The discipline of marketing is evolving from a product centric paradigm where all value is invested in the product by the supplier and it is exchanged for a market determined price by means of an arm’s length transaction, to a service centric paradigm where value is co-created by customer and supplier through complex relationships in which the rewards are determined through negotiation. This study recognizes that in practice a supplier will and ought to continue to have some customer relationships that are transactional and others that involve higher levels of value co-creation. A five point continuum of relationships from transactional to strategic alliance is defined. Dyadic data in which customer and supplier are asked to evaluate the same relationship from their respective points of view are analyzed resulting in a portfolio of a supplier’s relationships that include each of the five levels. Three structured equation models are validated: first, the customer’s assessment of the level of relationship as a function of new, behaviorally anchored measures; second, the supplier’s assessment as a function of new, behaviorally anchored measures of investment; third, the differences between customer and supplier assessments as a function of differences in ratings of new, behaviorally anchored measures. Additionally, segmentation of the customer base is identified based on the level of assessment of the current and desired future level of relationship. Servicing processes are defined to enable the supplier to match the right offerings to each level of customer thereby optimizing their investment in their customer portfolio.

The last thirty years there has been a dramatic change in relationship marketing. The use of computers connected to the Internet at work places has increased over time and social media is widely used in marketing strategies. Social media is a new phenomenon to communicate with each other, it enables market information based on individual consumer’s experiences. Therefore managers are seeking a way to incorporate social media into their strategies, but this is more common within B2C than B2B. The purpose is to investigate the potential for industrial corporations, within the warehousing industry, to use social media for maintaining established relationships within B2B, as a part of their marketing strategy. The primary data is collected by qualitative interviews with relevant corporations. The study includes four corporations within the industrial industry, an illustrative corporation that have issues regarding using social media or not, and one expert interview.  The secondary data is collected from previous research, articles and journals. From the theoretical framework and empirical research, it seems to be more useful for corporations acting in the market of B2C rather than in B2B to use social media. Major of the interviewed corporations were thinking of using social media as a part of their marketing strategy, but almost no one were using it as a tool today. The younger generation, raised in a technological society, seem to generally have a broader knowledge of social media and what advantages and disadvantages the use can lead to. From this thesis it does not seem that one social media is better than another since different social media platforms are used in different ways. Therefore, it is not possible to say that one specific social media suits all corporations. However, if a corporation decides to use social media as a marketing tool, they need to be aware of the time required for it and be prepared for negative effects since they are open platforms, free for everyone to express their feelings. Within B2B, the trend of having a personal relation with customer and supplier is very strong and social media can never replace this personal relationship. The conclusions and recommendations is instead to use social media as an integrated marketing tool within their strategy.

It is important that Queensland horticultural producers develop export capacity. Production is increasing and Australia has a relatively small domestic market. Export also provides a means to diversify as a risk management strategy and to arrest the income decline from existing markets. This research provides Queensland horticultural producers with a practical example of how the principles of supply chain management and relationship marketing may be applied to successfully access a new export market – the Japanese consumer co-operatives. The thesis examines the theories of relationship marketing and supply chain management and proposes that these constructs provide a suitable format for the development of trading relationships between Queensland producers and Japanese consumer co-operatives. Based on surveys of the co-operatives, the thesis outlines the specific philosophical and operational issues for the co-operatives which impact on their use of imported fruit and vegetables, and identifies direct supply from producers to consumers (sanchoku) as a potential strategy for gaining market entry. Key success factors are developed from the survey data and applied to a case study of a Queensland asparagus company and a mid-sized Japanese co-operative. The development of the business relationship and supply chain is chronicled for the case study firms. The dissertation concludes with observations from the case study and the co-operative survey, providing valuable insights into the strategies required by Queensland firms to build lasting relationships and profitable supply chains into Japanese consumer co-operatives.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Public Relations Management)-Durban University of Technology, 2007. iv, 165 leaves. / This dissertation is a qualitative examination into a debatable view of the interaction between public relations and marketing in which one supports the other leading to an interactional outcome. Public relations is different from marketing in several ways. Their boundaries, however, often overlap, for example, both deal with an organisation’s relationships and employ similar communication tools to reach the public. Both functions have an ultimate purpose which is ensuring an organisation’s success and economic survival. Public relations and marketing, however, approach this task from somewhat different perspectives, or world views. In some instances public relations is seen as a separate entity when compared to marketing. The study investigates the current trends with the main objective of investigating the interaction/synergy between the public relations and marketing departments of seven major companies in the greater Durban area. These companies were interviewed based on their location and willingness to participate in the study. The seven companies researched for the purpose of the study were ABI Coke, Toyota, Sentec, ABSA, Sanlam, Natal Sharks Rugby Union and Lifestyle Communication: Chatsworth Centre.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-12T20:32:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 74209.pdf: 25444 bytes, checksum: 8056a0e9e9e117c139cdf6a631351290 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-06-19 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The dissertation subject came up from a relationship marketing tool used by Ciser in the domestic market, which the objective is to become the differentiation comparing to their competitors and in the market. Based on this tool, a proposal for an integration programme with international customers has been worked out, with distinct dimensions due to the cultural differences existing in the countries the company has commercial relations with. The theoretical asement of globalization, internationalization, competitiveness and relationship marketing was necessary, once the environment focused on the international customers. The objective of this integration programme is to improve the relationship with the customers, to consolidate the image of the company, to know better the customers values and to evaluate the customers satisfaction concerning the products and services. The tool used in this proposed integration programme to the international customers is an Event, once shareholders and CEO s will be getting along with each other during the development of this Event. The exchange of information with large companies, which are acting nternationally, reinforce the event as a relationship marketing strategy. / O tema da dissertação materializou-se a partir de uma ferramenta de marketing de relacionamento utilizada pela empresa Ciser no mercado interno com o objetivo de tornar-se um diferencial perante seus concorrentes e o mercado. Com base nessa ferramenta foi elaborada a proposta para um programa de integração com clientes internacionais com dimensões distintas respeitando-se as diferenças culturais dos países com os quais a empresa mantém relações comerciais. O embasamento teórico de globalização, internacionalização, competitividade e marketing de relacionamento fez-se necessário uma vez que o ambiente está focado em clientes internacionais. O objetivo desse programa de integração é melhorar o relacionamento com os clientes, fortalecer a imagem da empresa Ciser, conhecer melhor os valores dos clientes e avaliar sua satisfação em relação produtos e serviços. A ferramenta utilizada no programa de integração proposto para clientes internacionais é um Evento, uma vez que acionistas e gestores estarão relacionando-se durante seu desenvolvimento. A troca de informações com empresas de grande porte e com atuação internacional reforçou o evento como estratégia de marketing de relacionamento.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-12T20:32:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 77171.pdf: 629837 bytes, checksum: 9026d95734680a4c37b4bd1876d0149f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-09-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present study ha s as an aim to evaluate the client conquering, maintenance and retaintion strategies adopted by Banco do Brasil in the natural person segment. To lay the foundation of the study, the main marketing concepts have been presented; relationship marketing; client attraction and retaintion; fidelity; segmentation; satisfaction; service and strategy. The survey has been qualitative and quantitative in nature. As per its aims, this survey may be classified as explanatory and conclusive descriptive. The investigation mode used has been the case study. The object company in this study has been a bank agency of Banco do Brasil located in the north part of Santa Catarina state. The data have been collected through questionnaires filled out by the natural person segment, account managers interviews, documental analysis and bibliographical analysis. The bank market has suffered with the several changes that happened in the last few years, which came both from governamental politics and from the globalization process that affected all the economic sectors. Banco do Brasil is the largest financial institution in Latin America and lately has been making changes in its administration to improve customer relationship. The bank, besides investing in strategies to attract new clients, has been constantly improving the Segmentation Model and investing in Relationship and Client Retaintion Programs. Lastly, the study conclusions and theme profound study recommendations have been presented in new surveys. / O presente estudo tem por objetivo avaliar as estratégias de conquista, manutenção e retenção de clientes adotadas pelo Banco do Brasil no segmento de pessoas físicas. Para fundamentar o estudo, apresentam-se os principais conceitos na área de marketing; marketing de relacionamento; atração e retenção de clientes; fidelização; segmentação; satisfação; serviços e estratégia. A pesquisa em pauta é de natureza qualitativa e quantitativa. Quanto aos fins, esta pesquisa pode ser classificada como exploratória e conclusiva descritiva. O modo de investigação utilizado é o estudo de caso. A empresa objeto deste estudo de caso é uma agência do Banco do Brasil localizada no Norte Catarinense. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionários com os clientes do segmento de pessoas físicas, entrevistas com os gerentes de contas, análise documental e análise bibliográfica. O mercado bancário sofreu com as diversas mudanças ocorridas nos últimos anos, sendo as mesmas advindas tanto da política governamental como do processo de globalização que afetou todos os setores da economia. O Banco do Brasil é a maior instituição financeira da América Latina e nos últimos anos tem efetuado mudanças na sua gestão para aprimorar o relacionamento com os seus clientes. O Banco, além de investir em estratégias para a atração de novos clientes, tem aperfeiçoado constantemente o modelo de segmentação e investido nos Programas de Relacionamento e de Retenção de clientes. Por fim, apresentam-se as conclusões do estudo e recomendações de aprofundamento do tema em novas pesquisas

The purpose of this study is to examine and compare how banks with differentiating operations work with their customer relationships. The financial market has changed because of digital advances in society as a whole and because of newly arisen competitors. This has created a new competition were the customer relationship is important as a competitive advantage. To establish how different banks work to retain and maintain their customer relationships we’ve conducted group interviews with banks with differentiating operations. The result shows that banks with different operations work slightly differently regarding their customer relationships. Large banks are more digitally driven and prone to adopt technological solutions. The smaller banks rely on word-of-mouth to gain new customers and attaches significant importance to creating a sort of affinity or an emotional commitment through their local presence. The bank insurance company’s priority is the interpersonal relationship with the customer and believes that this is where trust is built. Furthermore, the relationship between the customer and the banker seems to be stronger and more valued by the customer than the relationship between the customer and the bank as a brand. / Vårt syfte är att undersöka och jämföra hur banker med olika verksamhet arbetar med sina kundrelationer. Bankmarknaden har förändrats på grund av samhällets digitala utveckling och uppkomsten av nya aktörer. Detta har skapat en ny konkurrenssituation där relationen till kunden är viktig som en konkurrensfördel. För att uppnå detta har vi genomfört fokusgruppsintervjuer med banker som bedriver olika verksamheter. Resultatet visar att banker arbetar med kundrelationer på olika sätt. Storbanken är mer digitalt driven och satsar stort på teknologiska lösningar. Sparbanken förlitar sig på positiv ryktesspridning för nya kunder och lägger stor vikt vid att skapa en samhörighet med kunden genom lokal närvaro. Bankförsäkringsbolaget arbetar mycket med fysiska kundmöten och att där skapa förtroende och bygga en relation genom lokal närvaro. Bankförsäkringsbolaget arbetar mycket med fysiska kundmöten och att där skapa förtroende och bygga en relation genom den personliga kontakten. Vidare har vi sett att kunder tenderar att utveckla en starkare relation till en specifik rådgivare än till banken som varumärke och att kunder

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:31:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Paulo Roberto Salles - 1 -20.pdf: 183008 bytes, checksum: 8a65325bd35c73f1dcae17537c01c06c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-04-12 / Relationship marketing as a tool to attract and retain students of private higher education is the theme of this research. This is a multiple embedded case study focusing on the Methodist University of São Paulo (UMESP) and Methodist University of Piracicaba (UNIMEP) which has as main objectives to point to factors that motivate students to choose certain higher education institutions, identifying how they act on the task of attracting them aiming to establish a relationship and effective communication with these stakeholders and keep them, as well as assessing the actual effectiveness of actions taken by the institutions. It proposes a theoretical incursion to address psychological motivations, cultural, economic and social issues related to the act of consuming and establish a correlation with the consumer-student . It also discusses characteristics of relationship marketing linked to the educational context and points to difficulties/challenges experienced by educational institutions in efforts to create and strengthen ties with students in order to make such a lasting partnership. 1400 questionnaires were administered at both universities to identify, among other things, desirableattributes of a high education institution, influencing factors for abandoning it and characteristics associated with communication processes that represent differential points. The study shows that despite the financial problems are a complicating component to the attraction and retention of students, others are also crucial, as the level of teaching excellence, faculty and the quality of the relationship established by educational institutions with such public. This quality, necessarily, is linked to attributes such as freedom to express ideas, space for dialogue and open communication, elements that challenge the current educational model and encourage to criate a new one. / O marketing de relacionamento como ferramenta para atrair e fidelizar os alunos do ensino superior privado é o tema desta pesquisa. Trata-se de um estudo de caso múltiplo incorporado enfocando a Universidade Metodista de São Paulo (UMESP) e a Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba (UNIMEP) e que tem como objetivos principais apontar fatores que motivam os estudantes a escolher determinadas instituições de ensino superior, identificar a maneira como elas atuam na tarefa de atraí-los com vistas a estabelecer um relacionamento e uma comunicação eficientes com esses públicos de interesse e fidelizálos, bem como analisar a real efetividade das ações desenvolvidas pelas IESs. Propõe-se uma incursão teórica para abordar motivações psicológicas, culturais, econômicas e sociais relacionadas ao ato de consumir e estabelecer uma correlação com o consumidor-aluno . Discutem-se também características do marketing de relacionamento associadas ao contexto educacional e apontam-se dificuldades/desafios vivenciados pelas instituições nos esforços de criar e estreitar os laços com os estudantes com vistas a tornar tais laços duradouros. Foram aplicados 1.400 questionários em ambas as universidades a fim de identificar, entre outros aspectos, atributos desejáveis de uma IES, fatores influenciadores para o abandono dela e características associadas a processos comunicacionais que representam diferenciais. O estudo apontou que, apesar de as dificuldades financeiras serem um componente que interfere na atração e na fidelização dos alunos, outros também são determinantes, como o nível de excelência de ensino, o corpo docente e a qualidade do relacionamento que as instituições de ensino estabelecem com tais públicos. Tal qualidade passa, obrigatoriamente, por atributos como liberdade para expressar ideias, espaço de diálogo e transparência na comunicação, elementos desafiadores ao modelo vigente e estimuladores a um novo fazer educacional.

Business-to-business relationships within sustained monopolies, such as those within Defence Procurement, have received limited attention by Management Researchers. This is unusual because under these market circumstances typically there appear to be few incentives to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes despite their strategic policy importance. The purpose of this thesis is therefore, to determine the influential relationship factors between the UK Ministry of Defence and its Industrial partners within a predominantly monopolistic Defence Procurement business. The approach adopted for this research project is exploratory and inter-subject area. It uses quantitative and supportive qualitative data to examine the problem through an economic model using Supply Chain Management, Relationship Marketing and Transaction Cost Economics. A self-selected census of 54 business relationships is carried out from both the buyer and supplier perspectives through staff questionnaires and team leader semi-structured interviews. The findings from this research show, contrary to the expectation of the theoretical model, a positive relationship success situation with a spectrum of both positive and negative behavioural factors present. However, a significant adversarial influence is a suite of issues that are endemic to the business in question such as old products, obsolescence, staff and organisational upheavals, poor end-customer visibility and lack of investment in modern procedures and systems. Within the monopoly environment these accentuate managers’ frustrations due to lack of freedom of action. The primary contribution of this research is therefore, an increased understanding of the business-to-business relationship dynamics within long-term, closely coupled, collaborative, business-to-business arrangements as exemplified by UK Defence and the results are likely to be of interest to both academics and managers.

abstract: In two thematically related chapters, I explore the benefits incurred as companies actively respond to consumers who share positive word of mouth in digital environments (eWOM). This research takes a multi-method approach by first addressing the psychological impact of company response on the sharing consumer, followed by an examination of real behavioral consequences in a social media setting. Across six studies in Chapter 1, I find support for a conceptual model indicating that consumers who receive a company response to their positive eWOM experience greater satisfaction compared to no response, leading to increased intentions to engage in future positive eWOM on behalf of the company, both through social media and online review websites. Furthermore, I find that consumer perceptions of response personalization lead to judgments of company effort and that these two elements mediate the effect of response on consumer satisfaction. In Chapter 2, using a dataset of firm responses to positive consumer feedback on Twitter (tweets) from 79 apparel retailers, I find that company responses to positive consumer tweets can generate consumer engagement behavior in the form of continued interaction. Company responses that use consumer-oriented language increase the likelihood of consumer interactivity. However, this effectiveness depends on whether the consumer's audience is the company or their broader network of followers. I also show that, in some conditions, companies achieve higher consumer engagement by personalizing responses with the consumer's name. Together, the findings from these two chapters point to the need for companies to strategically practice positive eWOM management, both to promote consumer engagement behaviors and to avoid the negative outcomes associated with unresponsiveness. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2017