Showing papers on "Relationship marketing published in 2010"

Marketing 3.0: From Products to Customers to the Human Spirit

Abstract: Understand the next level of marketingThe new model for marketing-Marketing 3.0-treats customers not as mere consumers but as the complex, multi-dimensional human beings that they are. Customers, in turn, are choosing companies and products that satisfy deeper needs for participation, creativity, community, and idealism.In Marketing 3.0, world-leading marketing guru Philip Kotler explains why the future of marketing lies in creating products, services, and company cultures that inspire, include, and reflect the values of target customers. - Explains the future of marketing, along with why most marketers are stuck in the past - Examines companies that are ahead of the curve, such as S. C. Johnson - Kotler is one of the most highly recognized marketing gurus, famous for his "4 P's of Marketing" In an age of highly aware customers, companies must demonstrate their relevance to customers at the level of basic values. Marketing 3.0 is the unmatched guide to getting out front of this new tide sweeping through the nature of marketing.

Marketing Metrics: The Definitive Guide to Measuring Marketing Performance

Abstract: The Definitive Guide to the New State-of-the-Art in Marketing Metrics Marketing Metrics, Second Edition, is the definitive guide to todays most valuable marketing metrics. In this thoroughly updated and significantly expanded book, four leading marketing researchers show exactly how to choose the right metrics for every challenge. The authors show how to use marketing dashboards to view market dynamics from multiple perspectives, maximize accuracy, and triangulate to optimal solutions. Youll discover high-value metrics for virtually every facet of marketing: promotional strategy, advertising, and distribution; customer perceptions; market share; competitors power; margins and pricing; products and portfolios; customer profitability; sales forces and channels; and more. This edition introduces essential new metrics ranging from Net Promoter to social media and brand equity measurement. Last, but not least, it shows how to build comprehensive models to support planning--and optimize every marketing decision you make. Choose the right metric for every marketing challenge Understand the full spectrum of marketing metrics: pros, cons, nuances, and application Gain a deep and thorough understanding of marketing profitability Quantify the profitability of products, customers, channels, and marketing initiatives Assess web and social media effectiveness, accurately and in detail Measure everything from bounce rates to the growth of your web communities Link marketing to your enterprise financial metrics Understand your true return on marketing investment--and enhance it This award-winning book will show you how to apply the right metrics to all your marketing investments, get accurate answers, and use them to systematically improve ROI. Youll find practical, up-to-the-minute techniques for measuring everything from brand equity to social media, market share to web engagement. For every metric, the authors present real-world pros, cons, and tradeoffs--and help you understand what the numbers really mean. Youll learn how to design and interpret marketing dashboards to identify emerging opportunities and risks and use powerful new modeling techniques to optimize every decision you make. In this second edition the authors expand their treatment of social marketing, web metrics, and brand equity. They also give readers new systems for organizing marketing metrics into models and dashboards that translate numbers into management insight. Strategy + Business Best Books in Marketing award winnernow fully updated! 30% more coverage: from social media and brand equity to modeling for better decision-making Covers promotions, advertising, distribution, customer perception, market share, pricing, margins, portfolios, channels, dashboards, and much more

The Direct and Indirect Effects of Advertising Spending on Firm Value

Abstract: Marketing decision makers are increasingly aware of the importance of shareholder value maximization, which calls for an evaluation of the long-term effects of their actions on product-market response and investor response. However, the marketing literature to date has focused on the sales or profit response of marketing actions, and the goals of marketing have traditionally been formulated from a customer perspective. Recently, there have been a few studies of the long-term investor response to marketing actions. The current research investigates one important aspect of this impact, the long-term relationship between advertising spending and market capitalization. The authors hypothesize that advertising can have a direct effect on valuation (i.e., an effect beyond its indirect effect through sales revenue and profit response). The empirical results across two industries provide support for the hypothesis that advertising spending has a positive, long-term impact on own firms' market capitalizat...

Marketing as Value Co-creation Through Network Interaction and Resource Integration

Abstract: This is a theoretical discourse on contributions to the marketing discipline primarily from service-dominant (S-D) logic, relationship marketing, and the many-to-many network approach. The study combines a literature review with theoretical insights. Framed within a relational context it specifically addresses interaction and its role in the co-creation of value through resource integration. As a consequence, the article also deals with elevating midrange theory in the direction of more abstract and general theory, grand theory. The article advances a model and five propositions which outline interaction in a network of parties as the most crucial antecedent to resource integration. The actors involved set up a dialog and transfer knowledge and other resources for organizational learning and resource creation and renewal. Resource integration is generalized to actor-to-actor (A2A) interaction through which the actors link their resources for mutual benefit. The integration assumes that resources can differ in terms of quality and quantity and require complementarities, or can be similar leading to an increase in the joint volume but sometimes to redundancy, or there can be mixed forms. In all of these situations interaction and co-creation in networks strive to improve service systems through a better matching between resources, processes, and outcomes.

Customer Value Anticipation, Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty: An Empirical Examination

Abstract: A service-dominant logic by definition is inherently customer oriented and relational, reflecting deeper and more complex connections between suppliers and customers. The service mindset driving increased collaboration enables suppliers to have deeper insights to what customers' value. Customer value perceptions are dynamic, sometimes in constant flux, necessitating anticipatory capabilities on the part of suppliers. Yet, there is a notable lack of discussion about customer value anticipation and related empirical evidence of whether or not customers care if suppliers anticipate what they value. The authors report on two survey studies that test using structural equation modeling the notion that suppliers good at anticipating what customers will value realize higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. Understanding this relationship is critical for marketing managers wrestling with allocation of limited resources. We find that customer value anticipation is a strong driver of satisfaction and loyalty, with satisfaction acting as a mediator for loyalty.

The Impact of Customer-to-Customer Interaction on Cruise Experience and Vacation Satisfaction

Abstract: While the role of customer-to-customer (C2C) interaction in shaping service experience has been recognized in the services marketing literature, empirical examination of this issue is limited Similarly, investigation of tourists’ social contacts has mainly focused on the tourist—local community and tourist—service personnel dyads, while much less is known about tourist-to-tourist interactions To fill this knowledge gap, this study has examined interaction between tourists on cruise vacations and its impact on the cruise experience and vacation satisfaction An online survey is conducted with an American online panel (n = 613) The findings reveal that the quality of C2C interaction has positive direct impacts on the cruise experience as well as indirect effects on vacation satisfaction, mediated by cruise experience Moreover, the quality of C2C interaction has suppressor effects on the quantity of C2C interaction The results call for the incorporation of C2C interaction as one component of the relatio

Meeting Relationship-Marketing Goals Through Social Media: A Conceptual Model for Sport Marketers

Abstract: Sport industry marketers have long understood the importance of nurturing customer relationships. The new challenge is how best to face the shifts in customer relationship marketing posed by sports organizations and proactive consumers, or “prosumers.” In this article, the elements of the relationship-building process are presented with a focus on communication, interaction, and value, concepts identified in Gronroos’s (2004) relationship-marketing process model. An expanded version of Gronroos’s model is developed to include prosumers and to describe the interactions that occur through social-media exchanges. The value of specific social-media tools and Web 2.0 technologies in helping sport marketers meet their relationship-marketing goals is also discussed. Finally, directions for future research employing the expanded model are suggested.

Entrepreneurial marketing: moving beyond marketing in new ventures

Abstract: This paper discusses an alternative conceptualisation of entrepreneurial marketing that can be understood as 'marketing with an entrepreneurial mindset'. By combining the definition of marketing of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and two conceptualisations of entrepreneurship (entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial management), we arrive at a definition of entrepreneurial marketing as the organisational function of marketing by taking into account innovativeness, risk taking, pro-activeness and the pursuit of opportunities without regard for the resources currently controlled. This definition must not be restricted to young and small ventures, but can equally be applied to larger firms. We illustrate the concept of entrepreneurial marketing by highlighting guerrilla marketing, buzz marketing and viral marketing.

The determinants of hotels' marketing managers' green marketing behaviour

Abstract: Little is known about the factors underlying the pro-environmental behaviour of marketing managers. This paper explores the determinants of green marketing practices in the Red Sea hotel sector in Egypt. The research model assesses green marketing practices against the personal and organisational values of the marketing managers, together with a range of organisational and demographic variables expected to influence hotels' environmental behaviour. From a valid sample of 89 marketing managers responsible for 194 hotels, it was found that organisational contextual variables, and in particular targeting Western tourists, being affiliated to an international hotel chain and the marketers' own demographics, including age, academic subject studied and gender, were the best predictors of more proactive green marketing. Personal environmental values did not explain the pro-environmental behaviour of marketers, and the organisational environmental values that had explained part of their ethical behaviour had resu...

Consumer trust in service companies: a multiple mediating analysis

Abstract: Purpose – The concept of “trust” has gained considerable importance in the field of marketing during the last decades and is seen as a key mediator of customer relationship marketing. But upon a closer look at the literature, the construct “trust” is conceptualized and measured very differently. Based on a literature review and theoretical work, the purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model of consumer trust in a service company, which distinguishes two fundamental dimensions. Using these dimensions, it is possible to detect different mediating effects of trust in the customer relationship to the service company.Design/methodology/approach – Antecedents and consequences of trust are studied in a business‐to‐consumer services context in the banking industry. To test hypotheses, empirical data are collected from a sample of 232 retail bank customers with checking accounts. By means of a LISREL approach, two rivalling measurement models of trust are compared and show various mediating effects.Fi...

Exchanges in Marketing Systems: The Case of Subsistence Consumer-Merchants in Chennai, India

Abstract: A qualitative study of subsistence consumer–merchants (SCMs) in Chennai, India, reveals that they sustain relationships in three interdependent relationship domains: vendor, customer, and family. Relying on long interview data, the authors interpret the subsystems as closed-loop and self-sustaining relationships. Subsystems are managed by SCMs through buying and selling activities alongside the receiving and granting of credit, and these activities engender three facets of commitment: continuance, affective, and normative. Different facets of commitment underlie the relationships in the three subsystems. Through different role-based activities, SCMs enhance or diminish commitment levels to keep all three types of relationships viable while moving their scarce time, energy, and financial resources into the domain with the greatest need. Activities and the management of commitment are performed within 24-hour business cycles, with negligible resources, and in highly unstable environments, providing...

The influence of corporate image, relationship marketing, and trust on purchase intention: the moderating effects of word‐of‐mouth

Abstract: Purpose – The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of corporate image and relationship marketing on trust, the impact of trust on consumer purchase intention, and the moderating effects of word‐of‐mouth between the influence of trust on consumer purchase intention.Design/methodology/approach – Consumers of an online travel agency in Taiwan aged over 18 were taken as the research sample. Primary data were collected through convenience sampling. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.Findings – The main findings are: corporate image has a significantly positive influence on trust, and commodity image has the most significant influence on trust, followed by functional image and institution image; structural and financial relationship marketing has significantly positive influence on trust, and structural relationship marketing has greater influence on trust compared with financial relationship marketing; trust has a significantly positive influence on consumer purchase inte...

New directions for customer‐to‐customer interaction research

Abstract: In recent years service researchers have increasingly given attention to the multitude of relationships that may occur in the production, delivery and consumption of services. An important driver of this tendency has been the rise of the relationship marketing paradigm. This paradigm has equipped marketing management with a theoretical foundation for going beyond the customer-supplier dyad and incorporating other relationships. The customer-to-customer relationship is one such relationship. Although it can occur in a number of different contexts, this paper concentrates on direct interactions between customers taking place in physical service settings, that is, customer-to-customer interaction (CCI). The paper seeks to answer two questions: 1 What have been the main accomplishments of CCI research? 2 What directions might be fruitful for advancing our understanding of CCI and its management?

From Repeat Patronage to Value Co-creation in Service Ecosystems: A Transcending Conceptualization of Relationship

Abstract: This article anchors a special issue on a service-dominant logic perspective on relationship, stemming from a special session at the 9th International Conference on Relationship Marketing in Berlin in 2009. It also proposes and elaborates a service-dominant-logic-based, transcending conceptualization of relationship that was the basis for that special session and links it to a model of service ecosystems through which value creation can be better understood and, thus, businesses can be better informed.

Investigate the Impact of Relationship Marketing Orientation on Customer Loyalty: The Customer's Perspective

Abstract: In today's high competitive and globalize banking context, increasing Customer loyalty emerges as the most important challenges faced by marketers. Cultivating loyal customers is frequently argued to be the single most important driver of organizations’ long-term financial performance, which can lead to increased sales and customer share, lower costs, and higher prices. Therefore marketing scholars emphasize the influence of relationship marketing as a strategically important tool from which customer loyalty can be secured and, as a result, the attainment of higher competitiveness and enhanced customer satisfaction can be achieved. The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the impact of relationship marketing orientation on customer loyalty. The study also aims to test the impact of demographic variables, in association with relationship marketing dimensions, on customer loyalty. The study was carried out in 2008 on a convenience sample of 450 respondents through the distribution of structured questionnaires to bank customers within the area of Amman, Jordan. The data were factor analyzed to determine the key dimensions of relationship marketing orientation measurement scale. Results confirm that the five dimensions scale (Bonding, trust, communication, satisfaction and commitment) possess adequate reliability and internal consistency as well as convergent validity. Results of regression analysis show that relationship marketing orientation is significant in explaining the variation in customer loyalty. In addition, sex and income displayed a significant impact on the relationship marketing-customer loyalty relationship. The findings contribute to understanding the relationships between different dimensions of relationship marketing orientation, customer loyalty and demographic variables; provide critical implications for bank managers; and highlight directions for future research.

Principles and Practice of Social Marketing: An International Perspective

Abstract: List of figures List of tables Preface Acknowledgements 1. Social marketing and social change 2. Principles of marketing 3. Social marketing and the environment 4. Advocacy and environmental change 5. Principles of communication and persuasion 6. Models of attitude and behaviour change 7. Research and evaluation 8. Ethical issues in social marketing 9. The competition 10. Segmentation and targeting 11. The marketing mix 12. Using media in social marketing 13. Using sponsorship to achieve changes in people, places and policies 14. Planning and developing social marketing campaigns and programmes 15. Case study: the Act-Belong-Commit Campaign promoting positive mental health Index.

Entrepreneurial marketing: acknowledging the entrepreneur and customer-centric interrelationship

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptualisation of entrepreneurial marketing drawn from recent developments in literature and supported by case evidence from firms leveraging an approach to marketing that explicitly considers the entrepreneur/customer interrelationship. The paper develops a model that puts the entrepreneur and customers and their interrelationship as the organisational drivers that exist in a wider environment of an organisation that embraces marketing augmented by a collection of non-traditional opportunity focused marketing strategy and tactics. Propositions are offered to stimulate and guide subsequent research efforts.

Social Media and its implications for Viral Marketing

Abstract: Social media presents potentially seductive opportunities for new forms of communication and commerce between marketers and consumers. As advertisers typically want to find some way to follow their target audiences, many new media opportunities are presented to advertisers. However, we are still social media pioneers. While the boom in social marketing appears persuasive with an estimated 70% of consumers visiting a social website for information, other research points out that 90% of WOM conversations still occur face to face or by phone, and only 7 percent occurs online. In contrast to traditional advertising media such as television, there are measurement and consumer behaviour modelling issues that will need to be addressed before marketers that measure and manage their media investments will be able to fully embrace the opportunities and navigate the risks presented by social media. Ultimately, advertisers will be forced beyond the “oldschool” approaches to adopt many of the principles and techniques of relationship marketing in order to effectively use social media and likely the multiple niche co-creation of products and services.

Relationship Marketing: Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Customer Satisfaction And Customer Retention

Abstract: Basic Issues in Relationship Marketing: T. Hennig-Thurau, U. Hansen: Relationship Marketing - Some Reflections on the State-of-the-Art of the Relational Concept.- Introduction Where We are Today: Important Findings Looking Ahead: Some Emerging Perspectives Concluding Remarks H. Diller: Customer Loyalty: Fata Morgana or Realistic Goal? Managing Relationships with Customers.- Loyalty and Relationship Marketing Conceptionalization of Customer Bonding and Loyalty The Economic Effects of Customer Loyalty The Quality of Loyalty The Degree of Loyalty: Empirical Impressions Motivators and Demotivators of Loyalty Principles of Relationship Marketing K. Chojnacki: Relationship Marketing at VOLKSWAGEN.- Introduction Identifying the Need for Relationship Marketing: From Product Orientation to Customer-Driven Change Quality not Quantity - What Kind of Information is Needed for Relationship Marketing? Giving Customers Reasons to Stay Loyal The VOLKSWAGEN Club and Card Concept: Managing Relationships on a One-to-One Basis Effective Database Management Must be Part of Relationship Marketing Conclusion O. Hupp: Relationship Marketing at LOEWE OPTA.- A Brief Introduction to LOEWE OPTA Relationship Marketing - The LOEWE Perspective Summary and Outlook Strategic Options in Relationship Marketing: R. Morgan, T. Crutchfield R. Lacey: Patronage and Loyalty Strategies: Understanding the Behavioral and Attitudinal Outcomes of Customer Retention Programs.- Introduction Retention Programs and Sustainable Competitive Advantage Behaviors vs. Attitudes: The Implications for Customer Loyalty The Relationship-Based Customer Retention Program: Building Trust and Loyalty Through the Economic Resource, and Social Content of Marketing Relationships J. Barnes: Closeness in Customer Relationships: Examining the Payback from Getting Closer to the Customer.- Introduction Customer Relationships Research Propositions Methodology and Operationalization Results Conclusions and Implications A. Meyer, C. Blumelhuber: Relationship Marketing Success Through Investments in Services.- About a Little Bicycle Shop and a Great Model: 'Let WALMART Come - I'm Ready' Customer Loyalty: The Term and its Use Value-Added Services and their Contribution to Customer Loyalty Selected Strategic Questions: 'Which' and 'How' Conclusion: Is Service the Most Important Factor? T. Hennig-Thurau: Relationship Marketing Success Through Investments in Customers.- Introduction The Concept of Investments in Customers: Increasing Customer Skills The Influence of Increased Customer Skills on Relationship Quality in Markets for Consumer Goods Empirical Results Discussion of Results and Some Steps Toward the Development of a Broader Perspective Summary and Outlook M. Lohrum: Relationship Marketing Success Through Investments in Products - The Case of BSH.- Product Design in the Era of Relationship Marketing: Where We Stand Today User-Friendly and Barrier-Free Products for All: Using 'Handicapped' Individuals as a Reference Point BSH Opinions and Objectives Establishing BSH Benchmarks Implementation in Product Design Conclusion Personnel as a Key to Relationship Marketing Success: V. Liljander: The Importance of Internal Relationships Marketing for External Relationship Success.- Background Customer Relationships Employee Relationships Discussion K. Jeschke, H. Schulze, J. Bauersachs: Internal Marketing and its Consequences for Complaint Handling Effectiveness.- Conceptional Framework Complaint Management and Internal Marketing: The Expression of a Customer and Employee-Oriented Marketing Concept Internal Marketing Approaches for Promoting Effective Complaint Management Conclusion S. Dahle: Increasing Customer Satisfaction through the Empowerment of Service Personnel in Retailing Organizations.-

Relationship Marketing and Customer Loyalty in a Retail Setting: A Dyadic Exploration

Abstract: Customer loyalty is increasingly seen to be crucial to the success of business organisations, with the growing realisation that attracting new customers is far more expensive than retaining existing ones. It has been suggested that a way of increasing customer retention is through secure relationships between buyers and sellers. Surprisingly, however, and despite the growing body of literature on relationship marketing issues, little empirical research has been conducted on the link between relationship marketing and customer loyalty in a retailing context. This paper attempts to address this gap by presenting and testing a conceptual model of the process by which the implementation of relationship marketing can enhance such loyalty. A dyadic exploratory study of clothing store managers and their customers was conducted. Findings reveal that customers' perceptions of clothing stores' relationship marketing efforts are crucial to enhanced commitment and loyalty. Implications are drawn from these results, a...

Toward a Theory of the Boundary-Spanning Marketing Organization and Marketing Insights from 31 Organization Theories

Abstract: Now more than ever, marketing is assuming a key boundary-spanning role – a role that has also redefined the composition of the marketing organization. In this paper, the marketing organization’s integrative and mutually reinforcing components of marketing activities, customer value-creating processes, networks, and stakeholders are delineated within their boundary-spanning roles as a particular emphasis (labeled MOR theory). Thematic marketing insights from a collection of 31 organization theories are used to advance knowledge on the boundary-spanning marketing organization within four areas – strategic marketing resources, marketing leadership and decision making, network alliances and collaborations, and the domestic and global marketplace.

Determining marketing costs and returns in alternative marketing channels

Abstract: Direct marketing is a popular marketing practice among smaller producers in the United States. We conducted detailed case studies of three organic farming operations of different sizes and compared their marketing costs and profitability in alternative marketing channels. We classified marketing-related activities into three categories: packing and storage, transportation, and selling and administration. By measuring the costs for labor, purchased goods and services, and capital assets associated with these marketing activities, we determined that there are significant variations in marketing costs across marketing channels. For each of our three case-study farms, marketing costs per dollar of revenue were lowest in the wholesale channel and highest in the farmers' market channel. Significant labor costs for the selling activity and transportation expenses offset the higher prices and minimal packaging costs associated with farmers' markets. Profitability can also be significantly affected by marketing factors, such as packing and grading standards, and product that is used for sampling and consumer premiums. Our research demonstrates that the higher prices that producers earn from direct marketing rather than wholesaling are not pure profit; the price premiums are compensation for the costs they incur when direct marketing their produce. Direct marketing channels, such as farmers' markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), can enable smaller farmers to build financially viable operations, by gaining access to markets, growing their farming operations and reducing their marketing risk. However, to achieve this success, farmers must manage their marketing costs as well as their production costs.

Services Marketing Strategy

Abstract: Services marketing strategy focuses on delivering processes, experiences, and intangibles – rather than physical goods and discrete transactions – to customers. Delivering experiences successfully and building customer relationships are complicated undertakings involving many different strategies and tactics. Successful services marketing strategy also involves integrating a focus on the customer throughout the firm and across all functions. All company functions – marketing, selling, human resources, operations, and R&D – must work together to create effective services marketing strategy. Although companies have often found it difficult to attack service problems in an organized manner, a well-established model called the gaps model provides a framework for focusing on the customer and describes the approaches necessary to close the gap between customer expectations and perceptions. This article discusses services marketing strategy in the context of the gaps model, demonstrating that closing the all-important customer gap is a function of closing four gaps on the service provider side: the listening gap, the service design and standards gap, the performance gap, and the communication gap. Keywords: services marketing strategy; gaps model of service quality; service excellence

Augmented Reality: A Sustainable Marketing Tool?

Abstract: Purpose - The present research aims to look at the ways in which Augmented Reality Experiential Marketing (AREM) is beneficial for companies and brands not only on short-term - the “shiny object” syndrome, but also on the long-term, contributing to the creation of customer satisfaction, as other forms of experiential marketing have done, which can lead to an increase in customer loyalty, intention of repetitive purchasing, positive word-of-mouth (WOM) or a greater market share. Based on the aim of this research paper and on the literature review, three measures of the perceived value have been chosen – enhancing convenience, influencing enjoyment and affecting brand attitude. Design/methodology/approach - Because this research focuses around the concept of perceived experiential value, the methodological approach chosen will be interpretative “underpinned by the belief that social reality is not objective but highly subjective – shaped by our perceptions”. Focus groups will be the method used for this qualitative study because they are dynamic group discussions much like real unconstrained everyday conversations which have the capacity of surfacing meanings and emotions about AR experiential marketing applications that might not be articulated elsewhere. A semi-structured approach informed by the previousmentioned objectives will be used in conducting these focus groups being rather flexible but also overcoming the researcher’s inexperience in research studies which, in the case of an unstructured approach, might become risky leading to serious deviation from the subject. Findings - There is little understanding of the long-term effects of AR marketing due to scarceness in benchmarks, measurable elements and research studies. Based on these findings, this paper explores the ways in which AREM leads to the creation of perceived experiential value, and thus contributing to the development of customer satisfaction. Glasses Direct is the brand chosen for this research because it is one of the few companies that uses AR as an ongoing marketing process, not just as part of one particular campaign, being very often given as a positive example of how brands should undertake AR technologies to enhance customers’ experience and drive longterm brand benefits. Focusing on a particular case also makes the abstract concept of AREM operational in terms of participants’ understanding of the subject and the researcher’s analysis of the results. Research limitations - The lack of any AR experiential marketing research studies and the few mainly quantitative experiential marketing studies have led the researcher to take an exploratory qualitative approach which will also extend marketers’ understanding of AR experiential marketing’s effects on experiential value. This approach will allow a deeper mining into the participants’ mind and will provide a more accurate representation of consumers’ subjectivity. Also, this lack of any research studies on AR experiential marketing, the inadvertences, ambiguities and the predisposition towards quantitative methods in the aforementioned experiential marketing research related to customer satisfaction are only a few of the rationales behind this research project. Moreover, controversies and the problem of limited knowledge arise with the question of “what are the long-term effects of AR experiential marketing on our business?” even for marketing practitioners.

Measuring customer satisfaction: must or not?

Abstract: Customer satisfaction and measurement issues have vital roles for businesses in providing and maintaining a competitive advantage. It is recognized that the businesses forming components of marketing mix by acknowledging the customers’ expectations, receive customer loyalty and profit in return. Via measuring customer satisfaction, organizations do not only have customer knowledge also have competitors’ knowledge in the market.

Do all SMEs practise same kind of marketing

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to get a deeper understanding of how the concept of marketing is seen and put into practice in SMEs. Furthermore, it seeks to examine whether the perceptions and practices differ according to the size, industry and customers of the SMEs.Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted among SMEs in three industries in eastern Finland.Findings – Marketing was seen as a means to inform the customers about the enterprise and its offerings. SME marketers were also interested in creating and maintaining customer relationships. The main aim of marketing seemed to be to create sales. Marketing thought and practices cannot be regarded as being uniform within SMEs. The results show that they vary depending on firm size and customers.Originality/value – The study offers an insight into the little researched area of comparing marketing within SMEs. It brings empirical evidence of the perceptions of marketing and how they affect marketing management in small enterprises.

Relationship quality evaluation in retailers' relationships with consumers

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of the article is to investigate relationship quality in retail relationships as influenced by its antecedents (loyalty programme quality and personal interaction quality) and resulting in customer loyalty to the retailer. The focus is on loyalty programme members' perceptions and differences between segments of consumers with different levels of involvement in the product category.Design/methodology/approach – The method used was a consumer survey. Two waves of cross‐sectional telephone interviewing with 116 and 410 members of a retail loyalty club were conducted. Structural equation modelling served for the estimation of relationships in an integrated conceptual framework among constructs of loyalty programme quality, personal interaction quality, relationship quality and loyalty, relevant to the development of retail relationships.Findings – The findings suggest that loyalty programme quality is important for relationship quality; however, efforts to assure personal interaction qu...