Identifying and Ranking the Factors Affecting Pricing of Information Goods in Iranian Information Centers

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Information and Society Research Department, Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (IRANDOC), Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Information Technology Research Department, Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (IRANDOC), Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Objective: In today's world of business and economics, information that is reused, shared, and exchanged has become a commercial good. Information goods are digital goods that are transmitted through information networks such as the Internet. Information centers are one of the most important publishers of information goods. The pricing of information goods is subject to its conditions and is different from the pricing of other goods and services. Due to the complexity of the concept of pricing of information goods, it is necessary to gather complete information about the effective factors. In this regard, the present study seeks to identify and prioritize these factors.
Methodology: In the first step, by library study and searching reliable domestic and foreign scientific databases, existing researches in this field are reviewed and a list of effective factors in the pricing of information goods are identified. Based on the mentioned list, a conceptual model and research hypotheses have been developed. A questionnaire was used to collect the data needed to test the hypotheses. The sample includes 220 managers and experts of Iranian information centers who were selected by snowball sampling method. In addition, Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, one-sample t-test, were used to test the hypotheses and the Friedman test was used to rank the factors in SPSS software.
Findings: Based on the results, the factors affecting the pricing of information goods are:  Ease of access, ease of purchase, content, usefulness, appropriate supply channel, the existence of a marketing unit, awareness about competitors' pricing methods, publication schedule, and an accurate costing method. The results of the analysis also showed that the order of importance of these factors is: 1- An accurate costing method, 2- Content, 3- Appropriate supply channel  4- Awareness about competitors' pricing methods, 5-The existence of a marketing unit,                                6- Publication schedule, 7- usefulness, 8- Ease of access, and 9- Ease of purchase.
Conclusion: This study, while providing a list of factors affecting the pricing of information goods, shows that an accurate costing method is the most important factor in pricing because the cost calculation in pricing information goods has many complexities. In addition, in this study, based on the findings, some management strategies for effective pricing of information goods have been proposed, the most important of which are: Reduction of activities, complexity, and difficulty of cost calculations in determining the price, Update and accuracy of content, and Create and develop of diverse and secure communication channels with customers.

Keywords

References

اشرفی‌ریزی، حسن؛ کاظم پور، زهرا (1387). بازاریابی خدمات و محصولات اطلاعاتی در کتابخانه‌ها و مراکز اطلاع‌رسانی.  فصلنامه کتاب، 74(87)، 52-41.
آزادی احمدآبادی، قاسم؛ آزادی احمدآبادی، اکرم (1391). بازاریابی اطلاعات و بررسی نظام‌های قیمت‌گذاری منابع و خدمات اطلاعاتی. فصلنامه نظام‌ها و خدمات اطلاعاتی، 1(3)، 28-13.
حاجی زین العابدینی، محسن؛ رحمانی، مهدی؛ انصاری، مریم (1397). تحلیل برنامه‌های بازاریابی کتابخانه‌های دانشگاهی دنیا و ارائه الگوی پیشنهادی برنامه بازاریابی خدمات کتابخانه‌های دانشگاهی ایران. فصلنامه کتابداری و اطلاع‌رسانی، 21(1)، 123-152.
حیدری، غلام (1387). قیمت‌‌گذاری منابع و خدمات اطلاعاتی. فصلنامه کتابداری و اطلاع‌رسانی، 11(1)، 308-279.
سیفی، لیلی؛کاظمی، راضیه (1397). استفاده از مفاهیم بازاریابی در ارائه خدمات کتابخانه‌های عمومی: مرور نظام‎مند. فصلنامه کتابداری و اطلاع‌رسانی، 21(3)، 124-91.
علیزاده، حمید (1385). بررسی کاربرد اصول بازاریابی محصولات و خدمات کتابخانه‌ها. فصلنامه کتابداری و اطلاع‌رسانی، 9(4)، 109-126.
References
Ahituv, N., Munro, M. C., & Wand, Y. (1981). The value of information in information analysis. Information & Management, 4(3), 143-150.
Alizadeh, H. (2007). Examining the application of marketing principles of library products and services. Library and Information Sciences, 9(4), 109-126. (in Persian)
Anafo, P. (2014). Marketing strategies for information services: A case study of the institute of chartered accountants (Ghana) library and information services. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1033.
Ashrafi Rizi, H., &  Kazempour, Z. (2008). Marketing information goods and services in libraries and information centers. Journal of National Studies on Librarianship and Information Organization, 19(2), 41-52. (in Persian)
Azadi Ahmadabadi, G., & Azadi Ahmad Abadi, A. (2012). Information retrieval and review of pricing systems of information resources and services. Journal of Information Systems and Sevices, 1(3), 13-28. (in Persian)
Bamigbola, A. A. (2013). Application of marketing strategies and mix to digital information services (DIS): Nigerian university libraries perspectives. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), 961.
Brian Lee, H. C., & Li, X. (2018). Impact of online word of mouth on channel disintermediation for information goods. Journal of Management Information Systems, 35(3), 964-9.
Bansal, H. S., & Taylor, S. F. (2015). Beyond service quality and customer satisfaction: investigating additional antecedents of service provider switching intentions. In Proceedings of the 1999 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference, Springer, Cham:
Banciu, M., Ødegaard, F., & Stanciu, A. (2021). Price and revenue bounds for bundles of information goods. Naval Research Logistics (NRL), 1-19.
Chellappa, R. K., & Mehra, A. (2018). Cost drivers of versioning: Pricing and product line strategies for information goods. Management Science, 64(5), 2164-2180.
Das, B. K., & Karn, S. K. (2008). Marketing of library and information services in global era: a current approach. Webology, 5(2), 56-66.
Duarte, P., Silva, S. C., & Ferreira, M. B. (2018). How convenient is it? Delivering online shopping convenience to enhance customer satisfaction and encourage e-WOM. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 44, 161-169.
Greenstein, S., & Markovich, S. (2012). Pricing experience goods in information good markets: the case of ebusiness service providers. International Journal of the Economics of Business, 19(1), 119-139.
Haji Zeynolabedini, M., Rahmani, M., & Ansari, M. (2018). Analysis of marketing plans of worldwide university libraries and proposed modeling of marketing services for Iranian academic libraries. Library and Information Sciences, 21(1), 123-152. (in Persian)
Heidari, G. (2008). Pricing of information resources and services. Library and Information Sciences, 11(1), 279-308. (in Persian)
Henderson, K. (2005). Marketing strategies for digital library services: digital directions. Library Review, 54(6), 342-345.
Hess, D., Huang, H., & Niessen, A. (2008). How do commodity futures respond to macroeconomic news?. Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, 22(2), 127-146.
Hui, K. L., & Chau, P. Y. (2002). Classifying digital products. Communications of the ACM, 45(6), 73-79.
HosseinPanah, A., Famil Rohani, S. A. A., & Alipour Hafezi, M. (2020). An Appraisal of Pricing Criteria by Information Producers in Iranian Scientific Research Centers. Iranian Journal of Comparative Education, 3(2), 671-680.
Jestin, J. (2002).  Marketing of Information Products and Services for Libraries in India. Library Philosophy and Practice, 5(1), 1-6.
Jetha, K., Berente, N., & King, J. L. (2017). Digital and analog logics: An analysis of the discourse on property rights and information goods. Information Society, 33(3), 119-132.
Jones, R., & Mendelson, H. (2011). Information goods vs. industrial goods: Cost structure and competition. Management Science, 57(1), 164-176.
Kingma, B. R. (1996). The Economics of Information: A Guide to Economic and Cost-Benefit Analysis for Information Professionals. Library and Information Science Text Series. Englewood: Libraries Unlimited.
Linde, F. (2009). Pricing information goods. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 18(5), 379-384.
Luna-Reyes, L. F., Zhang, J., Whitmore, A., Jarman, H., Picazo-Vela, S., Andersen, D. L., & Andersen, D. F. (2014). Full information product pricing: An information strategy for harnessing consumer choice to create a more sustainable world. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 34(32), 637-654.
Marchand, D. A., Kettinger, W. J., & Rollins, J. D. (2002). Information orientation: The link to business performance. Oxford University Press.
McClelland, T. (2014). What exactly do you do here? Marketing-related jobs in public and academic libraries. Journal of library administration, 54(5), 347-367.
Medriess, D. (2005). Using Economic Value Added Analysis for Measuring Financial Performance. Journal of Applied Finance, 1(14), 80-113.
Najafabadi, H. A., Shekarchizadeh, A., Nabiollahi, A., Khani, N., & Rastegari, H. (2019). The innovation roadmap and value creation for information goods pricing as an economic commodity. Journal of Information Systems and Telecommunication, 7(2), 154-164.
Pei, J. (2020). A survey on data pricing: from economics to data science. IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering. 1-8.
Raina, R. (1998). Information marketing. DESIDOC Bulletin of Information Technology, 18(3), 3-5.
Roache, S. K., & Rossi, M. (2010). The effects of economic news on commodity prices. The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, 50(3), 377-385.
Robinson, A. (2015). Effectiveness of Marketing Strategies for Library Programs for Young Adults. Master thesis of Library and Information Science Capstone Valdosta State University Services.
Rowley, J. (2016). Information marketing. Routledge.
Seifi, L., Kazemi, R. (2018). The use of marketing concepts in public library services: a systematic review. Library and Information Sciences, 21(3), 91-124. (in Persian)
Schwolow, S., & Jungfalk, M. (2011). Information value chain. Available from: http://www.informationvaluechain.com/wp-content/uploads/informationvalue-chain.pdf
Shapiro, C., Carl, S., & Varian, H. R. (1998). Information rules: a strategic guide to the network economy. Harvard Business Press.
Shipley, D., & Jobber, D. (2001). Integrative pricing via the pricing wheel. Industrial Marketing Management, 30(3), 301-314.
Wang, K. L. (13-15 September, 2004). Pricing strategies for information products: A review. In IEEE International conference on e-commerce technology for dynamic E-business, Beijing, China.
Ward, S. M., Fong Y. S., & Nickelson Dearie, T. (1999). Information Delivery in the 21st Century: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Fee-Based Information Services in Libraries, New York.
 

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics