Relationship marketing in consumer markets: Antecedents and consequences

Understanding the motivations of consumers to engage in relationships with marketers is important for both practitioners and marketing scholars. To develop an effective theory of relationship marketing, it is necessary to understand what motivates consumers to reduce their available market choices and engage in a relational market behavior by patronizing the same marketer in subsequent choice situations. This article draws on established consumer behavior literature to suggest that consumers engage in relational market behavior due to personal influences, social influences, and institutional influences. Consumers reduce their available choice and engage in relational market behavior because they want to simplify their buying and consuming tasks, simplify information processing, reduce perceived risks, and maintain cognitive consistency and a state of psychological comfort. They also engage in relational market behavior because of family and social norms, peer group pressures, government mandates, religious tenets, employer influences, and marketer policies. The willingness and ability of both consumers and marketers to engage in relational marketing will lead to greater marketing productivity, unless either consumers or marketers abuse the mutual interdependence and cooperation. He has published more than 200 books and research papers in different areas of marketing. His bookThe Theory of Buyer Behavior (1969) with John A. Howard is a classic in the field. He has recently published two scholarly books:Marketing Theory: Evolution and Evaluation (1988) andConsumption Values and Market Choices (1991). He is on the editorial boards of at least a dozen scholarly journals in marketing, international business, and quantitative methods; he is also series editor ofResearch in Marketing (JAI Press). Prior to joining Emory, he was an associate professor of marketing at XLRI Jamshedpur in India. He received his M.B.A. and Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University, India. He has authored a number of articles in the area of international marketing, business alliances, and environmental marketing. He is coeditor ofResearch in Marketing (Annual Series, JAI Press) and serves on the editorial review board ofInternational Marketing Review.     

Marketing research and the aged consumer: The need for a new perspective

The aged consumer movement represents a major social trend which has broad implications for marketers. While many of these implications are positive, there are aspects associated with this movement that may prove detrimental to business firms if not acted upon in a positive manner. Perhaps the most notable of the potentially detrimental aspects is the increased activity of aged organizations in pressuring government for legislation designed to provide them with a greater voice in the marketplace. As a result of the movement's political strength, government is becoming an active advocate for the aged consumer. The obvious danger to business as a result of these activities is the potential for increased restrictive legislation. Certainly, a defense against such efforts is for business to meet the consumer needs of the elderly market segment more effectively. Unfortunately, a review of current marketing activities in this area does not show that such efforts are being expended. To correct this situation it is recommended that marketers attack this problem in two directions (1) through organizational and policy changes and (2) through increased research efforts. Specific recommendations are suggested in each of these areas.     

Marketers’ use of alternative front-of-package nutrition symbols: An examination of effects on product evaluations

How front-of-package (FOP) nutrition icon systems affect product evaluations for more and less healthful objective nutrition profiles is a critical question facing food marketers, consumers, and the public health community. We propose a conceptually-based hierarchical continuum to guide predictions regarding the effectiveness of several FOP systems currently used in the marketplace. In Studies 1a and 1b, we compare the effects of a broad set of FOP icons on nutrition evaluations linked to health, accuracy of evaluations, and purchase intentions for a single product. Based on these findings, Studies 2 and 3 test the effects of two conceptually-different FOP icon systems in a retail laboratory in which consumers make comparative evaluations of multiple products at the retail shelf. While there are favorable effects of each system beyond control conditions with no FOP icons, results show that icons with an evaluative component that aid consumers’ interpretations generally provide greater benefits (particularly in product comparison contexts). We offer implications for consumer packaged goods marketers, retailers, and the public policy and consumer health communities.     

Instability and consumer alienation in France

As modern marketing institutions spread among advanced industrial countries, it is reasonable to expect similar social reactions across culture. One hard to measure aspect of new and changing distribution methods is the dysfunctional or negative consequences evoked in consumers. In the study by Pruden and Leonardi, an effort is made to empirically link a social condition of increased instability in the market to an increased sense of alienation from the marketplace among a sample of citizens in a medium sized city in France. In earlier and related studies Pruden, Longman and Shuptrine found significant associations among social conditions, alienation in the marketplace and a demand for political intervention. The present study sought answers to four questions: 1.) Is the French consumer alienated from the marketplace? 2.) Do increasing instability in the geographical, economical or marketplace patterns of the French family increase feelings of alienation? 3.) Does the French consumer support the French consumer movement? 4.) Does support of the French consumer movement increase with increasing alienation? In sum, the evidence was mixed with regard to the degree of alienation of the consumer. The most striking characteristic of the findings was the high level of stability present among respondents.     

A measure of alienation from the marketplace

For the purpose of equipping researchers in marketing with a more sophisticated method to measure alienation in a marketing context, the authors have constructed and initially tested an alienation from the marketplace index. Alienation is defined in terms of Melvin Seeman's (1959) five basic variants of alienation: powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, social isolation, and self-estrangement. After pretesting, two questions per variant of alienation remained as the operational measures of alienation from the marketplace. These questions focused specifically on marketing phenomenon. Test-retest reliability was tested with 35 paired observations. Validity was checked with survey data from 140 households. In terms of face or content validity, the questions met the criterion of “looking as if” they should indicate the corresponding dimensions of alienation. Correlations between the marketplace alienation items and a measure of general alienation established concurrent validity. The authors propose that the use of the marketplace alienation index in studies involving those who are affected by our country's business climate may prove useful. For example, one would hypothesize that increasing alienation from the marketplace would be associated with support of consumerist goals, or even of additional government legislation to control problems that the individual feels is uncontrollable by him because of the bigness and indifference of modern day enterprise. Pepsico, Inc.     

The substitution strategy dilemma: substitute selection versus substitute effectiveness

Many brands build market share by acting as a substitute when competitive brands become undesirable or difficult to obtain. Notably, prior research offers competing strategic recommendations for marketers hoping to encourage consumers to engage in substitution. Past research examining substitute selection—measuring consumers’ beliefs about how well one product will substitute for another—suggests that marketers should offer replacements that are similar to the initially preferred product. In contrast, research examining substitute effectiveness—the consequences of substitution—suggests that differentiated brands will enjoy more long-term success. We integrate these two streams of research, explaining why there is a mismatch between substitute selection and substitute effectiveness, replicating and showing boundary conditions for the effects, and testing a managerial intervention that encourages consumers to choose more dissimilar (and more effective) substitutes.     

Identifying critical problems for mutual cooperation between the private and public sectors: A marketing perspective

The study presented in this article is an application of “futures research.” One objective is to identify some of the more pressing future world-wide problems that require the combined effort of both the government and the private sector to reach a solution. A second objective is to suggest ways in which marketers can become more involved in the solution of them. Prominent problem clusters of particular importance to marketers, including “Social Values,” “Social Institutions,” and “Resources” were uncovered by this research. The authors hope that this article will stimulate marketing research in each of these areas.     

Older consumers’ orientations toward age-based marketing stimuli

The increasing size of the aged population is becoming important to marketers interested in developing marketing programs, policymakers interested in the effects of marketing activities on the well-being of older adults, and researchers who wish to understand this segment as consumers. This research presents theoretical foundations useful in understanding older adults as consumers and, based on these foundations, a model is developed and tested to help learn about antecedents and processes that affect the way older adults respond to marketing offerings targeted at them. where he is also a member of the Gerontology program faculty. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. An internationally recognized authority on marketing to older adults, Dr. Moschis is the author of several books and more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and papers. He has been a consultant to leading agencies throughout the country and abroad, a frequent speaker at business forums, and a contributor to various consumer and trade publications. He received his Ph.D. in Business Administration from Georgia State University. His current research interests are in the areas of consumer behavior and research methodology. He has published several papers in various proceedings and the Journal of Direct Marketing. She received her Ph.D. in Business Administration from Georgia State University. Her major research interests are in the areas of consumer behavior of the elderly and consumer socialization. She has published several articles and papers in various journals and proceedings.     

A brief note on the history of fashion

For a number of years the practioners and scholars of fashion have held different views of the consumer. Fashion designers and marketers have traditionally regarded consumers as followers who automatically accept the style dictates and purchase products without any resistance. In contrast, fashion historians and scholars held just the opposite view. To them the consumer is a free individual whose needs must be examined and considered before a new style is introduced. In this article the ideas of such historians as Paul Mystiom, Flaccus, and Tarde are examined. While writing in the early 1900’s, their observations and theories are remarkably similar to the “marketing concept” so often mentioned in the more contemporary marketing literature.     

Ethnodomination in the channels of distribution of third world nations

Ethnodomination refers to the predominance of a particular ethnic group in a channel of distribution. While ethnodomination has been virtually ignored in the marketing literature, it is a fact of life in many third world marketing systems. Overseas Chinese dominate the trade of rice and pineapples in the Philippines, Hindu Sikhs dominate the trade of cloth in Afghanistan, the Otavalo Indians dominate the trade of handwoven textiles in Ecuador, and so on. International marketers need to be aware of ethnodomination for several reasons. First, ethnic marketers can offer costeffective communication and distribution skills for use in cooperative marketing programs. In return, international marketers can ofter them access to marketing management information systems and alternative sources of finance. Also, ethnic marketers are often subject to political and legal harassment which may make them more risky partners. Finally, they may have cultural practices that are quite different from the cultural practices of the rest of their host country.     

The railroad and movie industries: Were they myopic?

In the United States, regulation prevented the railroad and film industries from responding successfully to the demands of the marketplace. Both industries did attempt to move into other industries, but were blocked by government regulations. The prevailing belief among marketing scholars that the rail and film companies were myopic cannot be substantiated by historic evidence.     

广告媒体的变化趋势对ELM理论应用的影响

消费需求在我国的经济增长模式中起着越来越重要的作用。要想有效地刺激消费者的购买欲望,需要强化市场营销策划人员在广告与促销手段上的说服能力。在理论研究中,ELM是比较权威的以心理角度进行说服性分析的理论,而在广告与促销的实际应用中,市场营销管理者需要结合当前广告媒体的变化趋势避免中枢途径和边缘途径使用的一些误区。     

Pride in contemporary sport consumption: a marketing perspective

Pride feelings and processes have been under-studied in marketing and consumer research although they have major consequences for marketers and consumers. In this article, a multidimensional process view of pride is offered by reporting the findings of a qualitative interpretive study on soccer fans’ possessions. Four types of pride are put into light, i.e., introspective, vicarious, contagious, and conspicuous. Their antecedents and consequences are developed. A series of theoretical and managerial implications are finally suggested. Making consumers proud of the brand/company may lead to stronger commitment and loyalty, increased consumption (new products, upgrades and merchandise), positive WOM, and co-creation of value.     

From consumer response to active consumer: Measuring the effectiveness of interactive media

Traditional measures of the effectiveness of marketing communications suggest a specific process by which marketing actions influence consumers. This article offers a broader philosophical perspective on measuring the effectiveness of marketing communications that focuses on interaction as the unit of analysis, rather than the behavior of either the marketer or the consumer. Structuration theory is discussed and offered as a viable foundation for the identification, selection, and evaluation of new measures of effectiveness in an interactive context among active, goal-driven consumers and marketers. Structuration theory focuses on the emergency and evolution of the structure of interaction, which is posited as a critical factor in devising, selecting, and evaluating new measures of the effectiveness of marketing communications. This view broadens the potential set of measures of effectiveness of interactive marketing communications, implying alternative meanings for measures under different interaction structures and combinations of goal states. David W. Stewart is the Robert E. Brooker Professor of Marketing and the deputy dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He is also the immediate past editor of theJournal of Marketing. His research has examined a wide range of issues, including marketing strategy, the analysis of markets, consumer information search and decision making, effectiveness of marketing communications, and methodological approaches to the analysis of marketing data. Paul A. Pavlou is a Ph.D. candidate of information systems at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. His research focuses on business-to-business and business-to-consumer electronic commerce, new product development, institutional trust, interactive marketing, communications, and e-government. He has more than 25 publications in journals, books, and refereed conference proceedings. His research has appeared (or scheduled to appear) inMIS Quarterly, Electronic Markets, International Journal of Electronic Commerce, Journal of Strategic Information Systems, Journal of Logistics Information Management, andJournal of Interactive Advertising, among others. He has recently won the Best Interactive Paper Award at the 2002 Academy of Management Conference.     

Strategic marketing and marketing strategy: domain,definition, fundamental issues and foundational premises

This paper proposes a domain statement for strategic marketing as a field of study and delineates certain issues fundamental to the field. It also proposes a definition for marketing strategy, the focal organizational strategy construct of the field, and enumerates a number of foundational premises of marketing strategy. The domain of strategic marketing is viewed as encompassing the study of organizational, inter-organizational and environmental phenomena concerned with (1) the behavior of organizations in the marketplace in their interactions with consumers, customers, competitors and other external constituencies, in the context of creation, communication and delivery of products that offer value to customers in exchanges with organizations, and (2) the general management responsibilities associated with the boundary spanning role of the marketing function in organizations. At the broadest level, marketing strategy can be defined as an organization’s integrated pattern of decisions that specify its crucial choices concerning products, markets, marketing activities and marketing resources in the creation, communication and/or delivery of products that offer value to customers in exchanges with the organization and thereby enables the organization to achieve specific objectives. Chief among the issues that are fundamental to strategic marketing as a field of study are the questions of how the marketing strategy of a business is influenced by demand side factors and supply side factors.     

我国网络营销存在的问题和发展对策

网络营销是利用网络资源展开的营销活动。与传统的营销方式相比，它具有特殊的优越性和不可替代性。发展我国网络营销需要政府、企业及消费者共同努力，改善网络消费环境，更新网络消费观念，积极创造条件，推动网络营销良性发展。     

Toward a theory of the boundary-spanning marketing organization and insights from 31 organization theories

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.     

Development of a taxonomy of services to gain strategic marketing insights

A theme emerging in the services marketing literature indicates that services marketers should look beyond their own industry boundaries to gain marketing insight. A number of conceptual typologies for grouping services have been developed. However, none of these conceptualizations have been studied empirically. This article presents an empirically based taxonomy, developed through cluster analysis of consumer's perceptions of services. The results of the study offer several insights into strategic marketing for service marketers.     

The client as consumer: Marketing the law,clinic-style

In 1977 the Supreme Court ruled that lawyers could not be prevented from advertising their prices for routine services, thus outlawing a long standing restriction imposed by the legal profession on its own members. This decision prompted a ferocious controversy (even for lawyers) over the proprieties of advertising legal services, not to mention the effect that “marketplace ethics” might wield on the delivery pricing, and quality of services offered to the great lay public. This article looks at how legal consumers are affected by the kind of high-volume, low-priced delivery of routine services that can only be offered profitably through aggressive marketing. Then it discusses how one firm used segmentation strategy and a consumer orientation to introduce the clinic concept on the East Coast. Finally, some implications of the immediate future of lawyer marketing for marketing professionals are analyzed.