Relationship Marketing Strategy and implementation

specific means–end justifications for their inclusion. These parties or
groups are then categorized (usually) according to the nature
and/or form of the parties’ relationships with the focal firm (though
it should be said that most of the frameworks appeared to display
some internal inconsistencies). In the majority of instances, these
categories provided the superstructure for the frameworks.
The common denominators between the superstructural cate-
gories were as follows. All agree that the ‘internal market’ is an
essential element of relationship marketing, with each framework
incorporating a category for employee or internal relationships
within the focal firm. In all instances they also acknowledge that the
concept encompasses vertically connected relationships with
supply chain parties, upstream to suppliers and downstream to cus-
tomers, buyers, end users or consumers, but consensus breaks down
beyond this point.
The treatment of the ‘customer/buyer/end user’ category differs
considerably between writers. Kotler affords distributors totally
separate treatment from end users, advocating very different mar-

Relationship marketing: The six markets framework 15

Supplier

partnerships

External

partnerships

Internal

partnerships

Customer

partnerships

Core

firm

Employees

Functional

departments

Other SBUs

Competitors

Governments

Strategic

alliances

Figure 1.5 Core firm and its partnerships.

Source: Doyle (1995).^16