A Conceptual Model for Managing Service Marketing Innovation in the Digital Economy
Keywords:
Digital service marketing, Management model, Service innovation, Customer experience, Value co-creationAbstract
This article presents the development of a conceptual model for service marketing innovation management in the digital era, under the framework of S.E.R.V.E., which was derived from a systematic literature review (SLR).
The model integrates knowledge of service marketing with emerging digital technologies and rapidly changing consumer behavior. The S.E.R.V.E. model comprises five key components: S – Smart System Integration, which emphasizes the application of AI, Big Data, and automation to enhance efficiency and real-time responsiveness;E – Experiential Engagement, focusing on designing customer experiences and engagement across all touchpoints; R – Relationship Personalization, which utilizes data to create personalized services and foster long-term loyalty; V – Value Co-Creation, enabling customers to actively participate in service design; and
E – Ethical & Sustainable Practices, highlighting business operations grounded in ethics and sustainability.
The model is founded upon six theoretical pillars:
(1) Service-Dominant Logic, (2) Service Innovation,
(3) Customer Experience & Personalization, (4) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), (5) Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT), and (6) Digital Transformation Framework, which together explain the mechanisms of value creation in the digital economy. The findings indicate that the S.E.R.V.E. framework serves as a strategic tool to enhance the competitive capacity of service businesses by combining technological integration with the creation of meaningful experiences and sustainable relationships. Furthermore, this model provides practical implications for entrepreneurs and policymakers, offering adaptability across diverse industries—such as tourism and hospitality, healthcare, education, finance, and digital businesses—in order to develop and implement service strategies that effectively respond to the dynamics of the digital economy.
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