The Identity Salience Model of Relationship Marketing Success: The Case of Nonprofit Marketing

Abstract

Researchers suggest that developing long-term relationships with key stakeholders is an important strategy in today's intensely competitive business environment. Many organizations have embraced this concept, which is referred to as relationship marketing. Much of the research on relationship marketing success has examined relationships that (1) are primarily economic in nature, (2) involve business-to-business marketing, and (3) involve for-profit firms. However, the authors argue that relationship marketing is a viable strategy in such contexts as those involving high levels of social exchange, business-to-consumer marketing, and nonprofit marketing. In these contexts, relationship marketing success may require different relationship characteristics from those identified in previous research. The authors develop “the identity salience model of relationship marketing success,” which they posit is useful for explaining relationship marketing success in exchange relationships that (1) involve individuals and (2) are based primarily on social exchange. The authors further develop and test the model in the context of nonprofit higher education marketing. The results provide support for the model.

“This is who i am”: Identity expressiveness and the theory of planned behavior

“…In these studies, identity salience is the most frequently used concept; it is typically measured applying the identity salience indicators developed by Callero (1985); (cf. Fekadu & Kraft, 2001;Arnett, German & Hunt, 2003). For the present study, some of these indicators contribute to the design of the item "I use MMS to express my personal values".…”

Social Identity and the Service-Profit Chain

“…Given that customer company identification serves as a motivator to act on behalf of a group, it should also raise the willingness to pay for products or services of the company (Arnett et al 2003). Moreover, since customer company identification helps in defining oneself, this would be of significant value to the customer and this additional value would be taken into account in terms of the price the customer is willing to pay.…”

Unpacking Donor Retention: Individual Monetary Giving to U.S.-Based Christian Faith-Related, International Nongovernmental Organizations

“…Arnett, German and Hunt ( [56], p. 90) borrow from business-consumer marketing literature to develop an identity salience model of relationship marketing success between NGOs and individual donors5. They recommend that NGO managers focus on increasing the salience of their donors' NGO-related identity and on developing such identities in potential donors.…”

“…This is reflected in the suggestion forwarded by Choi and DiNitto ( [57], p. 111) who urge service delivery NGOs to identify and target existing and potential donors on religious grounds or to partner with faith-based organizations, particularly if their donor base has given only or predominantly to religious organizations. Arnett, German and Hunt [56] further recommend that NGOs encourage their existing and potential donors to become more actively involved in NGO-related activities while also maintaining and, when possible, improving organizational prestige. In the context of donors for whom religiosity is salient, changes in religious giving is directly related to attendance in religious services or in other words, sustained (and higher mounts of) giving is found to be positively related to frequent attendance in religious activities [58,59].…”

“…5 Identity salience is a concept grounded in identity theory. According to Arnett, German & Hunt ( [56], p. 89), identity salience posits that people have several "identities," that is, self-conceptions or self-definitions in their lives. These identities are arranged hierarchically and salient identities, according to identity theory, are more likely to affect behavior than those that are less important.…”