ABSTRACT

Relationship marketing strategies are typically designed to gather information in order to help firms to identify and retain customers or guests. Firms organize relationship marketing programmes, described as 'the ongoing process of engaging in cooperative and collaborative activities and programmes with immediate and end-user customers to create or enhance mutual economic value at reduced cost'. This chapter presents the foundation and conceptualization of relationship marketing, and a theoretical argument about multiple consumer–brand relationships and social software platforms. In order to better understand the phenomenon, the chapter analyses 15 hotel managers through semi-structured interviews with an average duration of 60 minutes. It explores how luxury hotels are using social software platforms, particularly Facebook, as an e-tool. Emotional ties (stimulating guests' feelings and changing their mood) and sensorial appeal (engaging guests' senses and emphasizing the aesthetic aspect) are core aspects, which together with engagement and participation in social software platforms contribute to a favourable hospitality relationship experience.