Before we even get into the importance of relationship marketing, let us first find out what it is.
What is relationship marketing?
Margaret Rouse in her article in Tech Target , defines relationship marketing as a facet of customer relationship management that focuses on customer loyalty and long-term customer engagement rather than shorter-term goals like customer acquisition and individual sales. This might sound a bit more like a PR approach to marketing, right? Well if that was your thought, well, I am glad you read this article. (PR and marketing). In this article, we mentioned the need for the two departments (PR and marketing) to work together. We also identified some similarities between PR and marketing. We pick up from where we left.
Relationship marketing is a byproduct of PR and marketing.
One of the main goals when it comes to relationship marketing is to generate strong emotional connections to a brand/business that can result in a continuous sales, and third-party endorsement. A one-time sale is not primarily the goal when it comes to relationship marketing, building brand trust and customer retention are the goals.
Let us look at two cases that PR and marketing had a chance to play yin and yang.
Case one
I was recently in an establishment (coffee shop) I frequent. The goal was not to create a relationship with them, they are a service provider, I want the service they offered (coffee). This was a clear demand and supply chain. With my frequent visits, I developed a liking to how they provided their services. The waiters were very polite and my orders came in in record time. In addition to this, some of the waiters are deaf, so I had to polish up on my sign language. As if all that is not impressive enough, most of the waiters soon took note that I do not put sugar in my coffee and they stopped bringing sugar to the table. This move might sound very small. The waiters might not even think much of it, they might have thought it is a small dismissible gesture, but they had me hook line and sinker. What
When they opened doors for Co-working space, I did not even think twice about signing up for the service.
Case two
During one of my visits to the above establishment, two content creators walked in and were looking to take some photos for their social platforms. A quick conversation ensued with one of the staff as they stated the reason for their visit. They mentioned that they came across the establishment on IG and came to take some pictures. The impersonality in their conversation gave me full-blown panic attacks. This was a potentially symbiotic relationship that was going up in flames. Sales (marketing) was on the driving seat of this conversation when it ought to have been PR.
In the above cases, PR and marketing were in play. Each is necessary for brand and business growth, knowing when to shift gears when to change drivers ensures that the two get your business to its destination.
Creating lasting business/brand relations should be at the core of your communication. People buy from brands/businesses they trust. Trust is built over time.
TrioG Communication 