Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs are increasingly popular corporate marketing strategies. This paper argues that CSR programs can fall along a continuum between two endpoints: Institutionalized programs and Promotional programs. This classification is based on an exploratory study examining the variance of four responses from the consumer stakeholder group toward these two categories of CSR. Institutionalized CSR programs are argued to be most effective at increasing customer loyalty, enhancing attitude toward the company, and decreasing consumer skepticism. Promotional CSR programs are argued to be more effective at generating purchase intent. Ethical and managerial implications of these preliminary findings are discussed.

A Framework for Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility Programs as a Continuum: An Exploratory Study

Examines determinants of service loyalty under the assumption that consumers perform a cost/benefit analysis when deciding whether or not they want to be “regular customers”. It develops potential determinants of service loyalty based on the service quality, transaction cost, and switching cost literature, and estimates their relative influences with survey data from customers currently using banks and travel agencies. The results indicate that, in addition to service quality perceptions, transaction/switching cost factors have a significant impact on service loyalty. Implications of the results are discussed.

A cost/benefit approach to understanding service loyalty

https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1104&context=busadmin_fac

Toward a three-dimensional framework for omni-channel

A billing statement according to one aspect of the invention includes a description of a transaction and an offer pointer associated with the transaction, wherein the offer pointer includes information that may be used to review an offer. In one example of this aspect, a telephone number or a hyperlink is provided adjacent to a total amount owed listed on a statement (e.g., an electronically-displayed billing statement). The offers reviewed may be customized, for example, based on details of the transaction such as the product purchased or the amount of the purchase, the identity of the consumer, and/or on other data.

System for providing offers using a billing statement

Purpose – This article aims to provide a comparison between the patterns of brand loyalty of five consumer groups – three groups of Millennials and two groups of Generation X consumers. To avoid reductionist generalizations, the study takes into account several market‐related situations – considering three types of products and two types of services, and investigates also the differences between the customer loyalty profile in two European Union countries with a different level of economic development: France and Romania.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected and analyzed in three main phases: first, secondary data have been analyzed to identify and formulate the research framework; second, a series of focus groups have been conducted with French and Romanian consumers; and third, 500 questionnaires have been applied in each of the two investigated countries.Findings – The findings demonstrate the significant effect of the life‐stage model, the Millennials and Generation X consumers included in...

A life‐stage analysis of consumer loyalty profile: comparing Generation X and Millennial consumers

Takes a look at the worldwide trend toward loyalty marketing and highlights the reasons for this emphasis on loyalty. Asserts that building customer loyalty is a business strategy, not just a marketing program and that all businesses should seek to boost loyalty and maximize share of customer. Explores the various approaches to structuring customer loyalty strategies. Uses some real‐world examples to illustrate different approaches. Provides a consistent framework for developing a loyalty strategy and program. Offers insight to reduce the amount of time required to develop a loyalty strategy and touches on ways to help marketers avoid some classic mistakes. Maintains that the pursuit of customer loyalty is a perpetual one ‐ more of a journey than a destination.

Customer loyalty strategies

The development of customer loyalty is a strategic objective for most companies. There are many different terms used in business today to describe the process of building customer loyalty. This article describes the benefits of building customer loyalty and explores the essential strategic considerations for companies contemplating the development of loyalty initiatives. It also establishes the relationship between how brands are built today and how customer relationships are cultivated in a manner that leads to loyalty.

Internal and external factors which affect customer loyalty

Purpose – This article seeks to explore the inner workings of affiliate marketing.Design/methodology/approach – Defines the affiliate marketing marketplace including some of the participants and explores the characteristics of a successful long‐term relationship.Findings – The key to successful affiliate marketing lies in the construction of a win‐win relationship between the advertiser and the affiliate. Affiliate marketing is likely to become the principal mainstream marketing strategy for e‐commerce businesses in the future.Originality/value – Looks at the inner workings of affiliate marketing, defines the affiliate marketing marketplace including some of the participants and explores the characteristics of a successful long‐term relationship.

Affiliate marketing and its impact on e‐commerce

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the methods used by marketers over the past years to develop loyalty among customers. Furthermore, the paper considers the shortcomings of these methods and certain societal and technological changes that have further impacted on the potential effectiveness of these methods in the future.Design/methodology/approach – The author uses his experience working with hundreds of marketers around the world developing, managing, analyzing, measuring and improving customer loyalty strategies and tactics. The author combines these experiences with analysis of certain dynamics in the marketplace that have changed the way marketers must interact with customers. Finally, the author has combined this experience and analysis to formulate a point of view about the impact on marketing strategies in the future.Findings – Many of the past efforts used by marketers to develop customer loyalty have been ineffective because they have been based on tactics used in the airline ind...

The evolution of customer loyalty strategy

Multi‐channel marketing in the retail environment involves the integration of marketing activities in retail stores, with catalogs and with online marketing. The online component of this is critical to the success of the overall effort and it is becoming more powerful, sophisticated and measurable. This case study chronicles the use of multi‐channel marketing by REI, a 66‐year‐old purveyor of specialty outdoor gear and apparel. The case study shares the essential components of multi‐channel marketing used by REI and how the various components work together.

Dennis L. Duffy

Papers

Customer loyalty strategies

Internal and external factors which affect customer loyalty

Affiliate marketing and its impact on e‐commerce

The evolution of customer loyalty strategy

Multi‐channel marketing in the retail environment