Jill Avery

Susan Fournier

John Wittenbraker

Consumers have always had relationships with brands, but sophisticated tools for analyzing customer data are finally allowing marketing organizations to personalize and manage those relationships. With this new power comes a new challenge: People now expect companies to understand what type of relationships they want and to respond appropriately—they want firms to hold up their end of the bargain. Unfortunately, many brands don’t meet those expectations.

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Reprint: R1407E 
Despite the $11 billion spent on CRM software annually, many consumer companies don&#8217;t understand customer relationships at all. They aren&#8217;t aware of the variety of relationship types and don&#8217;t understand what kind their customers want. 
Through research in a wide variety of consumer industries, the authors have identified 29 types of relationships. For example, some customers want to be best friends with a brand; others are looking for a passionate fling; still others find themselves as ex-friends and would welcome a closer bond. 
To understand the current portfolio of relationships, companies must pick up on signals from multiple sources. Companies can then build a strategic mix of connections by bolstering desired relationships and shifting customers to more-valuable types. There are many issues to consider: For example, some relationship types are more profitable than others. 
No actions will bear fruit unless a relationship orientation pervades not just the marketing function but every aspect of the company that touches customers or affects interactions with them. Customers don&#8217;t just represent the next upsell or cross-sell opportunity; they are individuals looking for a certain kind of interaction. Companies need to respond accordingly.

Unlock the Mysteries of Your Customer Relationships

Reprint: R1407E Despite the $11 billion spent on CRM software annually, many consumer companies don’t understand customer relationships at all. They aren’t aware of the variety of relationship types and don’t understand what kind their customers want. Through research in a wide variety of consumer industries, the authors have identified 29 types of relationships. For example, some customers want to be best friends with a brand; others are looking for a passionate fling; still others find themselves as ex-friends and would welcome a closer bond. To understand the current portfolio of relationships, companies must pick up on signals from multiple sources. Companies can then build a strategic mix of connections by bolstering desired relationships and shifting customers to more-valuable types. There are many issues to consider: For example, some relationship types are more profitable than others. No actions will bear fruit unless a relationship orientation pervades not just the marketing function but every aspect of the company that touches customers or affects interactions with them. Customers don’t just represent the next upsell or cross-sell opportunity; they are individuals looking for a certain kind of interaction. Companies need to respond accordingly.

Unlock the Mysteries of Your Customer Relationships

Resumo.

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