Consumer Relationship Marketing on the Internet: An Overview and Clarification of Concepts

Abstract: Relationship marketing (RM) has the potential to be a highly effective marketing technique. However, it has been problematic in retailing applications and caused confusions in interpreting research results. This paper analyzes problems of RM in the consumer market and reflects on the Internet's impacts on consumer RM. The problems in previous consumer RM research are traced to two roots: conceptual confusion and practical difficulties. To clarify the concept, it is proposed that RM can be classified to a broad sense or a narrow sense. It is stressed that RM strategy design has to comply with the relationship characteristics of targeted consumers. Alleviating practical difficulties in consumer RM, the Internet is presented as an effective facilitator for consumer RM success. Key words: relationship marketing, Internet, e-tailing, consumer researc