Defining relationship marketing: an international perspective

Relationship marketing has emerged as a big new idea for many Western companies. Relational, as opposed to transactional exchange is the norm in many countries. However, an exchange method which has worked well at home may fail in a culture with different values. While companies may reconfigure their product and promotion for a foreign market, failure to adapt methods of exchange may bring about a marketing failure. Reviews the complexity of cultural priorities and makes suggestions for methods by which firms can sensitively adapt the basis of their relationship with customers.