Evaluating The Success of New FMCG Products In Traditional Markets: Based on The Quality of Buyer-Seller Relationships
Abstract
The quality of relationship marketing theory is still vaguely relevant to business-to-business transactions for a new product. This study aims to investigate the quality of relationships associated with new product buying and selling transactions, in terms of their importance for assessing the success of products in the traditional market among wholesalers. Qualitative research methods are applied using phenomenology and pragmatic approaches. The main data was collected from the results of in-depth interviews and mini-group discussions for interpretation and analysis using a conditional matrix approach. The research findings identified that the quality of buyer-seller relationships and new product sales turnover have a causal relationship to product success in the market. This finding conception proposes a matrix analysis formulation of the two-factor dimensions in their four positions, namely, success or failure, and the possibility of success or the possibility to fail. This concept contributes to the elaboration of relationship and transactional marketing theory. Its practical implications for relationships or partnerships between distributors and wholesalers, simultaneous B2B, and strategic policy of the 4Ps marketing mix, include managerial substance, namely human resource management, sales & distribution management, management information systems, and inventory management.
Full text article
References
Akroush, M. N. (2010). Transactional marketing and relationship marketing paradigms: A structural equation modelling approach. International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management, 4(2), 125–160. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJECRM.2010.031862
Anning, F. (2018). An assessment of transaction marketing strategy within its theoretical and practical context [Working paper]. Social Science Research Network. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3235029
Carazas, R. R., Tataje, F. A. O., Revilla, J. L. S., et al. (2024). Transactional marketing: Impact and interventions on customer experience. International Journal of Religion, 5(6), 210–223. https://doi.org/10.61707/qtm2zx80
Charles, H., Schwepker, J. C., & Good, M. C. (2022). Improving business-to-business relationship quality through salespeople's grit and political skill. *Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 29*(3-4), 293–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/1051712X.2022.2121508
Choudhury, A. P., Kundu, A., & Bhattacharya, A. (2021). Dynamism in the marketing strategy: Transition from transactional to relationship marketing. International Journal of Management Studies, 6(1), 91–101.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches(3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Gwakwa, M. (2018). Relationship marketing perspective[s]. The International Journal of Business & Management, 6(4), 23–36.
Gupta, R. K., & Awasthy, R. (2015). Qualitative management research. SAGE Publications India.
Hammersley, M. (2013). What is qualitative research? Bloomsbury Publishing. doi:10.5040/9781849666084
Harumy, A. D., & Rostiani, R. (2021). Effect of relationship quality on loyalty: The moderating role of personality traits among young fashion retail customers in Indonesia. Journal of Management and Business, 20(1), 42–56. https://doi.org/10.24123/jmb.v20i1.505
Haslindah, A., Hamdat, A., Mora, & Hanafiah, H. (2021). Implementation of marketing strategies to increase sales volume. International Journal of Science, Technology & Management, 2(5), 1449–1459. https://doi.org/10.46729/ijstm.v2i5.299
Hidayat, K., & Idrus, M. I. (2023). The effect of relationship marketing towards switching barriers, customer satisfaction, and customer trust on bank customers. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 12(29), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-023-00270-7
Huntley, J. K. (2006). Conceptualization and measurement of relationship quality: Linking relationship quality to actual sales and recommendation intention. Industrial Marketing Management, 35(6), 703–714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2005.05.011
Jaiswal, A. K., Niraj, R., Park, C. H., & Agarwal, M. K. (2018). Relationship and transactional characteristics affect customer retention in emerging online markets. Journal of Business Research, 92, 25–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.07.007
Kalu, F. A., & Bwalya, J. C. (2017). What makes qualitative research good research? An exploratory analysis of critical elements. International Journal of Social Science Research, 5(2), 43–56. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijssr.v5i2.10711
Mahajan, P. S., Raut, R. D., Kumar, P. R., & Singh, V. (2023). Inventory management and TQM practices for better firm performance: A systematic and bibliometric review. The TQM Journal, 36(2), 405–430. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-04-2022-0113
Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299405800302
Murphy, K. (2023). Brand innovation, brand relationship, brand commitment, quality of customer interaction, and behavioural intention in hotels. Human Resources Management and Services, 5(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.18282/hrms.v5i1.3355
Narayandas, D., & Rangan, V. K. (2004). Building and sustaining buyer–seller relationships in mature industrial markets. Journal of Marketing, 68(3), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.68.3.63.34772
Parsons, A. L. (2002). What determines buyer–seller relationship quality? An investigation from the buyer’s perspective. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 38(2), 4–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-493X.2002.tb00124.x
Rejali, S. M. J., Sanayei, A., & Shafiee, M. M. (2023). Value proposition in the buyer–seller relationship quality: A mixed-method approach. International Journal of Procurement Management, 18(3), 357–386. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPM.2023.134195
Šonková, T., & Grabowska, M. (2015). Customer engagement: Transactional vs. relationship marketing. Journal of International Studies, 8(1), 196–207. https://doi.org/10.14254/2071-8330.2015/8-1/17
Steiner, B., & Brandhoff, M. (2021). An analysis of configurations of relationship quality dimensions to explain sources of behavioural outcomes in globalized manufacturing. European Journal of Marketing, 55(13), 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-10-2018-0703
Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. L. (2016). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394260485
Trihatmoko, R. A. (2019). Intensity of sales turnover and promotional expenditure and the likelihood of new product success: Configurational matrix of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Research in World Economy, 10(3), 320–328. https://doi.org/10.5430/rwe.v10n3p320
Trihatmoko, R. A., & Mulyani, R. (2018). Distribution strategy for new product marketing success: Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) business. Management and Human Resource Research Journal, 7(12), 19–32.
Trihatmoko, R. A., & Qori’ah, A. I. N. (2022). Resource allocation as a promotion strategies for the success of new product marketing of FMCGs. *Quality - Access to Success, 23*(191), 309–321. https://doi.org/10.47750/QAS/23.191.35
Trihatmoko, R. A., Harsono, M., Wahyuni, S., Haryono, T., & Lukviarman, N. (2018). Structure of channel management and agency theory: Relationship marketing approach for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) business. Research in Business and Management, 5(2), 25–37. https://doi.org/10.5296/rbm.v5i2.13413
Trihatmoko, R. A., Mulyani, R., & Lukviarman, N. (2018). Product placement strategy in the business market competition: Studies of fast-moving consumer goods. Business and Management Horizons, 6(1), 150–161. https://doi.org/10.5296/bmh.v6i1.13239
Yousaf, M., & Dehning, B. (2023). The effects of sales surprise on inventory turnover: An empirical study. Cogent Economics & Finance, 11(2), 2258696. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2023.2258696
Zineldin, M., & Philipson, S. (2007). Kotler and Borden are not dead: Myth of relationship marketing and truth of the 4Ps. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 24(4), 229–241. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760710756011
Authors
Copyright (c) 2025 Roderikus Agus Trihatmoko
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright / Open Access Policy
This journal provides immediate and free open access to all its content and is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This means readers are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author, as long as proper attribution is given. This policy is consistent with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) definition of open access.