Relationship Attitude of Hungarian companies

Révész, Balázs

Keywords: customer relationship management, relationship marketing, relationship orientation

Companies carrying out their business activities are looking for the key to long term success under constantly changing circumstances and economic conditions. In order to achieve company goals and in order to satisfy the needs of customers, companies are striving for establishing tight and long term relationship with their business partners and further interested parties nowadays (Gruen 1997, Hunt, Morgan 1999, Gummesson 2002). Companies exploring the sources of sustainable competitive advantage recognize that the effectiveness of the traditional marketing approach is decreasing, so there is a need to develop and apply a new and a more efficient marketing concept under these changed circumstances (Gruen 1997, Grönroos 1999). The results of the survey conducted among Hungarian companies show that relationships play a more and more important role in the Hungarian business environment. In accordance with the suggestions and results of the international literature retaining existing customers is the most important aim of the marketing activity among the participating companies, but unfortunately the answerers most frequently said that the organization’s marketing planning is still focused on issues relating to the product offered by the company. Our results show that Hungarian companies are facing changes in the focus of the marketing activities. According to the literature only a small portion of the companies are using CRM systems successfully. The successful implementation of a CRM system requires several changes in the organization. One of the most important tasks is to change the orientation of the companies’ marketing activities. Instead of focusing on the product or a single transaction, companies should master the customer focused operation. The implementation of the technology can only be successful after these cultural changes are made. Changes in the practice of marketing are mainly based on the examination and adaptation the theoretical aspects of relationship marketing and relationship management. These provide an opportunity for the academic sphere and for practitioners to get to know and further develop new theoretical accomplishments and the latest best practice solutions. However, it still remains a question, that the technology development is driving the changes in the business orientation or inversely, the changes in business orientation are forcing the industry to provide new technology.