1. Introduction. 2. Methodology

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1 COMMUNICATION PARTICULARITIES SPECIFIC TO RELATIONSHIP MARKETING CASE STUDY: INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION AND EMOTIONAL COMMITMENT BASED ON AGE GROUP OF CLIENTS NEAGOE Cristina Teaching assistant PhD, Faculty of Management Marketing, Romanian American University, Bucharest, Romania, AVRAM Emanuela Maria Teaching assistant PhD. Student, Faculty of Management Marketing, Romanian American University, Bucharest, Romania, Abstract: This scientific research bases on easily identifiable grounds both in the communication theory specific to relationship marketing and in the organizational practice. In order to help the managers of the modern organizations, the present study aims at obtaining relevant results regarding the way of designing the strategic plan of communication as well as finding which are the fundamental elements of the emotional commitment in a close relation with the segments designated by the clients from the organization s portfolio determined by the following criterion the age of the clients. Keywords: interactive communication, emotional commitment, relationship marketing, client segments JEL classification: M1 1. Introduction The competitive environment leads to perspectives sensitively distinct as regards client approach, elaborating thus a series of activities aimed at creating, developing and maintaining client relations. The behaviour of the company oriented towards achieving profitability and value on the long term, from the mutual interactions and exchanges between the participants, appears nowadays extremely fascinating, stimulating and exciting. On the competitive markets, where marketing exists nowadays, all the organizations (small and medium-sized enterprises, governmental, commercial, educational or other types) can and must communicate in a personal manner with the clients. For establishing the partnership relations it is necessary the adaptation of communication according to the target specificity towards which communicational messages are sent (Popescu I. C. 200, p. 61). In this context, this research bases on easily identifiable grounds both in the communication theory specific to relationship marketing and in the organizational practice. Various authors have clearly delimitated the subjects discussed based on the specificity of the target public. There is a dominant aspect that stands out, i.e. the particularization of the young generation which is largely made of persons that belong to the internet era. All these considerations lead to the conclusion that currently there is a need for investigating the way in which the organizations strategic plan of communication displays different forms according to a series of characteristics of the client segments. In order to help the managers during this stage we aim at obtaining relevant results regarding the way of designing the strategic plan of communication in a close relation with the segments designated by the clients from the organization s portfolio determined by the following criterion the age of the clients. 2. Methodology The methodological corpus sustaining the correct and coherent progress of this scientific research is presented in stages. Moreover, the presentation and interpretation of the obtained results are dedicated a distinct chapter. We mention that the study has developed on the Romanian insurance market, and the general objective of the quantitative research is to determine the way in which the preferences of the policyholders regarding communication and emotional commitment gain different nuances in relation to the age group they belong to.

2 2.1. Research objectives & hypotheses The objectives of the quantitative research are formulated so as to provide clear courses of action that will permit the attainment of the general purpose. The following aspects are considered to have a great importance: - Determining the way in which the organizations communication plan has to differ in relation to the age of the target clients; - Determining the factors that lead to the clients emotional commitment in relation to the age group they belong to; Closely related to the purpose and objectives of the study, a series of hypotheses have been stated for testing. For ensuring the correctness of the formulation of hypotheses, the corpus of secondary data which provided the researcher with information of interest has been also taken into account. The hypotheses regarding the variation of the variables communication and commitment in relation to the age of the clients are the following: Policyholders preferences regarding the communication mechanism depend on the age of the respondents; Clients belonging to the age group prefer interactive communication (especially online); Clients belonging to the age group prefer traditional communication; Clients emotional commitment differs in relation to the age group they belong to; 2.2. Data collection The research tested clients of the Romanian insurance market. By establishing the sample size and the sampling method I have sought to cover the analysed issue by means of ensuring the representation of each possible case. In accordance with the results of the first stage of information analysis (respondents classification), there is an equally distributed frequency based on age groups. Therefore, representation is guaranteed, and every model resulted can be considered valid in the light of this criterion. The period of collecting data from the respondents who formed the researched collectivity was of approximately 5 months.. Findings and interpretation of results The results of the descriptive econometric analyses show significant fluctuation of the variables describing communication in relation to the age group of the clients tested. Under these circumstances we can affirm that the purpose of the research is justified and the managerial implications of these results reveal the following certitude: the strategic plan of communication must be designed closely connected to the age segment. Therefore, during each stage of designing the communication mechanism, the marketer has to manage carefully: the flow, frequency, direction and its development modality as well as the task of correctly identifying the mix of communication tools which can affect clients satisfaction of the segment in question. In order to provide concreteness and an overview of the elaborated study, I have decided that the presentation of the results should be accompanied by the questions formulated in the investigation instrument used for collecting data. Regarding the respondents attitude towards communication in relation to the age group they belong to, the following results have been obtained:

3 Table 1: The attitude of the respondents regarding communication based on age Please specify the age group you belong to Interactive communication under over 55 Media Media Media Media Media (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 1. There is a mutual exchange of information between the clients and the insurance company A.9 A.1 2. Information exchange is frequent A. 8 A 6.. There is direct and interactive (phone, faceto-face, etc.) communication between the insurance company and the clients The information exchange between the company and the clients is transparent (no hidden intentions) The more the insurance company solicits client feedback, the better the client satisfaction Most often insurance company inform about the new and more profitable offers A 8.8 Source: Personal investigation supported by the statistical software SPSS 19 It must be underlined that there are significant differences among groups and 4 (C and D) and the first two (A and B). The statistical analysis reveals a significantly higher mean recorded for age groups 4-45 and compared with that of the 26-5 and groups. At the same time only three of the criteria defining interactive communication can be considered relevant for this study. Thus, the investigated subjects, with ages between 6-55 (C and D) are more aware than those with ages between 18-5 (A and B) of the mutual information exchange between the policyholders and the insurance, affirming also that this is more frequent. The interpretation of information offers us the framework for the argumentation of the following convictions: Policyholders aged under 6 need greater mutuality when collaborating with the insurance agent; Policyholders aged under 6 need a significant increase in the communication frequency (information exchange is not frequent enough); Policyholders aged under 6 have to be informed more often about the new offers that might suit them. All these may be due to the lack of experience of the young insurance agents in the extremely complex field of insurance. The increasingly prominent necessity for information intervenes almost naturally as compared to other age groups. Consequently, organizations have to devote more attention to planning the marketing communication in relation to this characteristic of the target. At the same time, it must be specified that the strategic dimensions base on mutuality, frequency and communicational message. Regarding the respondents attitude towards commitment in relation to the age group they belong to, the following results have been obtained: Table 2: Emotional commitment of respondents based on age

4 Emotional commitment 1. When choosing the insurance company quality is the most important factor 2. I trust the products and/or services offered by the insurance company. Purchasing insurance policies has always been a transparent process 4. The insurance company has a favourable reputation on the market 5. The insurance company is willing to solve my problems 6. Solving damages optimally is essential for renewing the insurance policy with the same insurance company. Competing insurance companies are not considered more efficient under 26 Please specify the age group you belong to over 55 Media Media Media Media Media (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) B A 8.84 A B 8.4 AB.50 Source: Personal investigation supported by the statistical software SPSS 19 Similar to the communication case, differences at the level of the four age groups that make up the global sample are observed. The means of the age groups C and D (4-45 and ) are significantly higher than those recorded for age groups A and B (under 26 and 26-5 ). Moreover, not all the items considered in the elaboration of the independent variable are representative for the analysis results. Therefore, only criteria, 4 and are representative. Information reveals the following: Policyholders from age groups 6-45 (C) and (D) are more convinced that the insurance company has a favourable reputation on the market than those with ages between 18-5 (A and B); Policyholders aged between 6-45 (C) do no perceive the competing insurance companies as being more efficient and they also consider the activity transparent as compared with the age group 26-5 (B) which has obtained uncommonly low means for this criterion; Policy holders aged between (D) do not perceive other competing companies as being more efficient than the one contracted by them as compared to those from the first two age groups (A and B) who have scored lower means for this criterion. Considering that a high weighting of those aged over 5 represents policyholders who have collaborated for a long time with an insurance company, their answers are justified. The persistence of the relationship leads to emotional commitment among clients. Repeated satisfaction offers more security to policyholders while transparency, reputation and performance become differentiation criteria between the insurance companies contracted by the subjects and the other existing on the market. 4. Conclusions and managerial implications For an increased efficiency in underlining the main conclusion I have opted for a three-level presentation: 1) One of the most important results of these analyses is the significantly different perception of the respondents regarding the interactive communication in relation to the age groups they belong to;

5 Thus, those aged under 5 indicate an insufficiency of the mutual information exchange, of the messages regarding the offer and they do not consider the current interaction frequent enough. These considerations oppose those specific to the respondents aged over 6. As regards the communication strategy planning in relation to the target segment considered (mainly defined by the age of the clients) has to differ in terms of the three criteria (mutuality, message, frequency). Therefore, promotion campaigns aimed at the youth under 5 must be designed so as to ensure: Increased perception upon the mutuality in the collaboration with the insurance agent; Increased frequency of the information exchange; The communicational message is to contain more information about the new offers (less about the price); 2) Another valuable result refers to emotional commitment. Thus, at least at the level of the three considered criteria (transparency, reputation, performance), the respondents aged over 6 manifest a more prominent emotional commitment than those belonging to inferior age groups (up to 5 ). Emotional commitment is a relatively new concept. At the moment, organisations do not have answers regarding the way in which this mechanism functions. Consequently, these results may have important managerial implications given the following assertion: emotional commitment is more pronounced among clients aged over 6. In consequence, the organizational efforts can be oriented towards promoting the emotional commitment among the youth aged under References: Finne A., Grönroos Ch., (2009), Rethinking marketing communication: From integrated marketing communication to relationship communication, Journal of marketing communications, Vol. 15, Nos 2-, pp Grönroos Ch., (2004), The relationship marketing process: communication, interaction, dialogue, value, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, Vol. 19, pp Gummesson E., (198), The new marketing Developing long-term interactive relationships, Long Range Planning, Volume 20, Issue 4, pp Gustafsson A., Johnson D., Roos I., (2005), The effects of customer satisfaction, relationship commitment dimensions, and triggers on customer retention, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 69, pp Kimmel A., (2005), Marketing communication: New approaches, tehnologies and styles, Ed. Oxford University Press Kitchen Ph., Don Shultz, (2009), IMC: New horizon/false dawn for a marketplace in turmoil, Journal of marketing communications, Vol. 15, Nos. 2-, pp Menon K., O Connor A., Building customers affective commitment towards retail banks: The role of CRM in each moment of truth, Journal of Financial Services Marketing Vol. 12, pp Popescu I.C., (200), Comunicarea în marketing, Ediţia a II-a revizuită şi adaugită, Ed. Uranus