RELATIONSHIP MARKETING AS A STRATEGY FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE .

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Given the trend of every aspects of economic activities globally and particularly Nigeria, it is imperative for business entities to adopt measures that should strategically reposition them so as to remain afloat. With much increase in the level of customer awareness in response to their needs and wants or satisfaction, firms should also discuss their old marketing strategies that are not result-oriented. They should acknowledge the paradigm shift from old marketing concept to the new marketing concept, which is a customer driven, technology-driven era in modern marketing management (Johnson, 1990:48).
       One of the industries which have gradually started repositioning its operation to suit customer’s needs and wants is the banking industry Nigerian banking system is characterized by internal and external competition. The upsurge of new banks created room for innovation and further market sharing. A proxy to determine the extent of competition is the intensity of advertising by banks in recent times. The system has witness sophistication in the style and designing of new financial products (Anyafo, 1999:137) concluding the charting of the prospects of the banking industry in Nigeria for the 1980s and beyond (Vincent, 1980:19) envisaged that the service demanded of the banking industry will ground more sophisticated in response to change in the nature of the business they are called upon to finance and as their customers become more knowledgeable and discriminating.