Joumal of Applied Sciences 9 (14): 2606-2612, 2009 ISSN 1812-5654 © 2009 Asian Network for Seientifie Information aluation of the Product with Cognitive Mapping Method, One of the Elements of Internet Marketing Mix Selcuk Burak Hasiloglu Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, University of Pamukkale, Denizli 20070, Turkey Abstract: Intemet marketing mix is a road map used in determining and realizing the marketing strategies of business administration. With the aim of identifying and evaluating the product, one of the internet marketing mix elements, fuzzy cognitive mapping method is wed. Fuzzy cognitive mapping method helps analyze the views and events that are carried on a subject with quantitative methods, This method can also be used it immeasurable or subjective fields. Therefore, many disciplines make use ofthis method. The usefulness of fuzzy cognitive mapping method! in marketing science is seen through this study. Thus, this stucy is expected to be 4 guide to the research about intemet marketing. Intemet products consists of two main groups according to the study: digital products and services. Their procuring and consuming can be made on itemet. Key words: Intomet products, digital products, eProduct, intemet services, fuzzy cognitive mapping, FCM INTRODUCTION Te was guessed until 40 years ago that internet could be an important means in military and education fields, However, in those years, it was hardly envisaged that intemet could grow in such a short time and be a competing weapon more in the field of business administration than its quality of military-edheation moans, Today, common and dominant view is that the power of internet in the field of business administration will increase more and more as a result of the Fact that intemet has developed rapidly and the number of its users has increased considerably. While, the seientisis who aceord with this view cary on their investigation on internet marketing on one hand, the marketing department authorities of business administrations develop their intemet strategies. In both cases, firstly itis necessary to recognize interset marketing mix. Because these mix, as in the traditional marketing mix, is a road map which is used in determining and realizing the marketing. Anyway, the road map in intemet marketing has shown changes in contrast to traditional marketing. Internet product is the most important of these changes and is expressed by different approaches. ‘The present study, which is prepared in this context, is intended to evaluate the product which is on element of intemet marketing mix and product sub-mix with a quantitative study, For instance, web-sites, reservation and banking services, music and films are accepted as an intemet product The present study is intended to evaluate the approaches in a methedological classification, in this study. Cognitive mapping method is a suitable ‘quantitative method which will help us reach this ai. In the world, which is in the process of being an information society. several changes have been witnessed in the understanding of eustomer and marketing Customer, in this process, is more conscious and competition is mere violent, Customer has wrapped himself in a role that is sensitive, does not like easly, chooses selfcantared production, looks for difference tand demands his rights to the uimost. On the other hand, an understanding of the best customer relationship is established rather than the understanding of producing the best because of demand difference and growing competition in the market which changes continuously panillel to the technology. Even if it is accepted as difficult for business enterprises to prove themselves in such an atmosphere, it is possible to tansfonm this negativity into opportunity. Naturally, using information technologies in proving oneself in information society is fan important advantage. However, it is compulsory to act strategically in order to transform this into advantage. ‘Today intemet has an important state in which information technologies are used in the field of business enterprise, It isan obligation in the age to use the intemet while marketing through the web. In short, the day’s Corresponding Author: Selcuk Burak Hosilogls, Informatics Research Centre, Business School, University of Reading, RG6OBX, UK Tet: +0044 1183784409 2606J. Applied Sei, 9 (14): 2606-2612, 2009 primary means of online marketing (White, 1997), digital marketing (Kierzkowski et al, 1996), eyber-marketing (Sotles, 1995) and network marketing (Achrol and Kotler, 1999) which take part in literature i interme. Teshy, it is not possible to eany out there concepts without internet. To that end, the coneept of intemet marketing, a2 it takes part in literature = stressed in present study (Paul, 1996, Wang et al, 1998) Internet marketing activites, an umbrella term for all the markotng activities realized on intemo, oe cartied out more cheaply more practically and more affectivly than the other marketing means of business enterprises (Stewart and Zhao, 2000). Internet thas an effect on 3 channels at industrial and consumer markets, First one of these is the communication channels between the rings ‘on marketing chain, the second one i the work chamels between customer and seller and the last one ix the delivery channels (Peterson, 1997), In our world which records an information-based development, acting 10 strategy has become an obligation, With their expression that your concem about your methods of increasing operational ativity, while your vals are trying to recreate Yyour sector is something like playing the violin while Roma burms, Hamel and Prahalat (1956) stated how prior strategcal idea is to production-bsed idk. Realy, today, competition has become more andi more violent ard pleasing the consumer has got harde: Its not possible to compete with the understanding of traditional competition in such an atmosphere. Therefore, business enterprises have to capture the privilege and diversity with the understanding of strategical marketing, In the known traditional world, coptiring the diversity and gaining privilege can be difficult. However, today. the imaginary world is in mitless universe. This world abounds in deficits and faults are experienced in this world. It is more possible to reach creative strategy than taditional applications in case of acting to the strategical idea in intemet On the other hand, it may not be adequate to use traditional marketing applications and to make we ofits strategies, while realizing the infemet marketing, Similar, expressing the concept of intemet marketing by making use of marketing tems used in waditional world may not be adequate. Therefore, it would be suitable for business sxiministrations to give priority to internet marketing mix in order to prove themselves on internet and develop strategies. For internet marketing mix is one of the controllable factors which business administrations may bring together according to thei strategy with the ai of securing customer's satisfaction. In other words, marketing mix elements are statagical powers and supplies that enable business adhinistrations to reach the aims and targets which take place in marketing plans. Waring and Martinez (2002) suggested that there had beema change in marketing, models in the transition from the traditional marketing to the internet marketing In this process of alteration, there are personalized onders, electronic paying, legal and financial subjects in price sub-mix while new products, adaptation and online services take place in product sub-mix. There are new advertising places, multimedia, spherical villages and strategies in promotion subsmmix, which is another P of marketing mix, In place sub-mix, however, there are digital provinct transfer, direct processes and imaginary stores, Many products are taken as models in the investigations on intemet about marketing, There are also lots of views about what the product on internet is Settles (1995) dvelled onthe digital data such as program, music and video while explaining eyber market. In Liang and Huang (1998's study, which is one of the first papers in literature about the subject, the marketing and cost of| the proxiucts of book, shoe, toothpaste, microwave oven tnd flower on interet are investigated. In ether studies, product and services are clasified in internet and the sectors of products and services are classified in internet and the sectors of finance, software-hardware tourism, media and souvenir are aceepted as the major services om intemet (Kiang et al, 2000; Peterson ef al, 1997) Duffy ef al (2004) however, divided: intemet product tnd services into 6 categories, such as computer products, booksitravel information, airline reservations, entertainment/eulture, published information and transaction facility. In another study, musie, computer hardware and airline tickets are accepted asthe products ‘which onfine consumers use up Zhang et al, 2006), In short, some rescarch has been made on all products about interet marketing, especially digital products and services are dwelled on MATERIALS AND METHODS: ‘The purpose of the present study is to recognize and evaluate the product, being one of the Internet marketing mix elements, It would be proper to conduct such a study oa Internat, an imaginury environment, by the cognitive mapping method Cognitive mapping method: Cognitive maps.are formedby the relationship between the ideas and events that are both measurable and immeasurable and that serve as a guide to one's or a group’s manners (Chandra and ‘Newbury, 1997). Cognitive maps ean also be thought of as a method for understanding, analyzing and constructing the problems that are inserted into real life (Kwahk and Kim, 1999). Cognitive mapping method, whose origin is based on Graph Theory formulated by the 2607J. Applied Sei, 9 (14): 2606-2612, 2009 a Fig. 1: Structure of the scheme by which basie cognitive map alfects mathematician Buler in 1736 was thought of by Axelrod (1976) as a structure that examines the complex social relationship. This is a method which is used in modeling. the complex. system and identifying the cause-effect relationships between its components, Therefore, st has been used in many social and technical seiences so far (zesmi and Ozesmi, 2004). However, it is also a method used in showing the views of the people with the help of maps about deciding strategically (Hodkinson ef af, 2004), The ways in which people or groups understand! and perceive a problem can be presented by the help of cognitive maps that cover the inter-related elements (Lee ef al, 1992), Cognitive maps consist of knots and ways. Knots express variables. The ways, however, which connect the knots to each other define causal relationships. Therefore, Axelrod (1976) thought that cognitive maps consist of variables and causal relationships. Each variable is connected to each other with positive or negative signs in map. These amow-shaped signs express the relationship between variables connected according to the arrow’s direction. It would be suitable to recognize this interaction on the cognitive map on Fig, 1. According, to the Fig. 1, e, affects e, while e, affects e,, On the other hand, , is affected both by e, and e, Another step of the cognitive mapping process is preparing the double comparison-matrix. At this level, each variable that forms matrix is compared with each other according to the causal relationship (den, 1988). If the causal relationship between variables is. positive, value is given and if it is negative, -1 is given in basic cognitive maps. If there is no relationship, the value of matrix element is zero, The signs of symumetrical elements of matrix used in basic cognitive maps are quite the ‘opposite, Moreover, a8 the compariton of the Variables with themselves is neutral, the diagonal elements of matrix are zero. The projection of this expression, used in basie cognitive map, onto E square matrix in nxn dimension is given in Eq, |, However, as the total of the outdegree and Indegree values is zero in basic cognitive maps, no comment ean he made about the centrality between variables. So, fuzzy cognitive mapping method is referred. Fuzzy cognitive maps, however, have a more complex. structure, As in basie cognitive maps, buttons and arrows © Fig. 2: Structure of the scheme by which fuzzy cognitive map affects 0 ty en te ee te E-\e ¢ © a fu fe fe o are used in fuzzy cognitive maps, too. Unlike them, values in [-1, 1] spaces are used according to the power of interaction between the variables, These values, at the same time, express the affecting direction between two variables, In Fig. 2, there i an example of fuzzy cognitive map affecting scheme in which there are only -1, 0 and 1 values. Here, ,aflects e negatively. Moreover, ¢ affects hone of the variables, whereas e, affects e, and e positively. On the other hand, there seems no variable hich affeets e, or by which eis affected Matrix B, which js formed with dependence on the example in the Fig. 2. is, given in Eq 2 2 Centrality and counting of index values: In the method, which is used in social sciences, especially in developing strategy, mathematical modeling in graph theory are mace use of It is necessary that comectivity index-density (D), outdegree (od), indegree (id), centrality (©) and hierarchy index (h) be calculated by using the following parameters (Coban and Secme, 2005; Kandasamy ard Smarandache, 2003; Ozesmi and Ozesmi, 200), The density of a cognitive map which is ealled D is on index of connectivity. at 8) vf Where, D is known as the density equation In this Formula, C represents the number of comeetions between N variables 2608J. Applied Sei, 9 (14): 2606-2612, 2009 Inthe calculation ofthe centrality degree of variables, there has been made use of the vector whieh has been obtained from the total ine elements of E square matrix in Eq 4and ofthe one from column elements. There occurs 6 vectorwhich shows centrality of variables from the total ofthese two veetors (Eq). i om stanton A) eee ey fate 6 eeodsid, item o In order to examine the hierarchical quality. of cognitive map, itis necessary for hierarchy index in Eq. 9 tobe caleulate, This value is inthe [01] space. Cognitive imap is tamed as fully democratic if h= O and as fully hierarchical if h = 1 (Ozesmi and Ozesmi, 2004, MacDonald, 1983). 8) Dew (9) Collecting data: In fuzzy cognitive mapping, method, itis decided whether the next map will be ereated or not according o the number of variables and connections in each map formed in the process of collecting data. In other words, the similarities of the collected cognitive maps with each other are examined, taking into consideration the variables and connections. Markov chain Monte Carlo methods (Christen and Nakarwura, 2000), accumulation curve analysis, are made use of in this process of decision (Ozesmi and Ozesmi, 2004) ‘The value which is oblained from accumulation analysis gives sampling size of the study. According 10 this analysis, the sampling size decreases ifthe similarity of cognitive maps is high and it increases if it does not resemble In order for data to be collected, attendants were requested to draw cognitive maps that tell what the products are on internet. Because of the content of the research subject, cognitive maps were ckawn by a. group of marketing academicians. Inthe accumulation analysis made on ten collected cognitive maps, it was seen that it reached the accumulation as of the ninth map and the number of the newly-added variables was close to one This situation can be accepted as the proof of the fact that the number ofthe interviews are sufficient RESULTS. Table 1 contains the mumbers of variables and connections and the connectivity index value of the decision cognitive map that is prepared by the combination of the individual cognitive maps named for each cognitive map, As can be seen from the Table 1, mean connectivity index (D) a8 the density degree of individual cognitive maps was found a8 0.39 and the decisions cognitive map connectivity index as 0.34, Formed decision cognitive map is given in Fig. 3. As canbe seen from the map, ? variables and 17 connections are defined. Matrix which represents this map is given in 10. Asa result ofthe calculations made for examining the hierarchical value of cognitive map, h = 0.46 is found. This finding shows that cognitive map is in between democratic and hierarchical ook Okoker fbacteosteaeiobaeseeroreees tages trio Herc oH HOHE HEE eta. 2 0 6 0 69 ow o oo kw oo 02 0 9 9 6 9 8 of 1 8HS = 046 Fig, 3 Decision cognitive map “Table: Density of the cogitive Stites ‘aisble ON) Cones (©) Deity D) Inia "ali amber 10.00 1060 cogaps ‘Nes 640 00 039 seat ons 1 sD 21 S61 Desi cosmiivemmp 700 _no0 3s 2609J. Applied Sei, 9 (14): 2606-2612, 2009 Matrix E in the expression of number 10 is the produet of the double comparison values of variables, Centrality vector (c), which is the product of the sum of the line and column vector of mattis, s given in Eq. 11 According to these findings, intemet products are software (1,9), online services (1,9), multimedia (1,5), traditional services (1.5), etext (1,3) and other products (1,0, respectively. st 1s 1 corey ay ns 19 nil, DISCUSSION Tt would be appropriate to group the variables obtained by fuzzy eognitive mapping method in order to recognize the product on intemet. We can bring together the multimedia, e-text and software under the umbrella term of digital products, Likewise, it would be appropriate to collect traditional and online services under the tumbrella term of services, The advertisement, order of reservation, selling, consuming and procuring of both ‘aroups on internet ate possible, The last group 10 be ‘ineluded in the products on internet is the other traditional products, However, these procicls are not possible to procure or consume on intemet (Fig. 4). As can be seen in Fig 4, digital products are collected! under 3 titles in themselves, First one of therm is multimedia products. For instance, film and muse files aro each digital product, These products are distributed and ee Fig. 4: Internet product scheme even consumed on intemet, Second one is software, All of the systematic cade groupe such as package programe, administration system and programming languages which change the computer to be furtetional are expressed as software. As software is the product of digital atmospheres, marketing of them on intemet is an ideal way. Generally, selling and handing to the costumer of these products is etexts. For example, selling, handling in and consuming of the books named as e-books have increased rapidly in recent years. Adobe Acrobat software of Adobe Organisation (paf file) is known to be the moat widespread product which mediates in marketing e-texts via internet. Another product group whose procuring and consuming is possible on intemet ia services, Services are dlvidel into 2 titles in themselves: traditional services and ooaline services. Banking and reservation services are the most preferable of the traditional services class, In mary service sectors which are accepted by the consumers as boring, intemet is used, Thus, intemet offices have replaced traditional banking offices, In this way, personal computer of the consumer has become his own office. On the other hand, banking process has increased on intemet, Therefore, many financial organizations invest big amounts in this field Similarly. this is the same for education sector. Today. many educational enganizations have enzvied all of their works to the distant education of carry on internet-based educational programs, ‘Seccnd one of the products based! upon the service on intemet is online services. New products were added toservice sector with the coming of online services, Most of the business administrations in this sector get active on internet only. These imaginative organizations, which came out of the inoreaxe in the number of intemet users, put pressure on commerce capacity of the traditional business administrations. The fields like web pages which deal mainly with pemography, searching motors, arguing forums, communication services, domain registration and hosting services ave widespread examples that can be given for online services, Moreover, the web, the most important intemet means of today, has a great role on internet marketing Web sites aro accepted as the products of the business administrations which especially give traditional or online services, Therefore, the qualifications and the address, which will be accepted as the brand, of the created web) site are extremely important. In the content of the page, every quality should be prepared with much attention from design to convenience, irom color harmony to rapid communication. Moreover, the adresses of the web pages of business administrations which serve in this sector are each in the quality of a brand. Therefore, 2610J. Applied Sei, 9 (14): 2606-2612, 2009 traditional strategies directed towards brand are also supposed to be used in defining these brands named a8 domain addresses, Domain addresses are on equal terms from the point of view of site thar business administrations arein. Namely, for example, asituation like the difference between the business administration among, streets and the one on corner, asin the traditional world, is out of question on intemet. However, the probable domain registrations of business administrations are extremely important in that potential customers reach them by this way. Therefore, business administrations should have their domain names before their rivals as the addresses in the form of .com are easily obtained by everybody. On the other hand, domain name of a bbusiness administration is its address for its customers to reach it when seated in their place. Thus, potential customer is able to reach the business administration by his own computer and by means of internet channe! he is connected to, Today, many business administrations, service sector in particular, fix two different prices for their products, First one isthe produet’s price in the traditional markets and the other on the intemet, Business administrations under consideration Keep the price of the product lower in internet. For there is no need for any employment of sales staff, any selling store and any supplies such as rent, water, electricity in ceder to keep the selling store standing to sell a product on Iintemet marketing both for decreasing the costs and making the reduced costs available to customers. For example, many financial organizations do not take commission fee forthe EFT processes realized on internet and some travel businesses Keep the ticket prices 5% lower at least. Software, multi-media-based products, e-texts, traditional serviees and online services are the pioneers of the products which become the subject of internet marketing. Whole of the process from sale to delivery and even consuming is realized om internet. However, internet marketing products are not limited to this. Produets which do net have delivery and consumption on internet can be included in this group. It is possible to market every kind of product on internet, Another characteristic of internet in this field is the ‘opportunity of communicating the price information on intemet, This opportunity is an important field that economists stress upon. Although, perfect competition market i not observed in traditional world, itis more possible to eatel such an atmosphere in the imaginative World. Internet represents an imaginative world in which millions of documents can be found and which has a store of countless knowledge. This imaginary world has such a technology that, if the address is known, itis possible to reach some knowledge in a very short time and evaluate it effectively. This atmosphere mediates expecially for buyers and sellers to have extended information Technologies make it possible to reach the price degree of the predust over the world, This is, however, only possible by means of the internet According to econcmic theories, the ability to reach the price information which the producers of a product on market determine the means equalizing the price of that product. It is difficult to hold on to the market with a high-priced product which doss not have product differentiation CONCLUSION Intermet marketing mix, & inthe tritional marketing mix, is a road map which is used in determining and realizing the marketing strategies of business administration. However, the road map in internet marketing has shown changes in contrast to traditional marketing, Intemet product is the most important ofthese changes and is expressed by different approaches. ‘Through this study, intemet product scheme is determined by using the cognitive mapping method, thus, this study is expected to be a guide to the research about internet marketing, Intemet product consists of two main ‘groupe according to the scheme: digital product and services, Their procuring and consuming ean be made on. internet, As the third one, besides them, other traditional products can also be included in intemet marketing, though partly, It is mot possible for such products to be procured and consumed on network, Moreover, it has been proven in this study that fuzzy cognitive mapping method can also be used in marketing science. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ‘The author's postdoctoral studies in UK are supported by a grant, BIDEB-2219, from the Seientifie and ‘Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) ned gratitude is due the institute REFERENCES, Aciiol, RS. and P. Kotler, 1999. Marketing in the network: economy. J. Market, 63: 146-163, Axelrod, R, 1976. Structure of Decision, the Cognitive Maps of Political Elites. Ist Ed, Princeton University Press, New Jersey, ISBIN-10, 0691 100500. Chandra, Rand W, Newbury, 1997, A cognitive map of the intemational business field. Int. Bus, Rev., 6: 387-410, 2611J. Applied Sei, 9 (14): 2606-2612, 2009 Cluisten,J.A. and-M, Nekamura, 2000, On the analysis of accumulation eurves. Biometrics, 6: 748-754 Coban, ©. and G, Semee, 2005. Prediction of socio- economical consequences of privatization atthe firm. level with fuzzy cognitive mapping. Inform. Sei, 168 131-154 Duly, V.G., BP. Yen ani G.W. 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