both upstream and downstream in the supply chain; the need to
balance supply chain efficiency with brand marketing effectiveness.
Broad marketing and strategic issues:
●the idea of the value delivery process
●the particular problems of marketing ‘ethical’ products
●the role of the retailer in consumer markets.
Relationship marketing issues:
●the nature of the ‘virtual’ organization
●using the network to provide differentiation in a commodity market
●the challenges of relationship management in an extended supply chain.
Cafédirect has now established itself as a recognized brand in the
UK market, albeit still with a relatively low market share, given the
growing consumer interest in ethical issues.
Case 3.3: Transvaal Nickel Mines
This case was written by Professor David Blenkhorn and David
Holowack of Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
This case describes some of the issues encountered by a company in
the primary metals industry as it addresses the issues involved in
initiating and implementing a relationship marketing strategy in an
industry which historically has not spent much time analysing and
working with the complete supply/value chain.
Learning points
Amongst the key learning points to emerge from this case are: issues
involved in supplier collaboration and coordination in a complete
supply/value chain; that the paradigm shift necessary to implement
relationship marketing may be too great for traditional marketers in
some firms; to illustrate how relationship marketing can be a differ-
entiating factor in a commodity-based industry, where price reigns
supreme.
180 Relationship Marketing