Special issue introduction: online relationship marketing

Abstract

In this special issue, the Marketing Intelligence & Planning presents a series of papers associated with Online Relationship Marketing. Relationship marketing involves the development and maintenance of strong relationships with customers and other stakeholders that result in customer loyalty and firm profitability (Bolton et al., 2004; Firdaus and Kanyan, 2014; Morgan and Hunt, 1994; Oly Ndubisi, 2007). It stresses the importance of continuous interactions between the seller and the buyer in order to develop a long-term relationship (Jain et al., 2017; Palmatier et al., 2006). However, the impact of the internet and technology on relationship marketing are often not adequately investigated, leading to overstated hypothetical predictions of its future potential (Hart et al., 2000). In many circumstances, the resources devoted to developing and retaining the e-platforms are fruitless (Gan et al., 2007). Therefore, it is imperative to advance our knowledge of relationship marketing in the online environment (Bilgihan and Bujisic, 2015). The special issue includes a synthesised, state-of-the-art overview of online relationship marketing research as well as six papers covering three main themes: “personalised relationships, value-added benefits, and social media as emerging sales and distribution channels”.