Trust and direct marketing environments: A consumer perspective

The desire to establish long‐term customer relationships has led companies to consider normative as well as outcome related aspects of relationship development. Much of the research undertaken in this field has focused upon such activity in business‐to‐business markets. The current study sought to examine these issues, from the consumer perspective, in relation to approaches made by firms using direct marketing techniques, specifically direct mail. Empirical assessment was made of a sample of consumers in relation to their receptivity to product and service offerings from firms, and the effects of commitment, trust and privacy concerns upon this receptivity. In conclusion, some implications for marketing practice in developing customer relationships in direct marketing environments are discussed.

[1]  Rolph E. Anderson,et al.  Multivariate Data Analysis with Readings , 1979 .

[2]  L. Zucker.  Production of trust: Institutional sources of economic structure, 1840–1920. , 1986 .

[3]  F. Dwyer,et al.  Developing Buyer-Seller Relationships: , 1987 .

[4]  P. Dasgupta.  Trust as a commodity , 1988 .

[5]  Arthur Goldhammer,et al.  A History of private life , 1989 .

[6]  M. Jones.  Privacy: A Significant Marketing Issue for the 1990s , 1991 .

[7]  Robert E. Spekman,et al.  A Strategic Approach to Managing Buyer‐Seller Relationships , 1991 .

[8]  C. Goodwin.  Privacy: Recognition of a Consumer Right , 1991 .

[9]  John K. Butler.  Toward Understanding and Measuring Conditions of Trust: Evolution of a Conditions of Trust Inventory , 1991 .

[10]  P. Ring,et al.  Structuring cooperative relationships between organizations , 1992 .

[11]  Barton A. Weitz,et al.  The Use of Pledges to Build and Sustain Commitment in , 1992 .

[12]  John A. Courtright,et al.  Normative Images of Communication Media Mass and Interpersonal Channels in the New Media Environment , 1993 .

[13]  Patrick E. Murphy,et al.  Ethical and Legal Foundations of Relational Marketing Exchanges , 1993 .

[14]  H. J. Smith,et al.  Database Marketing: New Rules for Policy and Practice , 1993 .

[15]  Shankar Ganesan.  Determinants of Long-Term Orientation in Buyer-Seller Relationships , 1994 .

[16]  S. Hunt,et al.  The Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing , 1994 .

[17]  C. Grönroos.  Keynote paper From marketing mix to relationship marketing ‐ towards a paradigm shift in marketing , 1994 .

[18]  Janet Fulk.  Social construction of communication technology , 1993 .