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Keynote paper From marketing mix to relationship marketing ‐ towards a paradigm shift in marketing

Christian Grönroos (Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Helsinki, Finland)

Management Decision

ISSN: 0025-1747

Article publication date: 1 May 1997

72512

Abstract

Discusses the nature and sometimes negative consequences of the dominating marketing paradigm of today, marketing mix management, and furthermore discusses how modern research into, for example, industrial marketing and services marketing as well as customer relationship economics shows that another approach to marketing is required. This development is supported by evolving trends in business, such as strategic partnerships, alliances and networks. Suggests relationship marketing, based on relationship building and management, as one emerging new marketing paradigm of the future. Concludes that the simplicity of the marketing mix paradigm, with its Four P model, has become a strait‐jacket, fostering toolbox thinking rather than an awareness that marketing is a multi‐faceted social process, and notes that marketing theory and customers are the victims of today’s mainstream marketing thinking.

Keywords

Citation

Grönroos, C. (1997), "Keynote paper From marketing mix to relationship marketing ‐ towards a paradigm shift in marketing", Management Decision, Vol. 35 No. 4, pp. 322-339. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251749710169729

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 1997, MCB UP Limited

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