called ‘market domains’, into relevant constituent parts. The discus-
sion in the first publication to incorporate the Six Markets model^11
also described the downstream relationships in the marketing
channel, including final consumers and intermediaries or direct cus-
tomer (p. 15); it also emphasized the need to undertake segmentation
based on both traditional criteria as well as more relational-based
segmentation criteria such as service requirements. With the cus-
tomer market, particular emphasis should be placed on understand-
ing two major tasks – attracting new customers and retaining
existing customers. These two broad pivotal activities are important
regardless of what level of the customer chain is considered.
To operationalize the Six Markets model, a process was devel-
oped to address each market domain in greater detail.^52 This con-
sisted of:
1 Identify key participants, or segments, within each of the markets.
2 Research to identify expectations and needs of key participants.
3 Review current and proposed level of emphasis in each market.
4 Formulate desired relationship strategy and determine if a formal mar-
keting plan is necessary.
This process starts with the examination and analysis of each
market domain to identify the key groups of participants and
market segments. A consideration of the expectations and needs of
each of these groups of segments is then undertaken.
To assess the present level of emphasis and desired level of empha-
sis on each of the market domains, the relationship marketing network
diagram, also known as the spidergram, was developed. This config-
ures each of the major market domains, including customer markets
(which are subdivided into existing and new customers), on a series of
axes and enables a group of managers within a firm to make an assess-
ment as to the current and desired levels of emphasis on each market
domain by means of a jury of executive opinion.
This represents the first level of diagnostic review of the overall
process in order to make an initial judgement as to the existing and
desired relevant emphasis. Once this has been completed, further
network diagrams or spidergrams can then be developed for each
market domain. The second level of analysis explores each market
domain in much greater detail and enables the subsegment with the
domains to be analysed in terms of present and desired emphasis.
This approach is discussed in further detail in Chapter 6.
Relationship marketing: The six markets framework 27