Customer centric Marketing

Introduction

• Customer centric marketing is– focused on satisfying the needs of individual

customers (Hanif, Hafeez, & Riaz, 2010)– It does not emphasize on the needs and resources

of a whole target market segment or the person doing the selling (Fornell, Johnson, Anderson, & Cha, 2002)

– It is the ideal approach for marketing especially for small businesses (Johnson, Gustafsson, & Roos, 2005)

Customer centric marketing

• Through the customer centric marketing approach a firms will be able to: – Sell its goods or services directly to an individual

customer– Build customer satisfaction– Promote lifetime customers– Develop a long term economic viability

Customer centric marketing

• high level of importance is not placed on understanding behaviors of customers and exploiting that for the benefit of the business

• customer centric marketing approach simply places high importance on respect for customers

Customer centric enterprises

• Two examples of customer driven companies include: – Amazon– IBM

• These companies center their marketing and sales on the customers (Thompson, 2000)

• Eventually, the effort results into product driven strategy

Customer centric enterprises: what they do

1. Give promises to the customers and not just missions for the companies (Thompson, 2000)

2. The services are bundled in with the products3. Create an online community that is inviting4. Customers have no problem contacting the

companies (Thompson, 2000)5. Customer friendly and cost effective

communication system

Customer relationship

• Customer relationship involves two sources of customer satisfaction1. The actual customer experience: represents

what and how customer receive goods and services to satisfy their needs

2. The marketing dialogue: represents information exchange to influence the attitude behaviors, and expectation of customers (Evans, 2002)

Effect of customer centric approach to the organization

• Customer centric marketing approach brings changes in the designs of various business process– Technological support– Culture in marketing– Organizational culture

Customer centric approach

• Creates organizational culture since every part of the organization is affected and caused to focus on individual customer satisfaction

• Marketing and sales personnel are charged with the highest responsibility

• The marketing and sales department have direct and frequent contact with the customers (Cronin, Brandy, & Hult, 2000)

Process of customer centric marketing

• First step is to develop an understanding of the customers. This involves:– Being aware of who the customer are– How to identify and group them– Knowing what they want– Conducting customer research and intelligence

Process of customer centric marketing

• Second step is knowing what the customers want. It involves:– Segmenting the customer according to their needs– Making accurate forecast about the segments– Adjusting product development according to the

needs of the customers

Process of customer centric marketing

• The next step is ensure that the customers are satisfied

• The fourth step is to develop a culture that involves every organizational organ in being customer oriented (Anderson, Fornell, & Mazvancheryl, 2004)

• Finally, systems have to be put in place to encourage customer orientation.

Goals and Objectives of CCM

• To understand the customers• To treat customers as the expect to be treated• Respond to customers actions• Anticipate the needs of the customers

Customer centric marketing and customer satisfaction

• Positive fulfillment involves delivery on their words

• Poor fulfillment has a negative effect to the organization (Athanassopoulos, 2000)

• Customer centric approach helps the organization:– Capture information on customer fulfillment – Respond effectively

References• Anderson, E., Fornell, C., & Mazvancheryl, S. (2004). Customer Satisfaction and shareholder value. Journal

of Marketing, 172-185.• Athanassopoulos, A. (2000). Customer Satisfaction Cues to Support Market Segmentation and Explain

Switching Behavior. Journal of Business Research, 191–207.• Cronin, J., Brandy, M., & Hult, T. (2000). Assessing the Effects of Quality, Value, and Customer Satisfaction

on Consumer Behavioral Intentions in Service Environments. Journal of retainling, 193-218.• Evans, G. (2002). measuring and managing customer value. Work study, vol. 51, no. 3.• Fornell, C., Johnson, M. D., Anderson, E. W., & Cha, J. (2002). A National Customer Satisfaction Barometer:

The Swedish Experience. journal of marketing, 1-18.• Hallowell, R. (1996). The Relationship of Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty, and Profitability: An

Empirical Study. The International Journal of Service Industry Management, 27-42.• Hanif, M., Hafeez, S., & Riaz, A. (2010). Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction. International Research

Journal of Finance and Economics, 44-51.• Hennig-Thurau, T., & Klee, A. (1997). The Impact of Customer Satisfaction and Relationship Quality on

Customer Retention: A Critical Reassessment and Model developing. Psychology & Marketing, 737-764.• Johnson, M., Gustafsson, A., & Roos, I. (2005). The Effects of Customer Satisfaction Relationship

Commitment Dimensions, and Triggers on Customer Retention. Journal of marketing , 210-218.• Thompson, H. (2000). The Customer-Centered Enterprise: How IBM and Other World-Class Companies

Achieve Extraordinary Results by Putting Customers First. MacGraw Hill.