Making Relationship Marketing Operational

Abstract

Based on a research project with the purpose of defining the essence and scope of relationship marketing (RM). The marketing mix theory, which constitutes the prevailing approach to marketing, is made operational through the definition of the 4Ps and extensions of these. The core is a presentation of 30 relationships, the 30Rs, as a way of making the RM philosophy more operational and generally applicable. The 30Rs provide a basis for companies to work out their own specific relationship portfolio as part of their marketing planning process.

What service transition? Rethinking established assumptions about manufacturers' service-led growth strategies

“…Page and Siemplenski (1983, p. 89) also related systems marketing to developments within general marketing, arguing that product firms "are turning to the marketing of systems to satisfy the more extended and complex needs of their customers". Even though they did not expand this discussion further, it is closely related to more recent debates (Cova & Salle, 2008;Windahl & Lakemond, 2006;2010), linking solutions to the service marketing discourse of the Nordic School of Marketing and the emphasis on longterm relationships (Grönroos, 2011;Gummesson, 1994;Normann, 2001), and a servicedominant view on value (Vargo & Lusch, 2004). Arguably, system selling now extends beyond solving customers' operational problems to include more strategic forms of marketing, based on so-called 'solution selling' (Davies et al, 2007;Helander & Möller, 2008).…”

“…Empirically, this shift is frequently referred to as "service infusion" Ostrom et al, 2010) or as "servitization" (Vandermerwe & Rada, 1988;Visnjic Kastalli & Van Looy, 2013). Theoretically, marketing scholars emphasize the need for a 'service' perspective for all firms, arguing that service rather than goods (should) form the basis of economic exchange (Grönroos, 2011;Gummesson, 1994;Normann, 2001;Vargo & Lusch, 2004).…”

Step-Change: Micro-Entrepreneurs’ Entry into the Middle-Class Market

“…The micro-entrepreneur's relationship-management competence determines the extent to which he or she can obtain the resources that are required for their step-change. In this process, microentrepreneurs need to scrutinize, prioritize, and establish the suitable mix of relationships necessary for achieving their goals (accessing resources) (Gummesson, 1994). As the relationships between actors are embedded in a social network, the literature on relationship marketing argues that the relation between entrepreneurs' relationship competence and access to resources is contingent on the configuration of all other stakeholders (Moura & Teixeira, 2010;Payne, Ballantyne, & Christopher, 2005).…”

“…They may have to trade off the costs and benefits of the relationships. Entrepreneurs should know which relationships to invest in further or divest themselves of, and which relationships to keep on a transactional level because they lack reciprocal value (Gummesson, 1994;Moyes, Whittam, & Ferri, 2012). In the context of making a step-change, entrepreneurs may develop five activities to access resources and maintain a low cost of network maintenance: assessing relationship value, scanning relationship opportunities, developing new relations, continuing relationships, and abandoning former relations (Grönroos, 1994;Gummesson, 1987).…”

Importance of closed-loop supply chain relationships for product remanufacturing

“…Studies have shown that there are up to as many as 45 characteristics that influences the overall relationship. Some of the most important characteristics for a successful relationship are cooperation, commitment, trust, power, consistency, adoption and attraction (Gummesson, 1994).…”