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Marketing Theory
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Death of a metaphor: reviewing the `marketing as relationships' frame

Lisa O'Malley

University of Limerick, lisa.omalley{at}ul.ie

Maurice Patterson

University of Limerick

Helen Kelly-Holmes

University of Limerick

The frame marketing as relationships is central to contemporary marketing thought and informs both research and practice in marketing. It is underpinned by the `interpersonal relationship' metaphor, which at the superordinate level relies upon social exchange theory (SET) and at the subordinate level reinforces the ideological values of Judeo—Christian marriages. The current pervasiveness of the marketing as relationships frame suggests that this view of marketing has become commonsensical, taken-for-granted and recognized by marketers as simply part of their discourse. In this paper, we trace the evolution of the marketing as relationships frame and analyse its current position. Using insights drawn from conceptual metaphor theory and critical discourse analysis, we argue that it is necessary to reactivate this metaphor in order to investigate whether it is relevant to current theory and practice in marketing.

Key Words: interpersonal relationship metaphor • relationship marketing • Social Exchange Theory

Marketing Theory, Vol. 8, No. 2, 167-187 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1470593108089203
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