Abstract

Drawing theoretically on the notion of the relationship economy as a new marketing dimension based around social media, this paper makes a contribution to a key debate within contemporary strategy. Using the company based experiences of one of the authors, who was employed with responsibility for developing an online video presence, this paper examines the emerging use of video as a central element within the relationship marketing strategy of a national company in the B2C flower market. Research findings illustrate the strong interconnectedness that exists between relationship marketing, consumer engagement and consumer experiences. These are pertinent factors identified in the literature, but subjected collectively, too little empirical work. Within the framework of a case study based action research methodology, a nascent online video strategy is discussed and some resulting conceptual implications examined. What the findings demonstrate is that consumers are no longer passive recipients of company communications, products and services. Alternatively, they are now engaged through video and related online media in a new form of relationship marketing that is poised to replace not only traditional strategic frameworks, but patterns of thinking regarding how we understand consumer activity in markets