Sustainable Relationship Marketing: McDonalds Corporation - Assignment Example

It transcends the boundaries between specialist functions and disciplines.” Gummesson (1999:73). Relationship marketing is closely intersected with sustainability – “a form of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Benn & Martin, 2014:742). Nowadays, the role of RM is recognized by many different organisations, operating in various industries. An increasing number of organizations strive to focus on customer retention, emphasize customer service, maintain high contact with customers, and pursue long-term relationships (Christopher, Payne, and Ballantyne, 1991).

Relationship marketing is viewed as a multidimensional discipline, which has many different models applicable to various situations. Five major models discussed in this report are (1) Relationship Marketing’s Six-Markets Model; (2) Sustainable Marketing Model; (3) Ethical Relationship Marketing Model; (4) The Morgan-Hunt Model of Relationship Marketing; and (5) Return on Relationship Model. The combined use of these five models enables us to understand various aspects of relationship marketing, interrelationship, and the connection of different elements.

A company implementing RM strategy gains increased opportunities for retaining existing customers and build profitable long-term and sustainable relationships. In order to test this hypothesis, there was chosen McDonald's Corporation for further analysis. The research shows that initially, McDonald has made focus on the customer-centric approach early before the concept of relationship marketing has gained wider popularity. However, by the 1990s the company has failed to ensure excellent customer service and value-added approach because of the quick geographical expansion of its restaurants.

However, soon the company has recovered its position on the market by developing a comprehensive relationship marketing strategy, focusing on three major markets: customers, suppliers, and employees. The results of the study show that Mcdonald's is a company that has successfully integrated the principles of ethical relationship marketing into its corporate strategy. Nowadays, Mcdonald's is a company, the example of which can be utilized by many other companies striving to succeed in relationship marketing.