Relationship Marketing Strategy and implementation

(rather than customers). Therefore, when we are considering a spe-
cific industry we must first understand the terms that are commonly
used, develop our own relevant definitions, and then ensure that
these definitions are used within our own business in a clear and
unambiguous manner.
For example, in the insurance industry brokers are a typical means
of distribution of the insurance products developed by an insurance
underwriting company. The channel consists of the underwriting
company who appoints insurance brokers who in turn sell the insur-
ance products to final consumers. These consumers may be organi-
zations or individuals.* Here there are only two levels in the
distribution chain. In this case the insurance broker is usually termed

The customer market domain: Managing relationships with buyers 35

Internal

Markets

Supplier &

Alliance

Markets

Recruitment

Markets

Influence

Markets

Referral

Markets

Customer Markets

Buyers Intermediaries Consumers

Figure 2.1 The customer market domain.

Source: Payne (1998).^1

*In this example the term ‘consumer’ is used to refer to both organizational and

individual purchasers of the end of the distribution channel. It should be noted

that other terms may be used for the final business-to-business organizational pur-

chaser in particular industries.