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This article explores the efficacy of experience-based marketing strategies in enhancing customer engagement and retention within the dynamic landscape of the tourism and travel industry. Drawing upon a comprehensive case study analysis, this research delves into the nuanced mechanisms through which experiential marketing initiatives impact consumer behavior and loyalty. By examining diverse experiential tactics such as immersive storytelling, interactive technology integration, and personalized service offerings, this study uncovers the pivotal role of memorable experiences in fostering emotional connections and long-term relationships with customers. The findings underscore the significance of crafting unique, sensory-rich encounters that resonate with travelers' aspirations, preferences, and values. Moreover, this research elucidates the strategic implications of leveraging experiential marketing to differentiate brands, drive word-of-mouth advocacy, and sustain competitive advantage in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Insights from this study offer actionable recommendations for tourism and travel businesses to design and implement effective experience-based marketing campaigns that cultivate deep-seated connections with their target audience, engender brand loyalty, and ultimately drive business growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a conceptual framework of advertising intrusiveness that extends previous research on the topic by examining both drivers and consequences. To achieve this, the work draws on in-depth interviews with 29 adult consumers who report experiencing intrusive advertising in their daily lives. Three drivers of advertising intrusiveness are identified - temporal disruption, visual disruption and flow disruption - along with three consequences - emotional response, behavioural response and cognitive response. From these drivers and consequences, a conceptual framework of advertising intrusiveness is developed based on ideas about psychological reactance. Based on this framework it is proposed that, while all advertisements might ultimately be perceived as intrusive, an advertisement’s characteristics, which are the identified subcomponents of the drivers of intrusiveness, exacerbate the resultant consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine how firms implement social media systematically to drive strategic marketing actions. To this end, the study conceptualises social media implementation as a multidimensional, organisational construct composed of social media strategy, active presence, customer engagement initiatives and social media analytics. Using primary data, the study operationalises the social media implementation construct and tests its effect on firm performance isolated into social media performance and marketing performance. The results indicate that all except the active presence dimension of social media implementation are positively related to social media performance. The results further indicate that social media performance is positively related to marketing performance. The study contributes to the literature by offering a novel conceptualisation and empirical validation of the social media implementation construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine how value co-creation is engendered in transactional and relational interaction in a professional business-to-consumer (B2C) service industry through exploratory interviews with six organisations’ sales personnel and their customers. A dyadic model and propositions conceptualise the process of value co-creation at the interpersonal level. It was found that the customer and salesperson take on very distinct roles in the co-creative interaction, which is driven by characteristics previously unidentified in the context of value co-creation, such as a commitment to achieving common goals, establishing equitable dialogue and sharing interests. Examination of the value dimensions co-created found that reciprocal value realisation is not limited to business-to-business (B2B) contexts, as the involved parties create mutual episode value in discrete transactions, and mutual episodeandrelationship value in relational exchanges. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Internet-based business-to-business platforms involve a buyer side transacting with a seller side, both of which are customers of an intermediary platform firm. Dyadic viewpoints implicit in conventional theories of customer orientation thus must be modified to apply to a triadic relationship system (seller--platform--buyer) in platform settings. The authors propose that customer orientation of platform firms consists of total customer orientation (customer orientation toward both the buyer and seller sides) and customer orientation asymmetry (customer orientation in favor of the seller relative to the buyer side) and examine the antecedents and consequences of these orientations. Data from 109 business-to-business electronic platforms reveal that buyer- (seller-) side concentration increases total customer orientation and customer orientation asymmetry toward sellers (buyers). These positive effects are weaker when buyers and sellers interact directly (two-sided matching) versus indirectly (one-sided matching) and are stronger when the offering prices vary (dynamic price discovery) versus remain stable (static price discovery) during negotiations. Finally, total customer orientation increases platform performance by itself and in interaction with customer concentration, but orientation asymmetry increases performance only in conjunction with customer concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional wisdom in value chain strategy assumes a one-directional flow of primary activities, starting from inbound logistics to operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and finally to service. Our recent study, extensive discussions with executives, and on-site visits suggest that this wisdom may not be complete for certain industries or products. Customers on average return about 6% of everything they buy. Companies need to view this as an opportunity to give this returns pile a new lease of life. Yet many companies are not used to thinking that the things they expel such as products, waste, and resources actually have value. In fact, few retailers and suppliers capture the wealth of information that is locked inside a box that has been returned to the warehouse. Elevating the returns process to a new marketing opportunity builds a loyal customer base and also attracts new ones. In this paper, we present a redefined value chain strategy that entails a closed-loop system for industries in which reverse chain activities (reuse, repair, refurbishing, recycling, remanufacturing, or redesign of returned products from the end user) may create additional competitive advantages for the firm. Firms that do not recognize the importance of an effective reverse logistics strategy as part of their value chain risk damaging customer relations and may seriously jeopardize their brand image and reputation. A good reverse logistics program can be a differentiator and provides a means of gaining market advantage. In our perspective, a redefined value chain should be a part of the overall business strategy for manufacturers or retailers who handle product returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationship marketing (RM) has emerged as one of the dominant mantras in business strategy circles, though RM investigations often yield mixed results. To help managers and researchers improve the effectiveness of their efforts, the authors synthesize RM empirical research in a meta-analytic framework. Although the fundamental premise that RM positively affects performance is well supported, many of the authors' findings have significant implications for research and practice. Relationship investment has a large, direct effect on seller objective performance, which implies that additional meditated pathways may explain the impact of RM on performance. Objective performance is influenced most by relationship quality (a composite measure of relationship strength) and least by commitment. The results also suggest that RM is more effective when relationships are more critical to customers (e.g., service offerings, channel exchanges, business markets) and when relationships are built with an individual person rather than a selling firm (which partially explains the mixed effects between RM and performance reported in previous studies). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a commentary on the article "The Marketing Mix Revisited: Towards the 21st Century Marketing," by E. Constantinides, published within issue. The argument is presented that it is important to reexamine the 4Ps Marketing Mix framework in light of new marketing techniques like "relationship marketing." The article argues that the 4Ps underlie much marketing theory and seeks to uncover the theoretical foundations of marketing. The author provides an alternative view of the mix framework, intended to present a criticism of contemporary challenges to the 4Ps Marketing Mix.

In the light of the redefinition of 'marketing' by the AMA in service/relational terms, and a recent review of the current vector of research in marketing (Littler and Tynan 2005), it seems an appropriate time to provide a substantial review of the past, present and likely future of what has become known as Relationship Marketing, together with an extensive list of key RM literature. This paper will take a reader through the origin, development and current state of RM research, with notes on the future of the research and practice of RM. The paper concludes that RM is here to stay, whether or not it is recognised as the dominant logic/paradigm of marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationship marketing theory maintains that firms can engage in a multitude of relationships oriented towards key stakeholders such as customers and suppliers. This study explores one type of relationship orientation from the viewpoint of the relationships firms have with their suppliers, referred to as a Supply Relationship Orientation (SRO). We take an organisational culture perspective positing that an SRO is manifested through the basic assumptions, values, artifacts and behaviours of the organisation and introduce a measurement tool for SRO. Based on a study of buyers' perceptions of their firms' relationship orientation towards suppliers, the results indicate that an organisational culture perspective of relationship orientation appears valid and enhances previous studies of relationship orientation by providing support for being culturally embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, from the perspective of strategy formulation and implementation. We commence by reviewing the origins and role of CRM and highlighting the importance of adopting a cross-functional approach to CRM strategy formulation. We examine alternative approaches to CRM strategy development and, using an 'interaction research' approach, propose a model that addresses both CRM strategy and implementation. We identify four critical implementation components of a successful CRM programme and examine these in the context of five key cross-functional CRM processes. The model structure is used to help identify a research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines a number of issues in relationship marketing through the perspective of the competence-based view of the firm. It draws on data from a 53-year case history of a firm in the Irish building materials industry. Relationship marketing emerges from this data as a significant market-related competence helping the firm to enjoy a preeminent position in the marketplace over five decades. Discussion focuses on the dynamic nature of relationship marketing in the company -- how the intent, thrust and characteristics of relationship marketing evolved over 53 years and five eras of the firm's history. In this context, customer loyalty is observed to have an enduring and at times idiosyncratic character. Further, relationship marketing is found to be enmeshed in other competences and capabilities of the firm, and to have an important tacit dimension. Finally, aspects of best practice in the firm are considered in the light of contemporary conceptualisation about relationships and marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper links two important areas of relationship marketing: dependence between buyers and sellers and the assessment of customer lifetime value in business-to-business relationships. It suggests the use of specific customer valuation models in four different types of dependence in buyer-seller relationships. Numerical examples and practical cases are provided to support the argument. For one particular relationship type, the author applies real options analysis to account for the value of the supplier's independence (or, alternatively, flexibility) in the customer lifetime value. The paper contributes to a differentiated and thus better assessment of customer lifetime values in buyer-seller relationships. Managers can use the suggested typology and its metrics to improve decision-making in buyer-seller relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Businesses today have shifted their strategic focus from emphasising customer acquisition (i.e. targeting switchers) to emphasising customer retention (i.e. targeting stayers) with the objective of creating sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships. However, current knowledge is limited in providing insights to firms regarding which marketing tactics are effective to achieve such objective. This research aims to explore and empirically test the questions as to what, why and how various relationship marketing tactics (RMTs) differentially influence consumers' decision to stay, or to switch their service providers? It examines customers' perceived level of impact of the various RMTs on their decision to choose service providers. As theory suggests and as empirically validated in this study, switchers and stayers differ significantly in their perceived level of impact of the various marketing tactics on their choice of service providers. The findings offer new insights for both practitioners and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the relationship marketing and market information processing literature streams, the authors conceptualize and measure relational information processes, or organizational routines that are critical for customer relationship management (CRM). The authors examine the key drivers and outcome of relational information processes and the role of technology in implementing CRM using data collected from a diverse sample of firms. The results show that relational information processes play a vital role in enhancing an organization's customer relationship performance. By moderating the influence of relational information processes on customer relationship performance, technology used for CRM performs an important and supportive role. The study provides insights into why the use of CRM technology might not always deliver the expected customer relationship performance outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence for the success of relationship marketing remains contradictory, with practitioners reporting that most relationship marketing efforts fail, and academic researchers suggesting that further exploration of the boundary conditions of relationship marketing are needed. A number of researchers have identified changes in the competitive environment as the basis for the adoption of relationship marketing, although recent research suggests a more complex, contingent view. Drawing upon longitudinal case studies from the New Zealand wine industry, this article names a number of contextual conditions that influence the development and evolution of relationship strategies. The findings identify changes in the form and intensity of relationships. The source of these changes is identified. Based on this analysis, four marketing 'gestalts' are identified. The evolution of each gestalt is then explained, with the approaches used by firms to navigate from one gestalt to another described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some firms are using relationship marketing linked to knowledge management systems to achieve competitive advantage. Limited empirical evidence exists on the contribution that relationship marketing and knowledge management systems can make towards market success. E-commerce provides an opportunity to assess possible relationships that may exist between relationship marketing, knowledge management systems and market performance. A survey of small UK accounting practices suggests that adopting a relationship marketing orientation can enhance market performance. Those practices which hade adopted a relationship marketing orientation, tend to have established knowledge management systems and be involved in e-commerce. The implications of these findings are discussed and proposals made about further research needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade market orientation and relationship marketing have been two of the most outstanding fields of research within Marketing discipline. However, little attention has been devoted towards the investigation of the interface existing between both concepts. The aim of this study is to overcome this deficiency. Thus, the paper begins with a review of the existing literature into relationship marketing and market orientation as well as their main constructs. The results of this analysis is the proposal of a theoretical causal model in which the cultural market orientation that buyer firms show appears as a conditioning factor of their loyalty towards a supplier. Next, the methodology followed as well as the empirical contrast of the model proposed are thoroughly presented. The empirical data was obtained from two personal surveys conducted on the same sample of 141 industrial companies. Finally, results, conclusions and practical implications are discussed. In this way, the research proves that a buyer firm's cultural market orientation acts as an indirect antecedent to the degree of loyalty shown to its main supplier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the strategic level, the role of the industrial salesperson has been described as managing a portfolio of different buyer-seller relationships. This study identifies specific sales tactics (i.e., customer-focused, competitor-focused, or product-focused) that support the development of these strategic relationships. Data gathered from a national sample of industrial buyers was used to examine the differential effects of three sets of selling techniques. These differences tend to be contingent on the buyers' position within that firm. When a buyer occupies a higher level of authority within his or her firm, customer-focused approaches tend to garner higher responsiveness ratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of effective customer relationships as a key to customer value and hence shareholder value is widely emphasised. In order to enhance these relationships, the application of IT to marketing through customer relationship management (CRM) software, e-commerce and other initiatives is growing rapidly. This study examines the factors that influence the successful deployment of CRM applications, with particular emphasis on those factors which are distinct from other areas of application. Using the analytic induction method, success factors were derived from five in-depth case studies. Resulting factors underemphasised in previous literature include: the need for project approval procedures which allow for uncertainty; the need to leverage models of best practice; the importance of prototyping new processes, not just IT; and the need to manage for the delivery of the intended benefits, rather than just implementing the original specification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Value as a theme in the relationship marketing literature is gaining increasing attention. In particular, the synthesis of value concepts with a multi-stakeholder approach to relationship marketing has been the subject of recent interest. Building on earlier work, this article explores how key elements of relationship value can be integrated through a focus on three key stakeholder groups: employees, customers and shareholders. The linkages between employee value, customer value and shareholder value, including the research on the service-profit chain, are explored. The paper also explores the extent to which linkage models or enterprise performance models, which integrate these components of value, have been adopted by organisations. Two case studies are used to illustrate the practical application by organisations seeking to develop enterprise performance models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academics and practitioners alike have been arguing about whether the Internet brings a revolutionary change in the fundamental way we do business or if it simply offers a new distribution channel and communication medium. Regardless of the answer to that debate, one thing is certain: the Internet provides managers with an enormous amount of customer information that was previously unavailable. Thus, the new struggle has been to manage this information and to use it accurately and efficiently to measure customers, trends, and performance. However, the volume of this data has overwhelmed many e-commerce managers. As a result, e-commerce managers have been focusing on aggregate level summary statistics rather than fully leveraging their data. Using commonly available clickstream data, this article discusses the benefits of separating an individual customer's buying behavior into simple patterns of visits and purchasing conversion. This analysis of the buying process allows us to more carefully examine the relationship between store visits and purchasing behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exchange is a social as well as economic means that the consumer utilises to secure or manage his/her surroundings. Facilitating exchange is a matter of managing relations among the market of networks. This study is a first attempt to pursuing a structural explanation of relationship marketing through a conceptualisation grounded on a higher level metaphor, theorised from derived abstraction and tested on empirical definition. The research findings advance our understanding of the internal characteristics and the external contingency of relationship marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the idea of a strategic communication of customer skills--a rather neglected relationship marketing strategy. This idea is based on an interpretation of the customer as the company's partner in the value production process. Customer skills are defined as the total of all product-related knowledge and skills of relevance to any aspect of the customer's post-purchase behaviour (e.g., the ability to use the full range of product features). The author assesses whether communicating customer skills strategically may lead to an increase in perceived relationship quality and customer retention as key variables in relationship marketing. Several hypotheses regarding the interrelations between an increase in customer skills and relationship quality are drawn out from a conceptualisation of both constructs. The validity of these hypotheses is then tested empirically using a structural equation modelling approach for two products, ie. video recorders and reflex cameras. Results give strong support to the relevance of skills communication for relationship marketing success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the integration of relationship marketing and marketing measurement. In particular, it addresses the need for the development of a segmented service strategy. The paper reports the main findings from a study of the extent to which senior UK marketing managers measure key aspects of their relationship marketing strategies. The research suggests that most companies are not using adequate measurement systems to evaluate their relationship marketing. The profit and cost implications of a segmented service strategy are investigated using case examples from two UK service organisations. This involves exploring the profit potential across segments as a result of improvement in customer service and resulting increase in customer retention. A four step framework for developing a segmented service strategy is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity currently enjoyed by relationship marketing obscures a host of problems relating to the apparent domain extension into consumer markets. Such problems are argued to include: the lack of an accepted definition; fragmented and limited theory development; a boundary-less domain and a limited understanding of exchange relationships (Buttle, 1996; Gummesson, 1997; Wilson, 1995). This paper contends that the root of these difficulties lies in the process of metaphoric transfer (Hunt and Menon, 1995). As such, there is a need to review the role of metaphor within academic research generally, and to investigate the extent to which the metaphor of interpersonal relationships remains apposite within the domain of consumer markets. In attempting to address this issue, the paper appraises the process of metaphoric transfer, evaluates the utility of the interpersonal relationship metaphor in the context of mass consumer markets and highlights a number of important implications for theory development in this field. Finally, the paper offers some directions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a shared complexity of definition, the concepts of relationship marketing (RM) and loyalty marketing have several common components: the use of information technology, customer knowledge, direct customer communications, for example. Recognising the proximity of these two concepts, Loyalty Schemes (LS) have been hailed in marketing literature as examples of RM in action (Palmer 1994, Gilbert 1996, Gronroos 1996). To date, though, there is little evidence to verify this contention. This paper examines both concepts to analyze how, if at all, retail loyalty schemes reflect the elements of RM as detailed in the literature. The paper begins by deconstructing both RM and loyalty marketing into constituent elements described by their scope, technology and processes and continues by comparing the two. Five retail LS provide case data to add an empirical dimension to the study. Key findings suggest that future success of LS will depend on extended relationships as well as a move away from transactional intent to a greater emphasis on relational intent. There was unprompted use of much of the vocabulary of RM, (dialogue, ownership, belonging) particularly in schemes based in a restricted geographic area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service providers build relationship with their customers for mutual satisfaction and benefits. However, little is known about the relational antecedents and outcomes of relationship satisfaction among young adult consumers. The goals of this study are to evaluate the incremental effect of trust and commitment in determining relationship satisfaction, and the mediating effect of relationship satisfaction in the association of relationship trust and commitment with relationship outcomes (such as attitudinal loyalty, behavioral loyalty, and switching restraint). The model was tested and compared between samples of Malaysian and Australian young adult consumers of healthcare services. The findings reveal that relationship trust and relationship commitment have unequal and equal incremental effect in determining relationship satisfaction in Australia and Malaysia, respectively. Moreover, the mediating role of satisfaction in the association of relationship trust and commitment with attitudinal loyalty, behavioral loyalty, and switching restraint differ between Malaysia and Australia samples. Theoretical, contextual, and managerial implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex, highly intangible services such as life insurance consist largely of credence properties. Insurance providers engage in relationship-building activities that emphasize buyer-seller interaction and communication. Economists contend consumers are prone to make quality generalizations based an the strength of these relationships, perhaps to the detriment of price competition. The authors report contrary results suggesting that, though relationship marketing adds value to the service package, it is not a substitute for having a strong, up-to-date core service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors propose a communication-based model of relationship marketing and discuss how communication (rather than persuasion) is the foundation of the "new" customer-focused marketing efforts. The authors trace recent parallel shifts in communication and marketing theory and show the intersections between communication and marketing. Although communication always has been a critical element in marketing, the authors show how the increase in interactivity makes communication an even more valuable element of marketing by identifying those many points that link the two disciplines. Using the three key points at which the two disciplines intersect--messages, stakeholders, and interactivity--the authors develop a communication-based model of marketing. They demonstrate how interactive communication at three levels--corporate, marketing, and marketing communication--leads to the brand relationships that drive brand value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relational marketing--establishing, developing, and maintaining successful relational exchanges--constitutes a major shift in marketing theory and practice. After conceptualizing relationship marketing and discussing its ten forms, the authors (1) theorize that successful relationship marketing requires relationship commitment and trust, (2) model relationship commitment and trust as key mediating variables, (3) test this key mediating variable model using data from automobile tire retailers, and (4) compare their model with a rival that does not allow relationship commitment and thrust to function as mediating variables. Given the favorable test results for the key mediating variable model, suggestions for further explicating and testing it are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marketing theory and practice have focused persistently on exchange between buyers and sellers. Unfortunately, most of the research and too many of the marketing strategies treat buyer-seller exchanges as discrete events, not as ongoing relationships. The authors describe a framework for developing buyer-seller relationships that affords a vantage point for formulating marketing strategy and for stimulating new research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The important role of small high-technology firms in both job creation and new innovations capable of sustaining a country's competitive advantage has understandably caused many Governments to be interested in factors influencing the market performance of these types of firm. A potential hazard with alternative emerging theories about appropriate marketing philosophies is that polarisation of opinions may cause theorists to reject alternative perspectives despite the fact that observations of "real world" marketing practice may suggest that a hybrid managerial approach is the most appropriate response to prevailing market circumstances. If one accepts this perspective, it permits merger of the transactional, relationship and entrepreneurial schools of marketing thought; thereby generating alternative approaches to marketing practice based upon (i) conservative-transactional, (ii) conservative-relationship, (iii) entrepreneurial-transactional and (iv) entrepreneurial-relationship orientations. Research questions which arise about a hybrid concept are whether orientation might influence overall performance and the level of internal organisational competencies required of the firm in the key areas of innovation, HRM, employee productivity and decision-making. The results of a mail survey measuring revenue growth suggest that an entrepreneurialrelationship orientation will enhance overall performance of small high-technology firms. The survey also suggests that as entrepreneurial high-technology firms move closer to customers they exhibit higher competencies in areas such as HRM, employee productivity, management of quality and utilisation of information in decision-making. It is concluded that the research has some interesting implications concerning the appropriate marketing styles available to small, high-technology films. As entrepreneurial and relationship marketing can enhance performance, then possibly an owner/manager seeking to increase sales may be able to select a style which seem appropriate both to the degree to which customers seek closer relationships with suppliers and the vision of the firm concerning the importance of innovation as a strategy for delivering customer satisfaction. Further research is needed in order to gain additional understanding of (a) the influence of organisational competencies on overall performance and (b) whether marketing style might influence how small high-technology ffrms acquire the knowledge they require to improve internal operational processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Segmentation continues to be an important marketing concept also in a relationship marketing context. Relationship marketing is, however, more interested in enhancing the existing customer relationships and this generates a need for a better understanding of the existing customer base. The paper argues that "retrospective" or historical analyses, that facilitate the calculation of customer relationship profitability, form an excellent starting point for segmentation of customer bases. Such segmentation is shown to be a strong analytical instrument as a basis for formulating marketing strategies. By using empirical data collected from two extensive case studies of retail banks in the Nordic countries the paper illustrates different ways of segmenting customer bases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building and maintaining relationships is a costly process. It is therefore important for a supplier to determine whether or not the costs involved are justified. Examination of the way in which a customer views a potential relationship may give the supplier a valuable insight into the appropriate form of relationship, if any, which should be sought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Everyone is developing relationships. Customers are being invited to have relationships with telephone companies, banks, auto dealers, airlines, and other suppliers of products and services. Relationship marketing is being touted as an effective strategy to guide companies into the next millennium. Recently there has been widespread reference to relationship marketing in the popular literature, and the concept has been embraced by many companies and organizations. There is little consensus, however, on what the concept means and even less consistency in how it is practised. What is relationship marketing? Practising marketers and articles in the trade press use the term in one way, while authors in academic journals seem often to be referring to something quite different. This paper reviews how the concept has been viewed by marketing authors and draws from social psychology to shed light on the characteristics of relationships. Some insights are drawn from a preliminary analysis of the results of focus group interviews that suggest how consumers describe their relationships with businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marketing and strategy, while once diverse activities and entities, are moving ever closer together -- in this paper it is speculated that they may someday become one. This is in response to changing business environments, and to the emergence of new organizational forms. However, a more fundamental force may be the simple recognition that without relationships there is no need for strategy, and that relationships are fundamental to marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the role of marketing and strategic management in the modern organization. The author offers his definition of marketing and strategic management and looks at how the changing environment of markets is altering how companies plan their marketing strategies. Customer retention and long-term relations with the customer are keys to success. The basis of relationship marketing is that both the buyer and seller must gain from the transaction if the relationship is to be maintained. The best way to deliver effectiveness and satisfaction is by concentrating organizational focus on carefully targeted audiences while being fully aware of their different needs.

Purpose – In little more than a decade, experience thinking has influenced the development of new business models in a wide variety of enterprises. Design/methodology/approach – The authors describe best practices for five approaches Five approaches are noteworthy: Experiential marketing (EM or XM). Digital experiences using the Internet and other electronic platforms to create new technology interfaces focused on the user experience (UX). The application of experience-staging to enhance interactions with customers. Experiences as a distinct economic offering. Designing transformational business models that allows the company to charge for the demonstrated outcomes customers achieve. Findings – Companies can innovate by recognizing trends in customer needs and aspirations that provide opportunities to develop business models that offer high value experiences or even customer transformations. Originality/value – To truly pursue experiences as a distinct form of economic output, companies must design a business model that involves charging for the time customers spend engaging with the business, such as an admission or membership fee of some sort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New two hour schedule tariffs were introduced on 1st July 2010 by AEEG. They distinguish use of electric energy between night and daylight hours and Sundays and public holidays, creating three different price bands (F1, F2, F3), thus eliminating one hour schedule tariff for the vulnerable customers. This study is proposed to understand the basic research problem "How much Italian energy companies have implemented relationship marketing and what are the characteristics of their marketing policies". We suggest this approach increases competition which is the aim of liberalization processes. In fact, according to the principle of the "conservation of relationship energy", an Uppsala model, relationship energy cannot be destroyed and it can only be transformed and transferred to other relationships, manifesting itself in a variety of ways. So if relationship marketing is better implemented switching increases but trade relationships can be reactivated at a later time by social links which continue during the time. To answer that question we compare the data of three recent researches that analyze switching energy supplier in Italy, the UK and State of Victoria in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although several aspects of the internationalization process and relationship marketing strategy have been addressed in the literature, there is a lack of a unified theoretical framework that explains the impact of relationship marketing strategy on internationalization process. This study was undertaken as an initial attempt to address the role of relationship marketing in the internationalization process. To understand this concept, the internationalization process is divided into two stages: pre-internationalization, which focuses on overcoming the psychic distance and post-internationalization, which focuses on market entry and positioning. At the different stages of internationalization, different variables of relationship marketing assume relatively greater levels of importance, which are likely to have implications for the implementation of an internationalization process. Through a thorough analysis of the literature, and a review of a number of international examples, three research propositions are provided and streams for further research necessary to understand this neglected area of research are then provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]