Evert Gummesson formulated the concepts of total relationship marketing in his book. He defines relationship marketing as marketing seen through relationships, networks, and interactions. Gummesson identified three types of business-to-business relationships and described interactions as hierarchical. Total relationship marketing recognizes that marketing is embedded within an organization's total management of networks in the market and society. It aims to create long-term win-win customer relationships through value co-creation across 30 different relationship types.

1. ‘Total Relationship Marketing’

2. This presentation contains some of the key
concepts formularised by Evert Gummesson in
his book:
Total Relationship Marketing: Rethinking
Marketing Management: From 4Ps to 30Rs
(Butterworth & Heinemann 1999)

3. Who is Evert Gummesson?
Evert Gummesson is
Emeritus Professor of the
Stockholm University School
of Business and a leading
management consultant.
He was one of the
international pioneers of
services marketing and the
CIM regard him as one of
the 50 most important
contributors to the
development of marketing.

4. Gummesson defines ‘Relationship
Marketing’ as:
“Relationship marketing is
marketing seen as
relationships, networks and
interactions.”

5. There are three types of connection which
form Business-to-business relationships.
1. Activity links
- Of technical, administrative and marketing
functions
2. Resource ties
- Exchanging and sharing tangible (goods) and
intangible (services and knowledge) resources
3. Actor bonds
- Created by the interaction of people, exertion of
influence and forming of opinions

6. Interactions are hierarchical:
Relationships
Sequences
Episodes
Activities

7. The total number of an organisation’s
relationships constitute the
partner base
Partner
organisation
Supplier
Retailer Partner
Organisation
Customer
Supplier
Partner
Services Distribution
partner partner

8. Relationships have properties and
dimensions, for example
• Collaboration / • Frequency, regularity
Competition and intensity
• Commitment, depende • Closeness and
ncy and importance remoteness
• Trust, risk and • Formality, informality
uncertainty and openness
• Power • Routinization
• Longevity • Content
• Personal and social
properties

9. Each relationship should be analysed
and assessed and incorporated into
the company’s marketing planning
Gummesson has defined thirty
types of relationship s – the 30Rs

10. The 30Rs can be grouped in four types
Market relationships:
• Classic market relationships
– eg: supplier-customer; customer-supplier-competitor
• Special market relationships
– eg: marketing & sales departments; service encounter;
‘electronic relationships’
Non-market relationships:
• Mega relationships
– ‘Super-market’ platforms, eg: EU organisations, social
networks, mass media
• Nano relationships
– ‘Infra-market’ relations, internal markets

11. These four types of relationship
operate within one another:
Nano
relationships
Classic market
relationships
Special market
relationships
Mega
relationships

12. Total relationship marketing:
• is marketing based on relationships, networks and
interaction,
• recognises that marketing is embedded in the total
management of the networks of the selling
organisation, the market and society.
• Is directed to long-term win-win relationships with
individual customers,
• value is jointly created between the parties involved.
• It transcends the boundaries between specialist
functions and disciplines.
• It is made tangible through the thirty market, mega
and nano relationships - the 30Rs.