a form and specify a conveni-

ent time to be contacted.

● 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs). For these, the art is in compiling and categorising the 

questions so customers can easily find (a) the question and (b) a helpful answer.

● 

On-site search engines. These help customers find what they are looking for quickly and 

are popular when available. Site maps are a related feature.

● 

Virtual assistants come in varying degrees of sophistication and usually help to guide the 

customer through a maze of choices.

Online branding

Focus on

What comprises a successful online brand? Is it an e-commerce site with high levels of traf-

fic? Is it a brand with good name recognition? Is it a profitable brand? Or is it a site with more 

modest sales levels, but one that customers perceive as providing good service? Although 

sites meeting only some of these criteria are often described as successful brands, we will see 

that a successful brand is dependent on a wide range of factors.

Erdem et al. (2002) noted, in their study into the impact of brand credibility on consumer 

price sensitivity, that a credible brand signal helps to generate customer value by: (i) reducing 

perceived risk, (ii) reducing information search costs, and (iii) creating a favourable, trust-

worthy perception of the organisation. This shows the importance of online branding since 

websites must give the impression of trust and deliver a favourable experience to encourage 

 first-  time  and  repeat  sales.

Many think of