Why build sustainable relationships with customers? - The effects of “Ambassador Program”

Kei Aoki, R. Keith Tudor, Aberdeen Leila Borders and Deborah H. Lester

Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 2020, vol. 30, issue 3, 291-303

Abstract: To build relationships with customers, sustainable engagements are crucial. Ostensibly, firm profits are derived from customers’ financial contributions; in addition, their non-financial contributions such as advocacy also increase long-term profitability. Today, the importance of such customer-to-customer communication has dramatically increased and is derived from enhancing customers’ brand experience. This paper explores how to incorporate C-to-C communication into brand experience with the goal of strengthening customer relationships, developing advocacy, and encouraging sustainable interactions.This study introduces the novel approach called Ambassador Program which aims to build long-term collaboration with customers and promote advocacy from the participants. Through the case of the “NESCAFE Ambassador Program,” we found that this brand-new approach is effective in increasing customers’ brand experience and customers’ contributions. Consequently, customers can create new customers. The research empirically showed that even in such a low-involvement category as consumer-packaged goods, firms can build sustainable relationships with customers by adopting customer-to-customer relationships into their marketing strategies.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1080/21639159.2020.1766368

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