Relationship Marketing: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Abstract

Relationship marketing has taken off over the past 10 years with a burst of vigour. Were relationships staring marketers in the face and were we too preoccupied to see them? We begin with a short historical perspective on the origins of relationship marketing. A discussion on future directions and theory development based around the concept of value exchange follows. A `view from the edge' of chaos is then offered. We conclude that marketing as a discipline is forever changed.