Further insight into the reasons for the differences in usage of the two mixes is provided by content analysis of what the respondents thought were the strengths and weaknesses of the two frameworks (see Table VII).
Comprehensiveness was the most frequently mentioned strength of the 7Ps model. It was also thought to be more refined and detailed than the 4Ps model and was seen as providing a broader perspective. Some respondents explicitly mentioned the inclusion of participants/people as a strength. The process variable was also mentioned but not as frequently as the participants/people variable. The 7Ps mix was also thought to be more of a model than the 4Ps mix. The standardization of the mix by extending the 7Ps framework to areas other than services was also mentioned.
The strengths of the 4Ps framework mentioned are those that are traditionally suggested by most textbooks. The most frequently mentioned strength of the 4Ps mix was its simplicity and ease of understanding, closely followed by ease of memorization. It was also thought to be a good pedagogic tool for introductory marketing. Parsimony and its adaptability for various problems were also mentioned.
Although the comprehensiveness of the 7Ps framework was thought to be a strength, this was also a source of weakness as the most frequently mentioned weakness of the 7Ps framework was the fact that it was more complicated than the 4Ps framework. Some respondents thought that the extra elements could be incorporated into the existing 4Ps. Others expressed doubts about the controllability of the new variables. The 4Ps framework, on the other hand, was
thought to be too simple and not broad enough. The omission of the participants/people, process and physical evidence variables was also thought to be a weakness, although the participants/people variable was the most frequently mentioned variable of this group. The lack of relationship marketing and service aspects of marketing was also thought to be weakness. A few respondents also mentioned lack of integration and the static nature of the 4Ps variables.
The above findings suggest that the major reasons for the use of the 7Ps framework (or at any rate, modifications of the 4Ps mix) by marketing academics is because they find the use of the 4Ps mix too simplistic and that it does not cover the areas that are of increasing interest to them (e.g. relationship marketing). At the same time, while they appreciate the comprehensiveness of the 7Ps mix, they find that it is more complicated than the 4Ps mix.