Relationship Marketing Activities Research Articles

More is better but in what direction? The effects of relationship marketing investment breadth and depth on customer gratitude

Relationship marketing is an important strategy salespeople use to develop and maintain sustainable customer relationships. Accordingly, they invest significantly in relationship marketing activities to prompt positive perceptions from their customers. However, salespeople often face resource limitations, which restrict their ability to effectively invest in relationship marketing activities. Building on this premise, we propose that salespeople may choose two different strategies to capitalize on their investments in relationship marketing: broadly investing in multiple categories without deep commitment or deeply investing in specific categories at the expense of wide coverage. Given their specific focus, we argue that these two strategies influence customer perceptions differently. Furthermore, we suggest that their effectiveness is contingent on customers' orientation in inter-firm interactions. Using data collected from 183 organizational customers, we find robust evidence supporting our hypotheses.

Digital customer engagement: A systematic literature review and research agenda

Digital technologies have become critical to businesses for their engagement, sales, and other marketing-related activities. However, despite massive attention over the last few years, managers still lack an understanding of users’ engagement behavior toward these digital technologies. The paper aims to synthesize the state-of-the-art literature on digital consumer engagement by reviewing 139 relevant articles. The study reports on the theoretical lenses, methods, contexts, antecedents, drivers, and outcomes of digital customer engagement. In addition, the study lists top authors, journals, articles, and countries. Finally, the authors develop a comprehensive framework to better understand digital customer engagement and provide critical avenues for future research. JEL Classification: M31

U.S. Traditional Public School Principals’ Sensemaking of Their Role as School Marketers

The purpose of this study was to report how principals describe their role as marketers for their school and examine how these perceptions influence the ways in which principals engage in their daily work. To investigate this phenomenon I conducted 30 interviews with 10 traditional public school principals in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Specifically, I asked: How, if at all, do principals report acting as marketers for their school? and (2) How do marketing-related activities influence principals’ traditionally thought of work? The findings of this work indicate principals believe one of their most pressing responsibilities as school leader is to market their school to parents/guardians and the local community. As a result of this belief, principals spend a significant amount of time engaging in marketing-related tasks such as promoting their school and building a brand that is recognizable to the community.

Strengthening social media capabilities to improve private Islamic higher education marketing performance

Purpose – This research is conducted to strengthen social media capabilities to improve Private Islamic Higher Education marketing performance as well as the number of prospective students.Methodology – The design of this study is a survey. The data processed with SPSS and Amos program are collected from the elements of leaders of Indonesian private Islamic higher education. Multi-stage sampling and simple random methods are applied.Findings – Digital public relations and digital network empowerment, respectively has a very significant role to strengthen social media capabilities to improve Private Islamic Higher Education marketing performance and as well as the number of prospective students. Implications – The findings of this research encourage Private Islamic Higher Education to apply both digital public relations and digital network empowerment on social media. Originality – This research develops digital public relations and digital network empowerment as intervening variables, considering that both digital constructs have the capabilities to realize the marketing-related activities through a collaborative relationship approach required by social media to attract prospective students to join Private Islamic Higher Education.

Mediating Effect of Customer Satisfaction On Relationship Marketing and Customer Loyalty Among Commercial Banks Customers in Awka, Anambra State

The banking industry is one of the largest sectors dealing with individual customers directly. The success and profitability of a company is based on the number of customer base and their ability to maintain good relationship with their customers and satisfy them efficiently. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the mediating effect of customer satisfaction on relationship marketing and customer loyalty among commercial bank customers in Awka, Anambra state. Specifically, the study examined the effects of relationship marketing concepts (trust, commitment, communication and conflict handling on customer loyalty. Data was collected from 691 respondents and the hypotheses tested using macro process via SPSS version 17. The result showed that relationship marketing dimensions used in this study (trust, commitment, communication and conflict handling) has significant influence on customer loyalty. Furthermore, customers’ satisfaction has significant mediating influence on the relationship between the components of relationship marketing (trust, commitment, communication and conflict handling) and customer loyalty. It was therefore recommended that since customer satisfaction is a determinant of customer loyalty, via relationship marketing activities there is need for banks to satisfy their customers so as to encourage them to remain loyal to the bank through continuous patronage.

The determinants of retail customers' purchase intent

AbstractDespite the growing attention on enhancing purchase intent, there is no coherent framework for determining retail customers’ purchase intent. This study aims to contribute to marketing theory and practice by proposing and testing a comprehensive theoretical model that incorporates direct, mediating, and moderating relationships among preeminent constructs to produce decisive insight into purchase intent. Partial least squares‐based structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) was deployed to test research hypotheses and analyse the data collected from 515 customers. The findings reveal that customer relationship proneness has a positive impact on customer satisfaction, customer trust, and purchase intent. In addition, customer satisfaction is found to have a positive effect on customer trust. Customer trust, in turn, positively affects customer purchase intent. Customer trust fully mediates the association of customer satisfaction and purchase intent and partially mediates the association of relationship proneness and purchase intent. Of our seven selected moderators, only marital status and income moderate the association of customer relationship proneness and customer satisfaction. A customer's tendency to engage in relationships with retailers or brands depends on various factors that are related to customer characteristics. To develop customer loyalty and cultivate long‐term relationships, retailers are recommended to segment their customers based on their respective relationship proneness and relevant demographic characteristics, in particular, marital status and income, and target each segment with customized relationship marketing activities.

The influence of marketing-related mobile activities on the adoption of mobile marketing transactions: a uses and gratification perspective

There is an increasing attention being accorded to the adoption of mobile marketing transactions in recent years, as both practitioners and researchers recognise that mobile commerce (m-commerce) is poised to burst into the mainstream. This study identifies a literature gap in which there seems to be an insufficient critical mass of studies on the adoption of innovative marketing technologies within the South African context. More specifically, very few studies have been conducted regarding the contribution of mobile marketing-related activities on consumer behaviour towards m-commerce. In view of this development, guided by the uses and gratification theory, the purpose of this study is to ascertain the influence of marketing-related mobile activities on the adoption of mobile marketing transactions, specifically focusing on the South African youth consumers. To fulfil the purpose of the study, the objectives of the study are centered on examining the degree to which the following marketing-related mobile activities: (1) provide information online, (2) access content online, and (3) share content online, influence consumers’ adoption of mobile marketing transactions. Following a quantitative research technique and a descriptive single cross-sectional design, data was gathered through a self-administered questionnaire, using a sample of 810 students from three selected South African universities. Three research hypotheses were advanced in line with the study objectives, and they were tested using linear regression analysis. The study findings confirm the positive significant effects of marketing-related mobile activities in driving adoption of mobile marketing transactions. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed, and limitations and future research directions are also indicated.

The Transformation of Data Marketing: How an Ethical Lens on Consumer Data Collection Shapes the Future of Marketing

With a mass of customer data at our fingertips and the ability to use it to individualize promotion strategies, marketing communications, and product offerings, marketing activities are becoming more and more tailored to the individual customer. However, as concerns about online privacy and the handling of personal data take on an ever-increasing significance, marketers must increasingly evaluate and adapt their personalization and data collection methods. As a result, there is an increasing demand to take a critical look at the collection of data for personalization processes from an ethical perspective and to consider implications for further initiatives to maintain consumers’ trust. This research study utilizes a systematic literature review approach to investigate the current state of knowledge on the tradeoff between personalization and customer privacy by synthesizing and integrating extant knowledge. From the results of the present study’s search process, 20 articles were selected and analyzed for this review. Findings emphasize the importance of strengthening consumer relationships by increasing consumer trust, loyalty, confidence, and emotional attachment through specific organizational activities. The adaptation of marketing-related activities can thereby create a competitive advantage for data-collecting companies, as consumer backlash and privacy concerns decrease, and the willingness to disclose data increases. The current research contributes to the field of marketing by reviewing the issue of increasing personalization at the cost of customer privacy and explores how the resulting ethical considerations may affect the future of marketing practices. It thereby serves to help marketeers to implement effective strategies to ensure customer relationships and the resulting willingness to disclose personal data for personalization processes.

Validating a multidimensional perspective of relationship marketing on brand attachment, customer loyalty and purchase intentions: a serial mediation model

ABSTRACT Organizations are actively involved in relationship marketing (RM) activities to strengthen their connections with customers. The current study discusses the multidimensional constructs of relationship marketing and its influence on customers’ brand attachment in the hotel sector, taking into account the sequential mediation of attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty between relationship marketing and purchase intention constructs. In order to collect the research data, we distributed questionnaires among 304 hotel customers and used SEM technique to analyze the hypotheses. The findings revealed that four dimensions of relationship marketing played a critical role in improving customers’ brand attachment. Furthermore, brand attachment has a significant and positive impact on behavioral loyalty and attitudinal loyalty. In addition, brand attachment, attitudinal loyalty, and behavioral loyalty have proved as significant serial mediators between the linkage of relationship marketing and purchase intentions. We also discussed the study’s theoretical and managerial implications.

Contextualization of Relational Connectedness Construct in Relationship Marketing

ABSTRACT Relational connectedness is an important factor for identifying requirements of and building long-term customer–organization relationships. This research investigates how the relational connectedness construct connects with relationship marketing theory. The empirical study provides greater insight into relationship marketing by comparing two models that capture the relevance of relationship marketing and its influence on trust, connections, commitment, and future intentions in the community-based nonprofit and public sectors. Findings support relational connectedness as an important construct for understanding the relationship marketing processes. This study presents theoretical support for the use of additional constructs in nonprofit and public sector marketing theory. Relationship marketing activities can lead to extended relationships. This research posits and evaluates a new structural model that shows that relational connectedness is appropriate for understanding the processes of relationship marketing in the nonprofit and public sectors.

Relationship Marketing Activities in Building Customer-Oriented Marketing Services

The aim of this study is to know how does relationship marketing activities in building customer-oriented marketing services. For this research, relationship marketing is used as it’s main theory, and the tool to conduct this research is through descriptive-qualitative methodology, with two informants from Singapore Intercultural School Bona Vista, first informant Head of Marketing of SIS Group of Schools and second informant Parents Relation Officer and Marketing Manager of Singapore Intercultural School Bona Vista as primary data. The research findings indicate that SIS Bona Vista has done well with their relationship marketing activities in building customer-oriented marketing services through pre sales mainly Digital: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google Ads, SEO, SEM where then they continue to email greeting such sharing information about the school, sending useful articles and in Traditional, reaching out to communities such Embassies of Korea and Japan. During sales when the target market visited Indonesia, they will book a school tour – “moment of truth” and an after sale an Alumni Group. Internal communication with existing parents it’s an open and flexible communication, through WhatsApp, email, Social Media. Parents and teacher through WhatsApp group. A weekly overall information through “SIS Connect” and internal application named “Academia”.

Online Relationship Marketing and Customer Loyalty Based on Signalling Theory

Objective – The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Online Relationship Marketing on customer loyalty which was examined from the perspective of signalling theory in the banking sector. Methodology/Technique – Signalling theory is used to identify the tendency of companies to build relationships with consumers by sending signals to consumers through a variety internet tools and applications to communicate transparency, security, and privacy to influence consumer perceptions, behavior, and interests. Data was analyzed using quantitative methods with the SEM-PLS method involving 384 samples. Findings – The results of this study indicate that Online Relationship Marketing activities, such as engagement and interactivity, have a significant direct effect on customer loyalty and online trust. Novelty - Online trust in this study has a significant effect on customer loyalty and has a partial mediating role. Type of Paper: Empirical. JEL Classification: M31, M39. Keywords: Engagement; Interactivity; Online Trust; Customer Loyalty; Signalling Theory Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Pebrianti, W; Tanwira, W; Ahmadi. (2021). Online Relationship Marketing to Customer Loyalty Based on Signalling Theory, Journal of Management and Marketing Review, 6(1) 86 – 93. https://doi.org/10.35609/jmmr.2021.6.1(9)

Social Media for New Product Launch: A Study of Social Media Platforms Across the RACE Planning Framework

<span>The world of marketing communication has been transformed completely by the presence of the internet and internet-enabled platforms. Today, the internet and related platform are home to massive amounts of human dialogues. Human interaction has changed drastically because of the presence of a wide variety of web-based platforms and the proliferation of media. Social Media- a Web 2.0 enabled platform has become an integral part of human life. Also, businesses have started actively participating in these platforms as they have found their users spending a substantial amount of time on these platforms. Thus, social media has become a part of digital marketing which involves the use of a wide variety of digital technologies and digital media to connect to the audience. The RACE i.e. the Reach Act Convert Engage digital marketing framework is a popular infographic, introduced to aid marketers to plan and manage the digital marketing related activities in a more organized manner. The present study aims at exploring the usage of social media at the launch or the commercialization phase of new product development. To fulfill this objective the study uses the RACE digital Planning framework. The study also aims at highlighting the most popular alternatives of social media in each category of the RACE Planning framework in the launch phase of NPD.</span>

Online Relationship Marketing to Customer Loyalty Based on Signaling Theory (Evidence of Bank Customers in Indonesia)

The internet has changed people's way of life, especially in dealing a transaction. Indonesian banking entered a new era since 2000 when banks in Indonesia began implementing electronic banking or e-banking systems. Integrating cellular communication technology and banking financial services is changing people's lifestyles to be more flexible in making it easier for users to access banking financial services without being hindered by time, place and space. The same integration also occurs in relationship marketing strategies and cellular communication technologies that make it easy for companies to be able to reach and provide the best service to their consumers. This study wants to reveal the relationship of interactivity and engagement which is an activity of Online Relationship Marketing at a bank to be able to understand consumers in order to create customer loyalty with online trust as mediation.Based on the above background, the problem in this study is "Does Online Relationship Marketing activities such as engagement and interactivity affect customer loyalty either through online trust as mediation or not?" Keywords: engagement, interactivity, online trust, customer loyalty, signaling theory

공급사슬 파트너 간 관계마케팅 활동이 관계품질 및 성과에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구

In recent years, competition among companies has become fiercer due to globalization and rapid technological development, and amid this competition, companies are making efforts such as relationship marketing for stable and long-term relationships with other trading companies to remain competitive. Therefore, this study was intended to demonstrate the effect of the relevant marketing execution factors on the quality and performance of the relationship between suppliers" partner firms". Research has shown that professionalism and communication as relationship marketing activities have a positive effect on relationship quality and relationship performance. It was also shown that relationship quality has a positive effect on relationship performance. Through this study, this paper aims to provide the theoretical support and foundation necessary to build and maintain healthy and stable relationships among firms".

‘The last line of marketing’: Covert tobacco marketing tactics as revealed by former tobacco industry employees

ABSTRACT In countries with bans on tobacco advertising and promotion, tobacco companies have focused their promotional expenditure on business-to-business relationship marketing activities aimed at retailers. However, evidence of such activities has been obtained through secondary sources only, including surveys and interviews with tobacco retailers and analyses of tobacco industry documents. To understand the breadth of promotional strategies employed in the retail sector to enhance tobacco sales, 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of key informants who formerly worked for tobacco companies operating in Australia. A qualitative iterative approach was used to develop a thematic analysis of tobacco brand promotion and retailer marketing. Participants described tobacco retail marketing and promotion strategies that were categorised into three primary themes: (1) the provision of financial incentives, such as price promotions, cash payments and rebates; (2) the provision of experiential incentives, such as all-expenses paid vacations, exclusive parties and events, and (3) targeted marketing and education, which enabled retailers to market to consumers on behalf of tobacco companies. Such strategies had the ultimate objective of increasing market share and driving sales. For countries to comprehensively restrict all tobacco marketing, legislation must be introduced to outlaw these activities in tobacco advertising and promotion legislation.

Entrepreneurial Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses : An Exploratory Study of Start-up Companies in India

Marketing is an important activity for the survival and growth of start-ups, but a start-up – usually with limited budget, moderate capital, and with no concrete customer base – finds it difficult to compete against the industry giants and big players. They can achieve this by converting their weakness into strengths as they can be more flexible in marketing strategies than their competitors in the market. The purpose of this paper was to explore the marketing strategies of start-up companies in India with reference to entrepreneurial marketing. The research is based on a sample of 67 start-up companies operating in India using the mixed research method. Data collection were done using a semi-structured questionnaire comprising of quantitative and open-ended questions. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and AQUAD 7.0. The findings indicated that start - up companies see marketing as a vital function for their growth and sustainability. Companies are ready to adopt entrepreneurial marketing, and they were already using few of the entrepreneurial marketing techniques. We explored the marketing environment of start-ups in its extant form. The entrepreneurial practitioners as well as the owners of start-up companies may note that this research provides meaningful insights into the significance of their marketing-related activities. The study offers three distinct contributions pertaining to the marketing practices in start-ups : (a) Identifies the research gap within the existing research literature ; (b) explains the marketing strategies by start-up companies ; (c) compares and maps the marketing strategies with entrepreneurial marketing.

Facebook for Public Relations in the higher education field: a study from four countries Czechia, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary

ABSTRACT In recent years, social media has provided higher education institutions with new means of communication with their target groups. In this study, research was conducted on top public universities from four countries in Central Europe, with a focus on their Public Relations activities on Facebook. The purpose of this research is to explore the use of Facebook by selected universities and to provide a set of practical benchmarks on successful communication with the public. The quantitative data analysis was conducted using the data mining tool Netvizz. Data from 2017 and 2018 obtained from 31 Facebook profiles of selected universities were used. The findings provide evidence on the use of Facebook by universities for Public Relations. Furthermore, they reveal that different post features generate different customer behaviour. The study contributes to a better understanding of marketing-related activities on social media in higher education field.

Evaluating Personalization: The AB Testing Pitfalls Companies Might Not Be Aware of-A Spotlight on the Automotive Sector Websites.

The importance of companies' website as instrument for relationship marketing activities is well-known both in the academia and in the industry. In the last decades, there has been great interest in studying how technology can be used to influence people's attitudes and motivate behavior change. With this, web personalization has had increasing research and practitioner interest. However, the evaluation of user interaction with companies' websites and personalization effects remains an elusive goal for organizations. Online controlled experiments (A/B tests) are one of the most commonly known and used techniques for this online evaluation. And, while there is clearly value in evaluating personalized features by means of online controlled experiments, there are some pitfalls to bear in mind while testing. In this paper we present five experimentation pitfalls, firstly identified in an automotive company's website and found to be present in other sectors, that are particularly important or likely to appear when evaluating personalization features. In order to obtain the listed pitfalls, different methods have been used, including literature review, direct, and indirect observation within organizations of the automotive sector and a set of interviews to organizations form other sectors. Finally, the list of five resulting pitfalls is presented and some suggestions are made on how to avoid or mitigate each of them.

Consumer Acceptance of Mobile Marketing: A Study of Three Generation Cohorts in Jakarta

This research aims to examine the factors influencing mobile marketing acceptance in three generation cohorts in Jakarta, Indonesia, and to confirm the influence of risk acceptance and personal attachment as antecedent factors toward mobile marketing acceptance with the support of marketing-related mobile activities. This study employs Cronbach’s alpha to test reliability and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the validity of the questionnaire. Furthermore, this study used simple and multiple regression analysis and mediating analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine whether there are any significant differences between three generation cohorts towards risk acceptance, personal attachment, and mobile marketing acceptance. The results show that risk acceptance and personal acceptance significantly affect mobile marketing-related activities, and mobile marketing-related activity has a significant influence toward mobile marketing acceptance. However, among all the variables, only mobile activity related to accessing content significantly mediates personal attachment to mobile marketing acceptance.