Using 4P Marketing Model in Academic Libraries: An Experience

Alipour-Hafezi, Mehdi; Ashrafi-Rizi, Hassan; Kazempour, Zahra; Shahbazi, Mehri

Using 4P Marketing Model in Academic Libraries: An Experience

Document Type : Articles

Authors

Mehdi Alipour-Hafezi ¹

Hassan Ashrafi-Rizi ²

Zahra Kazempour ³

Mehri Shahbazi ³

¹ Faculty member, Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (IRANDOC), Tehran, I.R. of Iran

² Department of Medical Library and Information Science, Faculty of Medical Information and Management, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, I.R. of Iran.

³ Payame Noor University, Tehran, I.R. of IRAN

Abstract

The present study mainly aims to demonstrate the weaknesses and strengths of using marketing principles in academic libraries and finally presenting some important suggestions in order to improve their marketing. This study proceeds through expressing the current marketing situation of studied academic libraries from the view point of 4P model. In this regard, the current situation is analyzed using a researcher-made questionnaire, and then the problems and shortcomings are highlighted in the field of marketing in the view point of 4P model which in turn enables us to introduce suggestions to overcome them. This research indicates that marketing principles in the studied libraries are not in a good state. The situation of product dimension is a bit farther up middle state (3.23). Also, the Place dimension with total average of 2.97, Promotion dimension with total average of 2.63 and finally the Price dimension with total average of 1.59 are below the middle state. Therefore, trying to make a good plan in marketing in the four mentioned dimensions is essential for studied academic libraries. Improving academic libraries' statement needs identifying their current situation in the view point of marketing. Consequently, this research studied the current situation of Isfahan governmental academic libraries in order to identify their weaknesses and suggest sufficient suggestions to cover them.

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