When the firm’s customer is the public’s enemy

Sometimes, good customers do bad things. I mean, they do things that are good for the business, but which may have negative consequences for the wider public. In those cases, the government may intervene and demand that the firm acts in a way that meet the government’s goals (regarding the public good) but which runs contrary … Continue reading When the firm’s customer is the public’s enemy

From Facebook likes and Internet of Things, to insurance premiums

Last week, the news broke that Admiral car insurance planned to launch a new product aimed at new drivers, firstcarquote, whereby policy holders could get rebates on their annual premium, based on their social media activity. The Guardian reported that: Admiral Insurance will analyse the Facebook accounts of first-time car owners to look for … Continue reading From Facebook likes and Internet of Things, to insurance premiums

April 2016 round-up

It’s Spring, there are flowers peeking everywhere… ... and snow. That’s right. It snowed. At least it melted quickly. I am so ready for warm weather… Here are my highlights for April. Tell me yours, in the comments below. Researching The panel proposal that I was working on last month was rejected. But … Continue reading April 2016 round-up

Offering high levels of customisation may actually be a bad idea

The marketing literature emphasises the role of the customer in co-creating value with the firm, as opposed to being a passive recipient of value at the end of a transaction. This can be achieved a posteriori, when the customer adds something to the product to make it more valuable for him or herself (for instance, when … Continue reading Offering high levels of customisation may actually be a bad idea

New book: The Dark Side of CRM

I just received my copy of the book 'The Dark Side of CRM - Customers, relationships and management', which I co-edited with Bang Nguyen and Lyndon Simkin and can be ordered here. The book tackles the duplicitous practices and undesirable behaviours that affect the relationships between firms and customers. Building relationships with customers enables a firm to learn … Continue reading New book: The Dark Side of CRM

May 2015 round-up

A belated round up, as the last few days of May (and first ones in June) were very busy, including a couple of big pieces of work due around the same time. Murphy’s law! Funnily enough, my #5pm pictures reflect exactly that: work features heavily in this month’s pictures, either directly (i.e., I was sitting … Continue reading May 2015 round-up

February 2015 round-up

The second month of my sabbatical was dominated by my trip to the University of Malta, in my second year as Visiting Professor in Digital Marketing. Activities included research seminars, corporate education, some teaching and numerous meetings. Arguably, I went to Malta to share what I know about digital marketing, but I always learn a … Continue reading February 2015 round-up