Segmentation is one of the most fundamental corner stones in the theory of marketing. It has been a subject for research for over 60 years. The subject has been actualised because of the lack of research within the practice of segmentation. There is an obvious gap between how the theories are recommending the companies to practice segmentation and how the companies actually do it. Attempts have been made to cover the gaps between theory and practice through providing implementation strategies, but still the gap remains. We will in our degree project focus on the gap between theoretical segmentation and practical segmentation within the service sector. Our conclusions from this degree project have the aim to provide information regarding 'how' companies practise segmentation within this setting. Therefore the research question we have conducted is: How are Swedish service companies practicing segmentation in their business? Our research question is answered through three main objectives, which together creates our conceptual framework that is tied to theories regarding business-to-business segmentation, CRM and the service setting. The data collected were done by the use of a qualitative method, through semi-structured i nterviews with seven companies from the service sector. The respondents from the companies were mostly marketing managers with insight regarding their company’s segmentation strategy. The empirical findings were analysed in comparison to our theoretical framework, to establish the difference between theory and practise. Main conclusions drawn from our degree project were that the companies understood the importance of segmentation. However the difference between theory and practise were large, companies adapted the basics but rather than creating a strategy of which customer to pursue, the majority acted retroactively trying to capture every customer as an initial step, to later focus on a specific group. The reasons found for this behaviour was that the companies applied a short-term focus rather than a long term, not having enough time to spend on segmenting and the fear that by using segmentation they might miss other customers in the process. Recommendations to the practitioners of segmentation, is to have a more long-term focus, as well as to be decisive in their segmentation. Future studies are recommended to focus on where within an organization the responsibility for segmentation should lie and the relationship between CRM and Segmentation in the service industry.

Diss. Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2007.

Diss. Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2007.

The diploma thesis is focused on improving the functioning of business process management in the selected trading company. With the help of theoretical knowledge, based on which an analytical evaluation of the current status and a qualitative research are created, it proposes changes in the individual phases of the currently used process.

Safe, high speed, on time, high transport volume, minimum land use, low energy and low pollution are unique features of high-speed rail transport. In countries reaching a threshold level of economic development, traditional railway system will no longer satisfy the need of the mass in cross-township transport. As the cost of energy and demand for environmental protection escalates, high-speed rails have gradually surfaced as a competitive mode of transport in cross-township traveling. Furthermore, it is able to bring regional developments. However, high-speed rail transport is a new industry in Taiwan. There has been no hands-on experience in the passenger service. How then, through the development of marketing strategy and implementation, so as to promote the service quality and customer satisfaction, has been a primary operations objective of high-speed railways. This motivated the need to study the service marketing strategy in high-speed rail transport. The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) is the subject of this study. The 7P marketing mix of the service industry was the theoretical foundation. Historical data on the service and marketing strategies of high-speed railways in countries such as Japan, France and Germany were collected. Questions for conducting in-depth interviews with experts in high-speed railway were devised from the study of these historical data. In addition, a survey questionnaire was developed from the data collected via interviews. Passengers taking the Taiwan High Speed Rail were surveyed for statistical analysis. Finally, an appropriate service and marketing strategy was developed. The results show, the Taiwan High Speed Rail needs to first build a brand image of safety and credibility. It needs to schedule and allocate headways in line with its target passenger group and develop a comprehensive product strategy for its target customers. Having done that, it needs to propose competitive price strategies and promotion programs on corporate customers and travel agencies. Making use of the comprehensive mobile telephony coverage and internet network, and more convenient channels should be further developed. Furthermore, the THSRC needs to solve the problem of passenger transfers in station areas gradually. This is necessary to promote the overall service quality, satisfy divergent needs of the target market, and build up a recognized brand in high-speed railway transport. Finally, the recommendations made to THSRC were compared with service and marketing strategies in other countries. It is hoped that the results would be able to provide THSRC and any other countries planning to develop high-speed railway, some practical reference in planning their marketing strategies.

Analysis of the department and evaluation of present condition was elaborated at the request of the hotel manager. From the analysis comes the main aim - proposition of a new marketing concept. The structure of the thesis is divided into theoretical part concerning accommodation and gastronomic service and marketing. Practical part is then focused on the characteristic of the hotel in general, where the main emphasis is on competitor hotels and restaurants analysis. Following chapter addresses to food and beverage department description. After this part comes evaluation of the present condition and proposition of the new concept. Supposed contribution is using in the praxis of the specific hotel.

The main aim of this graduation thesis is to analyze current marketing strategy of the company and to propose changes which would help the company to perform better. At the beginning of the theoretical part I firstly concentrate on general understanding of the concept of marketing and service marketing. Second chapter is focused on specifics of school marketing management and application of theory of marketing mix on the area of education. In the methodical part I start with company introduction, followed by definition of its target group and competition analysis. Then, on the basis of my own research and experiences, I analyze each part of marketing mix of the school and I perform its SWOT analysis. In the next chapter I show results of my own research in more detail and at the end there is a conclusion with my proposals how to improve current marketing strategy of the company.

Background:This thesis strives to analyze aesthetic services used in supermarkets. Supermarkets facefierce competition and varied marketing dilemmas such as traditional marketing versusservice marketing. Nevertheless, encompassing elements from both traditionalmarketing, such as physical products, and service marketing, such as relationshipbuilding, supermarket management is challenging. Thus, it is crucial to understandconsumers’ perceptions for both services and products in order to satisfy their needs andwants and succeed in the market place. Therefore, this thesis offers a betterunderstanding of aesthetic elements used in supermarkets from customers’ perspective.Aim:The main purpose of this thesis is to investigate the applications of aesthetics insupermarkets. It intends to examine and theorize the consumer perceptions regardingaesthetic elements applied in supermarkets; to test the differentiation strategy insupermarkets, through the usage of aesthetic elements, from consumers’ perspective.Definitions:Aestheticization of daily life: it can be seen as the extension of art or the appreciation ofart on daily life. It suggests ‘the collapse of the distinction between high art and massculture, leveling out of symbolic hierarchies and cultural declassification’ (Featherstone,2007). It reflects onto business through its emphasis on beauty, sensory appeals,pleasure consumption etc. Analyzing aesthetic applications in supermarkets from acustomer perspective, this thesis finds out that from both companies’ and consumers’perspective, these applications are based on aestheticization of daily life.Completion and Results:Aesthetic elements used in supermarkets are identified in the content analysis anddiscussed in the empirical study through focus group interviews. It is found out thataesthetic services indeed improve customer satisfaction. However, the fierce pricecompetition limits supermarkets’ services to instrumental rather than expressiveperformance. Moreover, utilized aesthetic services in supermarkets tend to bestandardized, due to benchmarking processes, in consumers’ eyes, causing theseservices to lose their value to be differentiated.

Telecom market was opened due to the demand of Taiwan¡¦s joint WTO and Mobile operator became a ¡§new star¡¨ business then. The first private-owned telecom operator launched service in 1997, then, mobile phone penetration rate grew up rapidly from 6% of 1997 to more than 100% of 2003. Taiwan¡¦s mobile phone penetration rate has ranked No.1 in the world; meanwhile, mobile operators in Taiwan also faced the challenge of the coming new telecom era-mobile value added service. Mobile value added service was introduced to Taiwan market 5 years ago and it became the theme of competition within these two years. Most of the papers were focused on the entire telecom competing strategy, very few of them were involved the study of value added service. The study, therefore, tries to adopt case study to analyze the difference of key players in the market and hope to provide recommendation to those players in mobile telecom market. Following are the major discoveries: A. The marketing strategy and key elements of value added service of those key players are too similar to cause the competitive advantage B. Players are eager to win in launch timing and therefore, lack of solid marketing survey and study. C. Players need to enhance the conception and operation for service marketing because most of the marketing operation were still based on traditional 4P D. When there is no difference in either products or strategy, successful and complete execution will lead to the final succeed.

Under highly global competitive circumstances, following with the more importance of Service marketing, the concepts of marketing changed revolutionarily and rapidly; and more and more enterprises put emphasize on the new concept of internal marketing. It means successful company should not only focus on consumers and employees at the same time, but consider their employees as internal consumers. Only by doing so, it could motivate employees¡¦ consumer consciousness, higher organization commitment and the higher service quality. Therefore, the highly qualified employee has become one of the key points for company to success, and the precious asset to keep its competitive advantage and superior. Through the framework of internal marketing theory, qualitative and quantitative methods are adopted in this research. The research aims to examine the essence of internal marketing and its influence in organization commitment. Probing the internal marketing management activities in case company by in-depth interview, also analyzing the relationship between internal marketing and organization commitment by the questionnaire survey. The questionnaire results indicate that the loyal level of organization commitment of employees mainly depends on employees¡¦ cognition and satisfied level. In other words, enterprise¡¦s internal marketing plan will affect its employees¡¦ consciousness and satisfaction and level of commitment to the organization. Therefore, mangers could create a better environment and get staff¡¦s higher organization commitment as long as they could make a perfect internal marketing plan.