The 6 I ́s constitute a sequential matrix of strategic marketing that encompasses a process from the outset involving significant actions in marketing management across all sectors of commercial exchanges and/or services to achieve beneficial outcomes. The 6 I ́s of Marketing are applicable to all processes, whether personal, corporate, or business, allowing a real and potential connection between the public of interest.
Consumers and users constantly change their behavior due to an unstable, fast-paced, competitive, and increasingly digital world. This reality demands an understanding that business and operational processes must deeply adapt and blend with the fundamentals proposed by Marketing from its principles.
Considering that the 6 I ́s of marketing are applicable in all sectors and stem from those fundamentals and principles proposed by marketing, they are potentially adaptable to the tourism sector in all its dimensions. Their application in tourism companies and businesses plays a very important role in the development and positioning of a product or a service to its fullest potential. This necessarily leads tourism companies and businesses to evaluate ongoing actions for analysis, and according to the results, consider the possibility of starting to take them into account in their processes, as the innovative strategies and tools proposed by the 6 I ́s allow for standing out in innovation, quality, service, and attention, thinking about today’s tourists who seek to experience the best experiences through everything that the global tourism market offers. In conclusion, the implementation of the 6 I ́s in the management of any process involving the tourism industry results in a noticeable change in the humanization of brands, the fulfillment of promises, customer satisfaction, personalized attention, the image and credibility projected in digital and traditional media, process innovation, increased demand, digital omnichannelity, and long-term sustainability. We are facing a new vision of tourism marketing. Below are the 6 I ́s of Marketing:
Investigation, Innovation, Interaction, Interconnection, Impact, Inseparable
Investigation: It is the starting point for real and effective planning, collection, and analysis of all relevant information that can be extracted through a thorough process that takes into account key market elements to be studied. All data collected is vital for any company or business regardless of the market in which they operate, even more so if their presence in traditional or digital media is massive. It is advisable to start with knowledge of local and international market scenarios and customers in advance and constantly to subsequently make appropriate strategic decisions regarding a product, service, or management process.
Innovation: This arises from research because implementing innovation in products, services, and management processes based on real data certainly allows for generating changes that satisfy the needs of consumers and users in every aspect and market context. And for innovation processes, it is indispensable to overvalue human imagination and creativity because without them, it would be impossible to achieve an innovation process that contributes to improving a product, service, management process, production and manufacturing, or to create new and innovative products or services that respond to the new demands of the current market.
Interaction: Achieving permanent interaction with customers through all means of communication allows you to know their contentment and discontent, and also understand their needs in order to innovate processes, products, and services. Responding to their concerns, being empathetic, showing them the human side of brands so that they feel that there is a positive interest in being part of their daily lives, talking to them about the benefits of products or services and their added value. Note that the value of face-to-face interaction cannot be overlooked because its result multiplies. Verbal communication during a dialogue is important because the tone of voice, volume, coherence regarding the conversation topic, and the time it takes to express ideas or knowledge are very important aspects. Moreover, observing behavior through body language, facial expression, posture, gaze, gestures, and personal appearance becomes more reliable and credible. All are key aspects that are part of real-time interaction, and all that contact helps consolidate a much closer, closer, and lasting relationship with current and future customers.
Interconnection: Implementing interconnection is key to achieving credible and reliable interaction. First, focus on seeking greater reach and recognition through innovative communication tools that have the ability to send and receive data through different interconnected networks, the potential lies in the exchange of traffic information that allows omnichannel, direct, and private connection between the main stakeholders, whether to close a deal or close a sale. Interconnection is the bridge to fulfill engagement “commitment” with current and future customers.
Impact: To generate a positive impact on the market, congruence is required. Personal, face-to-face, and/or digital contact based on respect, honesty, responsibility, and compliance with customers are aspects that translate into familiarity, trust, and credibility. Every positive or negative action affects the final purchasing decision. Today’s customers are increasingly sensitive, more supportive, and more demanding due to the situations that the social, environmental, economic, and political changes continually generate, factors that cause drastic changes in behavior, and any company or business that implements positive actions that benefit the social environments in which they operate will be well regarded. In addition to strengthening the image of the company or business, they will significantly increase their demand, be mostly recognized, achieve valid acceptance by their target audiences, and position themselves strongly in digital and traditional media.
Inseparable: Inseparable as it makes the physical and digital world, because there is a set of fundamental principles, practices, and strategic marketing tactics for management processes that are necessary for their implementation in companies and businesses of any size, these fundamental principles support the strategic dynamics to make coherent and effective presence in the market, digital platforms are potentially inseparable communication tools from processes based on different theories and foundations of Marketing parents. As a result of these processes, there are many companies recognized worldwide that remain active in the market potentially because they have adapted to the changes imposed by technology and constantly analyze changes in the behavior of their consumers and/or users through research. And in this way, the 6 I’s with the “i of investigation” close the process, and the possibility of initiating a new process of the new vision of strategic marketing opens up.
Translations may not be accurate because of AI interpretation, seek contact for more details. Author of the 6 I’s of Marketing: Ana Rosa Córdoba Vílchez, authorizes the Latin American Tourism Forum to publish as an article in its database given the needs and interest in dissemination of the contents and for the projection of the Latin American Tourism Forum. In addition to this, the author of the 6 I’s of Marketing states: That this creation is an original, unpublished work registered with a copyright patent and has not been previously published in print, electronic format, website, or simultaneously submitted to any previous magazine. Partial or total reproduction for other unauthorized purposes is prohibited
