Universität zu Köln

Reinartz, Werner J. ORCID: 0000-0002-2440-3117 (2026). Customer Relationship Management: Past, Present, and Future. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 43 (1). pp. 8-27. Elsevier. ISSN 0167-8116

PDF 1-s2.0-S0167811625001156-main.pdf Bereitstellung unter der CC-Lizenz: Creative Commons Attribution. Download (4MB)

Abstract

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has evolved from a tactical marketing tool into a strategic cornerstone for creating sustainable competitive advantage. This paper offers a comprehensive review of CRM’s past, present, and future, highlighting its transformation from satisfaction-driven models to engagement-oriented strategies. Leveraging a corpus of 1,025 CRM-related articles published between 1995 and 2023, we employ Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to identify six key research streams—experience, organization, satisfaction, loyalty, profitability, and community—and trace shifts in scholarly attention across these domains. Findings reveal a growing emphasis on designing compelling customer experiences and fostering brand communities, reflecting the rising strategic importance of emotional and social connections. The paper concludes by outlining critical research gaps, including the implications of digital transformation, evolving customer access, and the strategic potential of brand communities. These insights provide a roadmap for future CRM scholarship and practice in an increasingly data-driven and customer-centric marketplace.

Item Type:	Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Reinartz, Werner J. UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2440-3117 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-812895
Identification Number:	10.1016/j.ijresmar.2025.12.001
Journal or Publication Title:	International Journal of Research in Marketing
Volume:	43
Number:	1
Page Range:	pp. 8-27
Number of Pages:	20
Date:	14 March 2026
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0167-8116
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Management, Economy and Social Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences > Business Administration > Marketing > Professorship for Business Administration, Retailing and Customer Management
Subjects:	Economics Management and auxiliary services
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language CRM ; customer relationship management ; marketing strategy ; review ; topic modeling ; research agenda English
['eprint_fieldname_oa_funders' not defined]:	Publikationsfonds UzK
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/81289