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Relationship marketing: looking backwards towards the future

Adrian Payne (School of Marketing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia)
Pennie Frow (Discipline of Marketing, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia)

Journal of Services Marketing

ISSN: 0887-6045

Article publication date: 13 February 2017

12989

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the growth and development of the field of relationship marketing and, through a consideration of this body of work, identifies key research priorities for the future of relationship marketing. The paper also delineates the frequently confused associated concepts of customer relationship management and customer management and considers how they fit within the broader concept of relationship marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper undertakes a review of the relationship marketing literature, supplemented by the authors’ on-going interactive research with managers.

Findings

The paper reviews alternative approaches to relationship marketing, reflects on the development of the field of relationship marketing and identifies three critical priorities for future research in relationship marketing.

Practical implications

The research priorities that are identified in this paper represent important priorities for scholars, managers, regulators and policy makers.

Originality/value

Although there is now a substantial body of research on relationship, marketing, much of this work focuses on the customer-firm dyad, with a smaller body of work focusing on a broader range of stakeholders. This paper argues for the broadening of the role of relationship marketing to consider ecosystems; the need for firms to shift from a value-in-exchange to a value-in-use perspective when addressing customer relationships; and the critical need to address “dark side” behaviour and dysfunctional processes in relationship marketing.

Keywords

Citation

Payne, A. and Frow, P. (2017), "Relationship marketing: looking backwards towards the future", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 11-15. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-11-2016-0380

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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