Overtheyears,thedevelopmentandenlargementofthemarketingconcepthasbeen

followingthechanginganddynamiccontextofbusinessworld.Ithasnotalwaysbeen
consideredessential,butduetomarketchanges,increasedcompetitionandconsumers
becomingmoredemanding,marketingacquiredabiggerimportanceintheindustrial
environment.Intheearlytwentyfirstcentury,consideringcustomerneedsisinherent
toanybusiness,however,itwasnotalwaysso.
Before1920"agoodproductsellsitself",i.e.thebiggestconcernwasaboutthe
designandproductionofgoodsandservices,dismissingfrommindtherelationship
withconsumers(Boone&Kurtz,2006).Essentially,everythingthatwasproduced
wassold,resultinginanonexistentmarketing.(Cobra,2002).
Thisadvancestoadevelopmentwhere"Customerswillonlybuywhattrulymeetand
satisfytheirdesiresandprovehigherutilityoraddedvaluefromallthepresentand
availableinthemarketoffers."Alongthisnewviewattheworldofbusiness,
marketingfunctionisdevelopedinorganizationsaswellmarketresearch,turning
companiesapproachintoaoutsideinstrategy,findingonthemarkettheanswerson
whattoproduce.(Cruzetal.,2011).
Therewasahistoricalandevolutionaryprocesstoadapttonewconcepts.Inthe
contemporarycontextitisn'teasyforcompaniestosubsistbeyondmarketing
practices.Theconceptualandideologicaltransitionsarepartiallydrivenbyits
antecedents,whomideasinfluencednotonlythepractice,astheconceptsabout
marketing.Levittwasanimportantfigureandcatalystatthetimethatmarket
innovationsandaturnoverwereneeded.Companiesweregoingthroughatransition
fromsalesorientationtoanewmarketorientation.Myopiaisavisionconditionin
whichcloseobjectsareseenclearly,butobjectsfartherawayappearblurred(Harper,
Douglas2000).Marketingmyopiaistheshortsightedandinwardlookingapproach
tomarketingthatisonlyfocusedonthecompanyneedsinsteadofdefiningthe
companyanditsproductsaccordingtocustomers'needsandwants.Thisresultsin
companies'failuretoproperlyadjusttotheconstantmarketvariations(TheodoreC.
Levitt,1960).
Thehistoryofmarketing,byLasCasas(2008),wasdividedintothreeeras:the
ProductionOrientationAge,theemphasisisontheproduct,theSalesOrientation
Age,intensifiesproductionprocessesandMarketingOrientationAgewheredemand
ismuchhigherthanthesupply.
Era
ProductionOrientation

Time
Before20s

SalesOrientation

From1920to1950

MarketingOrientation

Secondhalfof20thcentury

Behavior
"agoodproductsells
itself",
advertisingandcreative
saleswillfightthe
consumerresistanceand
convincehimtobuy
theconsumerisking,seek
aneedandsolveit

Intodayshighlycompetitiveandturbulentmarket,asacompetitiveadvantagefor
companies,istobeortohavehealthyrelationshipsandlongtermcustomers.
Followingtheconstantmarketfluctuationshasbeenamajorchallengefor
organizationsthatstriveforcustomersatisfaction,byofferingqualifiedproductsand

services.
Thepursuitofbuildingandmaintainingalonglastandprofitablerelationshipwith
customershasbeenatrend(Kotler,2000).AccordingtoGordon(1998),thisisa
resulttothehighcompetitivenessgeneratedfromtheslewofnewproductswith
similartechnologyandpricesthatreachthemarketeveryyear.
Ganesan(1994)suggeststhatalongtermorientationrelationshipbetweenbuyersand
sellersiscrucialintwokeyfactors:mutualdependenceandextenttrust.Tovarious
authors,trustisessentialinestablishingcooperativerelationships(McQuiston,1997;
HandfieldandBechtel,2002).Theestablishmentofarelationshipwithacustomer
canbeseparatedintoattractthecustomerandthenbuildthatrelationship(Grnroos
1994).Therearefundamentalprinciplesuponmarketingrelationshipsarebased:
mutualvaluecreation,trust,andcommitment.AccordingtoMorganandHunt(1994),
trustexistswhenonepartyhasconfidenceintheexchangepartner'sreliabilityand
integrity.
Relationshipmarketingisanapproachthatintendstojoinandmergeconsumersand
businessesasone,aimingarelationshipthatwilllastaslongaspossible(Santosetal.,
2010).Ismarketingbasedoninteractionswithinthenetworkofrelationships
(Gummensson,2005).Theseinterplaysareactions,contracts,partnershipsand
contactsthatacompanypossessesinitsnetwork,whichintentionistoprovideactions
orprocessesthroughcooperation,resultinginlongtermbenefits(Morgan&Hunt,
1994).Theprocessisestablishedonthecustomerbyrecognizinghiminthefirst
instanceasanindividual,followedbyamemberofacommunityandfinally,a
member,ofaportion,ofapercentage,ofamass(Gummesson,1998).
Aslongasthelevelofcustomersatisfactionwiththerelationshipishigh,higheristhe
likelihoodthatthecustomerwillbeloyaltothecompany.Thepurposeof
relationshipmarketingistoachievehighlevelsofcustomersatisfactionthroughthe
collaborationofthepartiesinvolved(Payneetal.,1995),reinforcingthestatement:
"Itusuallycostsfivetimesmoretoattractanewcustomerthantokeepanexisting
customersatisfied.Asaresult,organizationsareplacingincreasingemphasison
identifyingandmanagingprofitablerelationshipswithcustomers"(Kotler,2000).