Insurance services as an object of marketing activity: commodity science approaches, market infrastructure, and features of marketing decision-making

Abstract

Relevance of the research arises from intensified competition and increasingly complex consumer behavior patterns in the insurance services market. In this context, the use of commodity science approaches becomes particularly important as a tool for improving the validity of marketing decisions and ensuring an adequate response of insurers to changes in the external environment. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to provide a theoretical substantiation and conceptual rethinking of insurance services as an object of marketing activity through the integration of commodity science approaches, analysis of market infrastructure, and features of marketing decision-making. Methods. The study employs a systems approach and a set of general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, induction, and deduction) to examine the theoretical foundations of the topic; methods of system and comparative analysis are used to assess interrelations within the insurance market and adapt commodity science criteria; generalization and logical modeling are applied to develop a coherent system of indicators for assessing the quality of insurance services in managerial decision-making. Results. The influence of institutional infrastructure of the insurance market on the market value of insurance services is substantiated. A model of the insurance service as an economic triad is proposed, within which it is simultaneously considered as a specific type of product, an element of the institutional environment, and a result of the marketing management system. The stages of insurance service management are defined, including insurance product design, positioning, communication policy, service delivery, claims settlement, and analytical support. Conclusions. The feasibility of applying a commodity science approach to defining insurance services as intangible objects with their own quality parameters is substantiated, enabling more systematic market comparison. Based on the identification of the triple nature of insurance services, the stages of their management are refined, which allows for a more structured consideration of the formation, promotion, and implementation of insurance services within a unified management process.