Customer Relationship Investments, Value to the Customer, and Value to the Firm: Integrating Attributes and Benefits

A fundamental proposition in marketing strategy is that a customer relationship orientation is positively related to customer value and firm value. However, the mechanisms of this relationship have yet to be explored in detail, especially in service industries. Our paper addresses this issue by proposing a model that identifies important intermediate variables between customer relationship investments and both increased customer and firm value, namely, attributes, benefits, satisfaction, trust, commitment, and loyalty. Results show that customers purchase information education services with specific benefits that stem from corresponding attributes. These may be leveraged to create a competitive advantage, satisfaction, and repeat buying behavior, resulting in value for customers, and ease in attracting customers, thus enhancing value to the firm.