ContentsIntroductionParadigm Shift in Marketing ThoughtsOrientation Change of Marketing PracticeConcepts of TM and RMAcademic Research of Paradigm ShiftThe Challenge for Marketing Strategy and PlanStrategic Focus : Customer Acquisition and RetentionProfitability of Customer Acquisition and RetentionMarketing Approach for Customer RetentionDiscussion on Paradigm Shift and Strategic ChallengeAssessment of Academic Paradigm ShiftDiscussion on Practical Challenge for Firm’s StrategyConclusionBibliography1. IntroductionThe need for effective marketing is as strong as ever in today’s highly competitive and global business environment. The challenge for academics and firms alike is how best to apply the principles of marketing to secure strategic advantages.The development of marketing is undergoing a paradigm shift in orientation from ‘transaction to relationship’. Relationship marketing (RM) represents a paradigm shift in marketing philosophy and contrasts sharply with the focus on a series leading to empowerment of individuals and teams; and (5) increase in competitive intensity leading to concern for customer retention.In sum, the relationship orientation in marketing has staged a comeback. It was only during the pick of industrialization that marketing’s orientation shifted toward a transactional approach(Figure 2.1).Figure 2.1 The Orientation Change of Marketing Practice(Source : Palmer, A. J., Relationship Marketing: Local Implementation of a Universal Concept, International Business Review, Vol. 4, No. 4, 1995, p 474)2.2 Concepts of TM and RMChristopher, Payne and Ballantyne summarized the key features of TM(transaction marketing) and RM(relationship marketing) in table 2.1 and 2.2. As can be seen from these tables, the two approaches differ radically across almost all the dimensions and probably reflect quite different axioms. Especially, while focus of TM is customer acquisition, that of RM is customer retention.Table 2.1 TM(Transaction marketing)Table 2.2 RM(Reling as well as winning customers. Current marketing focus is shifting from customer acquisition to customer retention, and is ensuring that the appropriate amounts of time, money and managerial resources are directed at both these key tasks.Figure 3.1 illustrates the transition from TM to RM. The move stresses the need to change from employing marketing strategies that are based mainly on customer acquisition to those that focus on customer retention. Customer retention lies at the heart of RM.Focus onCustomerRetentionFocus onCustomerAcquisitionFunctionally based Cross-Functionally basedFigure 2.2 Focus of Transaction and Relationship Marketing(Source : Payne, A., Relationship Marketing: Managing Multiple Marketing, p17)3.2 Profitability of Customer Acquisition and RetentionMany researchers have suggested that it costs around five times more to get a new customer than it does to keep an existing one.In 1990, Reichheld & Sasser found that there was a high correlation between customer rer the customers purchased initially, the company can present them with related benefits provided by other items in the product line. McDonalds no longer just sells hamburgers, but complete meals, also for different services.Reinforcing Promotions: Loyal customers value being recognized as such and receiving direct communications. Customers very much want to feel that suppliers know they are dealing with loyal customers.Sales force connections: Customers are assigned one-to-one to a staff member who handles their multi-service business on a continuing basis.Specialized distribution: Through an exclusive or selective distribution network, retailers develop a commitment to a brand when they receive adequate attention from the manufacturer.Post-purchase communication: A company should encourage customers to initiate contact whenever the need arises-to clarify instructions, to request further information, to point out a problem, or to seek a remedy.3.3.3 Reorganization for customer retentioype of industry and the wishes of the particular customer.How firms balance the two concepts is the big question. To intensify reaching old customers while still seeking new ones, for many firms, will mean changes in market analysis, planning systems, management incentives, and market and/or operations organization.5. ConclusionAs mentioned above, the move away from transaction marketing towards relationship marketing has gained widespread recognition of many marketing academics.Firms are, increasingly, recognizing that enhanced customer satisfaction leads to better customer retention and profitability. Many firms are now reviewing their customer service strategies to find ways to boost retention rates as a means of improving their business performance This often entails a fundamental shift in business emphasis from customer acquisition to customer retention.RM is emerging as an actionable framework for developing enduring, long-term(and hence more profitable) relationships with custom 5
Ten countries are to join the European Union in 2004, creating an Economic Union of 25 states. Using the ‘cluster technique’ and as a European marketing manager how would you allocate these new member countries into clusters or zones that would serve as a ‘segmentation model’ for a US company wishing to enter the new expanded Union. The US company – Aannex Corp., markets and distributes a range of OEM computer components used in the assembly of PCs, PDAs and 3rd generation mobile phones.Contents1.Introduction2.Current Situation of European Union2.1 The European business environment2.2 Enlargement of the European Union2.3 Economic Structures and Macro-economic Performance2.4 Economic Advantages of Enlargement3. Export Plan3.1 Situation/Background Analysis3.2 Marketing Strategy3.2.1 Market entry Strategy3.2.2 Market development Strategy3.2.3 Market Segmentation3.2.4 Cluster approach3.2.5 Pricing decision, distribution and sales in Europe4.ConclusionBibliography1.IntroductionAt a summit i European Union, each country imposed its own technical requirements. Different standards and conformity assessment procedures forced exporters to target one or two countries only, or to forego exporting to Europe altogether. The unification of 15 European countries into a European Union, and the consequent harmonization of laws, standards, and conformity assessment procedures, changed all that.2.2 Enlargement of the European UnionThe European Union (EU) has enlarged several times since the Common Market (European Economic Community) was set up with just six Member States in 1957.Thus far there have been four main waves of EU Enlargement:1973 (UK, Ireland and Denmark)1981 (Greece)1986 (Portugal and Spain)1995 (Austria, Finland and Sweden)The current enlargement process now brings the EU to its current membership of 15 through the accession of ten countries. The countries joining the EU in 2004 are Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia,nistrative procedures, is undoubtedly tempting to Aannex Corp. that would like to expand the EU market.3.2 Marketing StrategyThe company must reassess its strategic marketing options in Europe, based upon the best solution of its own goals with a sound analysis of market and competitive behaviour.Decide upon the basis for competition.Evaluate how the ‘2004’ reforms will affect the industry.Access the pan European potential for the particular product/market.Decide upon the product range/country coverage mix.Access the segmentation and positioning requirements.Marketing operations must then be reappraised in the light of the selected Euromarketing strategy using the marketing mix or some variant.Marketing operationsMarketingPricingDistributionSales forcePromotionAdvertisingProductObjectivesStrategyFigure 3 The ‘Euromarketing mix’ (Source; Pan-European Marketing)3.2.1 Market entry StrategyWhen Aannex Corp. plans to sell in multiple European markets, the choice of expand will depend on thed western Europe. Therefore, the company also need to separate out the different elements of product decisions such as quality, technical content, name, packaging, etc.3.2.4 Cluster approachSize is one important indicator of market potential, and with the scrapping of physical, technical, and fiscal barriers, the whole EC picture will change in this respect. From a market in which each country consists of relatively small numbers of customers, Europe will convert itself into a single market, the largest in the industrialised world. However, "Eastern" enlargement of the EU is slightly different in previous enlargements because of gap of economy. Therefore, the company must prepare of the situation and possibly divide some clusters to jump into the market more successfully.I suggest that EU 25 countries could be divided four major clusters, based on the computer industry and IT development.Cluster 1. United kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, SwedenNorthern and Western EuropeFocus on segumer awareness of price issues and cooperation between European consumers associations, as well as increasing European retailer activities, will induce greater price harmonisation. As a result companies must improve their information on the underlying drivers of price behaviour, especially on competitor activity and all regulatory changes. They may try to defend local positioning through stronger branding and packaging imagery, by launching higher perceived value products against lower priced standardised euro products or by trying to leverage their position in higher priced distribution channels. Finally they may exploit the fringe pricing factors which remain more susceptible to local variations such as discount structures, terms of payment, credit terms, etc. Therefore, the company must carefully decide its pricing of the computer components.European distribution channels and sales forces have been nationally focused, however new Europe wide channels and retailer alliances are devel