The Role of Consumer Happiness in Relationship Marketing

The success of relationship marketing strategies depends, among other things, on the emotional personal situation of consumers. This article analyzes the influence that consumer happiness, a general affective state or mood, might have on relations between the main variables associated with relationship marketing—that is, commitment, satisfaction, and trust. The traditional causal effects between satisfaction–trust, satisfaction–affective commitment, and trust–affective commitment are confirmed. The results also suggest that happiness moderates the satisfaction–affective commitment relationship, as this effect is reinforced when consumers present higher levels of happiness. Finally, main conclusions, managerial suggestions, and limitations of this work are discussed.