Customers and Relations
This theme includes research on all kinds of customers' experiences of and responses to brands, product and service offerings, marketing communication, marketing activities as well as other conditions in the markets.
Responsible faculty member:
Prof. Kristina Heinonen
Specific topics
- Customer experiences in B2C and B2B
- Customer value formation
- Service/product quality, customer satisfaction
- Customer involvement and engagement
- Customer activities and practices
- Customer network relationships
- Relationship marketing, customer rel.man.
- Value selling, solutions selling
- Service interface, service encounters, servicescapes
- Customers' social media use
- Brand relationships and image
Focus industries studied in the area
- Financial services and banking industry
- Tourism and hospitality industry
Our latest publications on customers and relations
2023, 'Quantifying the influence of customer experience on consumer share-of-category', Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 73, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103375
2023, 'You Fooled Me, So I’ll Tell You about Myself! Personnel-Related Brand Betrayal Experiences and Disclosure of Personal Information', Journal of Business Research, vol. 171, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114367
2022, 'Affordances Advancing User-Created Communication (UCC) in Service', Journal of Service Management, vol. 33, no. 4-5, pp. 688-704. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2021-0407
2022, 'Characterizing ex situ value: A customer-dominant perspective on value', Journal of Travel Research, https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875221139489
2022, 'Developing and renewing marketing as a scientific discipline through reflexive cocreation', AMS Review, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-022-00244-0
2022, 'It is Really Not a Game', Journal of Service Research, https://doi.org/10.1177/10946705221076272
2022, 'Smart wearable technologies as resources for consumer agency in well-being', Journal of Interactive Marketing, vol. 58, no. 2-3, pp. 136-150. https://doi.org/10.1177/10949968221143351
2022, 'User-defined ecosystems in health and social care', Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 36, no. 9, pp. 41-56. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2021-0090
2022, 'Viewpoint: applying pragmatism to stimulate service research and practice – a European perspective', Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 467-475. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2021-0211
2022, 'Viewpoint: plotting a way forward for service research in and out of Africa', Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 450-460. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2021-0258
2022, 'YouTube It Before You Buy It: The Role of Parasocial Interaction in Consumer-to-Consumer Video Reviews', Journal of Interactive Marketing, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 561-582. https://doi.org/10.1177/10949968221102825
2021, 'Crafting customer insight: What we can learn from the revival of the vinyl record', Business Horizons, vol. 64, no. 2, pp. 261-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.12.003
2020, 'Customer experience management in the age of big data analytics', Journal of Business Research, vol. 116, pp. 356-365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.01.022
2020, 'Customer journey analyses in digital media: exploring the impact of cross-media exposure on customers’ purchase decisions', Journal of Service Management, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 489-508. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-11-2018-0360
2020, 'Reframing service innovation: COVID-19 as a catalyst for imposed service innovation', Journal of Service Management, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 101-112. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-05-2020-0161
2020, 'Viewpoint: Getting Your Qualitative Service Research Published', Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 111-116. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-11-2019-0444
2019, 'Technology in use - characterizing customer self-service devices (SSDS)', Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 44-56. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-10-2018-0292
2018, 'Analysing authenticity in corporate brand heritage with Peirce's semiotic theory', Marketing Theory,
2018, 'How consumers' need for uniqueness, self-monitoring, and social identity affect their choices when luxury brands visually shout versus whisper', Journal of Business Research, vol. 84, no. March , pp. 72-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.11.012
2018, 'Sharing-Dominant Logic? Quantifying the Association between Consumer Intelligence and Choice of Social Access Modes', Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 201-222. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucy074
2018, 'What Do Business Customers Value? An Empirical Study of Value Propositions in a Servitization Context', Technology Innovation Management Review, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 36-43. https://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/1157
2017, 'A4A relationships', Journal of Service Theory and Practice2015, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 1040-1056. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-05-2017-0085
2017, 'Customer engagement in a Big Data world', Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 161-171. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-10-2016-0352
2017, 'Emosjoner i kundedrevet samskaping av tjenester', Magma: Econas tidsskrift for økonomi og ledelse, vol. 4, pp. 50-58.
2017, 'Emotions elicited by local food consumption, memories, place attachment and behavioural intentions', Anatolia : An International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 363-380. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2017.1322111
2017, 'Network orchestration for value platform development', Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 67, no. November, pp. 106-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2017.08.002
2017, 'PSS business model conceptualization and application', Production Planning & Control, vol. 28, no. 15, pp. 1251-1263. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2017.1363924
2017, 'Relational price discounts: Consumers' metacognitions and nonlinear effects of initial discounts on customer retention', Journal of Marketing, vol. 82, no. 1, pp. 115-131. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.16.0267
2017, 'Relationship marketing and service: an update', Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science : Bridging Asia and the World, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 201-208 . https://doi.org/10.1080/21639159.2017.1318666
2017, 'Relationship marketing readiness: theoretical background and measurement directions', Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 218-225. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-02-2017-0056
2017, 'Relative contribution of souvenirs on memorability of a trip experience and revisit intentions: a study of visitors to Rovaniemi, Finland', Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/15022250.2017.1354717
2017, 'Servitization and deservitization', Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 60, no. January, pp. 4-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2016.12.007
2017, 'The Actor: The Key Determinator in Service Ecosystems', Systems, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems5020038
2016, '"Running Is My Boyfriend": Consumers’ Relationships with Activities', Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 24-33. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2016-0108
2016, 'Mere employee presence and its impact on customer satisfaction', Psychology and Marketing, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 449-464. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20890
2016, 'Organizational Behavior in Innovation, Marketing, and Purchasing in Business Service Contexts', Journal of Business Research, vol. 69, no. 7, pp. 2457-2462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.02.014
2016, 'Service growth in product firms', Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 60, no. January, pp. 82-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2016.10.015
2015, 'Customer-dominant logic: foundations and implications', Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 29, no. 6/7, pp. 472-484. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-02-2015-0096
2015, 'Do Ethical Social Media Communities Pay Off? An Exploratory Study of the Ability of Facebook Ethical Communities to Strengthen Consumers' Ethical Consumption Behavior', Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 144, no. 3, pp. 449-465. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2830-y
2015, 'How buyer-seller relationship orientation affects adaptation of sales processes to the buying process', Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 52, pp. 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2015.07.013
2015, 'Managing relationship gaps: A practitioner perspective', Journal of Business Research, vol. 69, no. 7, pp. 2490-2497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.02.018
2015, 'Service productivity as mutual learning', International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, vol. 7, no. 2-3, pp. 296-311. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQSS-03-2015-0035
2015, 'Two sides of a coin: Connecting corporate brand heritage to consumers’ corporate image heritage', Journal of Brand Management, vol. 22, no. June/July, pp. 467-484. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2015.20
2015, 'Young consumers’ responses to suspected covert and overt blog marketing', Internet Research, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 610-632. https://doi.org/10.1108/IntR-02-2014-0041
2014, 'Am I worth it? Gifting myself with luxury', Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 112-132. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-04-2013-0062
2014, 'Contemporary insights to the dynamic pre-trip information sourcing behaviour', Tourism and Hospitality Research, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 39-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/1467358414553871
2014, 'Conveying conscientiousness: Exploring environmental images across servicescapes', Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 520-528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2014.04.001
2014, 'Customer experience from a self-service system perspective', Journal of Service Management, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 677-698. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-01-2013-0016
2014, 'Invisible value formation: a netnography in retail banking', International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 32, no. 6, pp. 590-607. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-03-2014-0041
2014, 'Negative critical waves in business relationships', Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 284-294. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-08-2013-0159
2014, 'Preferential treatment in the service encounter', Journal of Service Management, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 512-530. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-02-2014-0048
2014, 'Value-based sales process adaptation in business relationships', Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 43, no. 6, pp. 1085-1095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2014.05.022
2013, 'Critical service logic: making sense of value creation and co-creation', Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 133-150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-012-0308-3
2013, 'Crystallization and research in Asia', Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 76-93. https://doi.org/10.1108/13522751311289776
2013, 'Cultural values and health care service quality in China', International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 55-73. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526861311288640
2013, 'Customer Activity in Service', Journal of Service Management, vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 534-552. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-04-2013-0095
2013, 'Development and implementation of customer solutions', Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 42, no. 7, pp. 1083-1092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2013.07.026
2013, 'Diagnosing Service Brand Strength: Customer-Dominant Brand Relationship Mapping', Journal of Service Management, vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 502-519. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-04-2013-0094
2013, 'Disintermediation in Business-to-Business Service Channels: Mechanisms and Challenges', Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 179-192. https://doi.org/10.1080/1051712X.2013.813717
2013, 'Generative mechanisms in project marketing – an agenda for inquiry', Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science : Bridging Asia and the World, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 196-212. https://doi.org/10.1080/21639159.2013.769330
2013, 'Sales activity systematization and performance', Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 494-505. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-04-2013-0101
2013, 'The Crossover-Dialogue Approach :', Journal of Business Research, vol. 66, no. 3, pp. 288-297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.08.008
2013, 'The impact of storytelling on the consumer brand experience: the case of a firm-originated story', Journal of Brand Management, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 283-297. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2012.15
2013, 'Value Creation Processes and Value Outcomes in Marketing Theory - Strangers or Siblings?', Marketing Theory, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 19–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470593112467267
2012, 'Conceptualising value co-creation: A journey to the 1970s and back to the future', Journal of Marketing Management, vol. 28, no. 13-14, pp. 1520-1534. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2012.737357
2012, 'Customer Engagement in a Facebook Brand Community', Management Research Review2010, vol. 35, no. 9, pp. 857 - 877. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409171211256578
2012, 'Customer Needing: A Challenge for the Seller Offering', Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 132-141. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858621211196994
2012, 'My Customers Are in My Blind Spot', Journal of Service Research, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 150-165. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670511435540
2012, 'Return on relationships:', Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 344-359.
2011, 'Comparing the perceived quality of private and public health services in Nigeria', Journal of Management Policy and Practice, vol. 12, no. 7, pp. 18-26.
2009, 'Cooperation with Competitors and Internationalization', Journal of Euromarketing, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 89-100. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496480903022238
2009, 'Seller-initiated relationship ending An empirical study of professional business-to-business services', Managing Service Quality, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 266-285. https://doi.org/10.1108/09604520910955302
2008, 'A definition, model, and empirical analysis of business-to-business relationship quality', Journal of Service Management, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 32-62. https://doi.org/10.1108/09564230810855707
2008, 'How to Diagnose Business-to-Business Relationships by Mapping Negative Incidents', Journal of Marketing Management, vol. 24, no. 3-4, pp. 361-381. https://doi.org/10.1362/026725708X306149
2008, 'Initiation of business relationships in service-dominant settings', Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 339-350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2007.07.009
2005, 'Exploring and Managing Negative Incidents in Business Relationships', Journal of Customer Behavior, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 227-250.
2005, 'Stress in Business Relationships', Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 12-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858620510576757
2004, 'Analyzing Business Relationships and Distinguishing Different Interaction Levels', Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 279-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0019-8501(03)00057-9
1999, 'Perception Configurations in Business Relationships', Management Decision, vol. 37, no. 9, pp. 686-696. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251749910299020
1997, 'What are Relationships in Business Networks?', Management Decision, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 304-309. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251749710169693