Service Marketing Mix Strategies of Hairdressing Industry During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This research objects were to study the Service Marketing Mix strategies of the hairdressing industry during COVID-19 and to study entrepreneurs in the hairdressing industry during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they dealt with the crisis through Service Marketing Mix and Marketing Strategy. This study used an in-depth interview of 15 Thai entrepreneurs of the small and medium-sized businesses in the hairdressing industry in the Facebook group, using Snowball and Convenience sampling methods. The tool used was the in-depth interviews in a semi-structured.

The results revealed that the entrepreneurs in the industry utilized; "Online Marketing Strategy," "Word of Mouth," "Customer Loyalty Strategy," "Personalization Strategy," and "Continuous Improvement" before COVID-19. They utilized Products, Promotion, Process, and Physical Evidence to gain competitive advantages. The marketing strategies included "Online Marketing Strategy," "Line Extension Strategy," "Promotion Strategy," "Cost Cutting Strategy," and "Delivery Strategy." As to the pandemic, the entrepreneurs used "Online Marketing Strategy," "Line Extension Strategy," "Promotion Strategy," "Cost Cutting Strategy," and "Delivery Strategy." All of the marketing factors were affected by the pandemic, which contributed to a cash-flow shortage, shortage of customers, the process of providing services from the government to the shops, and physical evidence added to the customers' safety.