Rethinking the Emergence of Relationship Marketing

In this article, the history of relationship marketing (RM) is challenged. Similar to discussions of the marketing concept, the debates surrounding RM are largely ahistorical. This is despite numerous scholars indicating that RM has a far longer history than is currently appreciated. In contrast to received wisdom that RM emerged in the late 1970s, it is demonstrated that RM themes have been present in the marketing literature for longer than is recognized by the contemporary scholars.