Reverse Marketing: A Synergy of Purchasing and Relationship Marketing

Firms increasingly realize that dramatically changing market conditions require significant changes in their purchasing function. In more and more firms, purchasing is becoming proactive and strategically important. This phenomenon has been called “reverse marketing.” As the term implies, there are clear similarities with the marketing concept. This article explores the concept by describing how companies can implement reverse marketing by making use of wellknown marketing concepts and tools. A detailed description of a fictitious case illustrates how basic marketing principles can be used to achieve proactive purchasing.