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Bianca Tan
McMennamy
Capstone-5
3 November 2016
The Evolution: Mass Standardization to Mass Customization
The way a business creates or markets a product stems from the type of business model
implemented within the company. The application of the mass standardization model allowed
companies to create products on a large scale and make them available to the masses. Now, the
introduction of the new mass customization model and e-commerce has allowed for businesses
to cater to specific audiences whilst producing and providing their products to consumers. The
evolution of the business model has allowed for corporations to cater to customers on a more
personal level and thus, has enabled the business world to reach towards diversity on a whole
new level.
Ever since the creation of the assembly line, the mass standardization model has allowed for
companies to study their target markets and choose the right product that would cater to an
abundance of customers. Mass customization stems from the original idea of mass
standardization because according to Choi and Valikangas, everything old is new again. Few
innovation themes are radically new, that is, many core ideas date back decades or centuries
(423). Most of the ideas/plans that are made are just enhanced or adjusted more to the time or
place it takes place in. This idea applies to businesses because these models can and have been
used across different types of industries. As time goes on, the way companies market and
produce items is inspired by the new innovations being created and the opinions of their
consumers. The business world has a monkey-see monkey-do attitude when it comes to

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competition and success, What works in one industry wins attention in another industry. For
example, Dell has built competitive advantage with its built-to-order production model.
Covisint, the online exchange developed by GM, Ford, and other manufacturers, is considering
this idea. In fact, some auto executives have said that their eventual aim is to forge a Dell-like
model. Their vision is that the efficiency created by the exchange will allow customers to order
and receive customized vehicles within a few weeks (Choi and Valikangas 424). If something
works extremely positively for a company, then it would make sense that other companies try to
implement what they are doing. This collaboration of ideas has allowed for the further
advancement of the business models to occur. Mass customization stemmed from the idea of
listening to the consumer demand on a much more different scale than the standard that assumes
all groups are the same. This then evolved into the importance of a corporation to have a strong
global presence in order to be considered successful. Begley and Boyd state, The process of
becoming truly global means deepening the companys understanding of local and cultural
differences. Think globally and locally simultaneously; recognize situations in which demands
from both global and local elements are compelling, trying to represent how mass customization
is implemented and the importance of its global aspects. Companies must now make a huge
effort to cater to the diverse audience that they have because the other corporations that are
already involved in recognizing the diversity in their consumers are thriving more than those that
do not.
The introduction of e-commerce has allowed for the evolution of the mass standardization
model to the mass customization model. E-commerce can be defined by transactions done
through the internet. The internet has allowed a plethora of new opportunities for companies to
market and sell their products because of its easy accessibility and affordability. E-commerce is a

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huge catalyst to this evolution in models because the web makes mass- customization eminently
possible. Firms can exploit the capabilities afforded by digitization and networking to provide
unique content of direct relevance to each customer. Moreover, such tailoring of information can
be done quickly and at a low cost (Ansari and Mela 1). There are two significant approaches
that companies take in e-commerce: onsite and external. Through the onsite approach,
companies either customize the Web site to appeal to users, or enable the users themselves to
customize the content (Ansari and Mela 24). The external approach is different in that, the
interest is in bringing users to a Web site. Typically, e-mails, banner advertisements, affiliate
sites, or other communication media herald site content that may be of interest to site users
(Ansari and Mela 25). This approach is related more to the marketing aspect of a business.
Businesses will spend thousands of dollars in order to get their ad on a frequently visited website
with a lot of views. This specific approach displays how mass marketing has evolved. Instead of
reaching the masses through television, radio, or billboards, companies utilize popular websites
to advertise their company or their own website. Although this is a form of mass marketing, it is
still catered towards diversity because the websites being chosen to feature products/companies
on are chosen based on the type of crowd the business wants to cater to. For example, if the
product a business is trying to sell has a target market of teenagers, they would utilize social
media platforms popular amongst the teenage crowd to put their advertisements on.
The mass customization model is opening new doors for companies to create innovative
marketing techniques and products that are uniquely designed to specific groups of people.
Consumer culture has changed as a result of time over the years and the introduction of many
new things in the market. According to Ryans, Griffith, and White, the consumer has changed,
becoming more accessible to marketers and, for many, becoming more affluent in their

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consumption of marketing strategy. He or she has also become more sophisticated, with
extensive and varied marketing experience (598). Consumers becoming more aware of
marketing techniques is overwhelming for businesses because that means that they must come up
with new techniques to hook the consumer. Instead of promoting and selling a standardized
product, companies must now try to figure out ways to customize it to a variety of audiences
because that is the new consumer appeal. Of course, because the consumers have changed, the
marketers have as well. Both the consumer and the marketer are factors that are intertwined and
change as a result of each other. In reaction to the consumer, the marketer has also changed,
developing and employing more sophisticated research techniques to understand the consumer
and to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing strategies (Ryans, Griffith, and White 596).
The application of the mass customization model is not solely based on a business that sells
goods. Service businesses, especially, have to find ways to cater to different audiences because
consumers are more likely to go to those that will sufficiently adhere to their needs and wants.
Mass customization is classified in service businesses because it combines two similar but
distinct concepts: (1) the degree to which the consumer interacts with the service process; and (2)
the degree to which the service is customized for the consumer (Schmenner 29). These factors
are important within a service business because the level at which the company holds
customization increases or decreases the chance of customers and customer retention. If the
business reaches for higher levels of customization, applying specific needs and wants for
customers, then they are more likely to receive customer satisfaction and gain higher profit.
The business world is continuing to transform and evolve as new technologies and
innovations are being created. There are now many ways for companies to reach out to their
target market and involve them in the whole process of product creation. Without the help of

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mass standardization setting the pace, and then, the further development of it turning into mass
customization, the business world would be stagnant. The approach of business meeting diversity
opens new doors of opportunity and camaraderie between both corporations and people.

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Work Cited
Ansari, Asim, and Carl F. Mela. "E- Commerce." Journal of Marketing Research May 2003 40.2
(2003): 1-36. Research Gate. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
Begley, Thomas M., and David Boyd P. "The Need for a Corporate Global Mind-Set."MIT Sloan
Management Review RSS. N.p., 15 Jan. 2003. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
Choi, David, Dr., and Liisa Valikangas, Dr. "Patterns of Strategy Innovation." European
Management Journal 2001st ser. 19.4 (2001): 424-442. Research Gate. Web. 2 Oct.
2016.
Ryans, John K., Jr., David A. Griffith, and D. Steven White. "Standardization/adaptation of
International Marketing Strategy Necessary Conditions for the Advancement of
Knowledge."International Marketing Review 2003rd ser. 20.6 (2003): 588-603.Emerald
Insight. MCB Up Limited. Web. 9 Oct. 2016.
Schmenner, Roger W. "How Can Service Businesses Survive and Prosper?" Sloan Management
Review Spring 1986 27.3 (1996): 21-31. Research Gate. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.

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