Relationship Marketing and Intangible Resources: The Mediating Effect of Loyalty

Abstract

Abstract This paper aims to introduce loyalty as a relevant mediator construct on the relation between relationship marketing and intangible resources. This study tests a hypothesized model using partial least squares structural equation modeling on data from a survey conducted with Portuguese footwear industry companies based in Portugal. Findings provides evidence that in the perception of top managers, (1) relationship marketing positively influences customer loyalty, (2) customer loyalty positively influences the company’s intangible resources and (3) customer loyalty has a mediating effect between relationship marketing and intangible resources. Generally, managers can use this research to rethink their corporate relationship marketing strategies: companies may acquire meaningful market benefits through a systematic reconfiguration of their intangible resources, combined with measures that empower loyalty. This study contributes to marketing theory by conceptualizing loyalty as a mediator variable on the relations between relationship marketing and intangible resources, comprising a pioneering application to the footwear industry.