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Customer management in Internet-based platform firms: review and future research directions

Zhi Yang (Business school, Hunan University, Changsha, China)
Zihe Diao (Business school, Hunan University, Changsha, China)
Jun Kang (School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China)

Marketing Intelligence & Planning

ISSN: 0263-4503

Article publication date: 18 May 2020

Issue publication date: 1 October 2020

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Abstract

Purpose

This study proposes a conceptual framework for analyzing customer management strategies and their effects on Internet-based platform performance based on a review of the relevant literature, and provides directions for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review of relevant research articles on customer management in platform firms was conducted.

Findings

First, a framework based on the market maker view of platform firms suggests customer acquisition, customer retention and customer governance are the main customer management subprocesses toward improving platform firm performance. Second, the most studied customer management strategies for each subprocess contribute to platform performance based on the mechanisms of building customer network, developing customer network effect and managing sustainable customer networks.

Originality/value

This study proposes a framework that identifies customer acquisition, customer retention and customer governance as three key customer management subprocesses in platform firms. It also summarizes the most studied customer management strategies/actions for each subprocess. With this analytical framework, it identifies underexplored key issues in customer management for further research.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.71772059, No.71573079) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2019RC46).

Citation

Yang, Z., Diao, Z. and Kang, J. (2020), "Customer management in Internet-based platform firms: review and future research directions", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 38 No. 7, pp. 957-973. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-01-2020-0012

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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