In the past customer relationship management was often an after thought. Products were mass produced and then mass marketed via TV and press advertising. Only once the consumer had purchased the product was any thought given to managing the relationship with them. Indeed at worst customer relationship management was a euphemism for blatant cross selling and at best an attempt to convince the consumer that they had purchased something they actually wanted rather than an attempt to create a meaningful bilateral relationship between the company and the consumer.
However, in an age where the consumer has such a wide variety of choice of providers for just about any product or service imaginable, building relationships with consumers has become critical for sustained commercial success. In this environment customer relationship management cannot be treated as a standalone discipline but needs to be integrated into the product or service itself. In the best examples of this customer relationship management becomes customer experience management; each touch point between the company and the consumer is optimised around the consumer experience. Apple is a shining example of this. It's Apple stores provide the ultimate shopping experience, the packaging of it's products is as beautifully crafted as the products themselves and the experience of connecting an iPod or iMac to pretty much any other device is a joy. The product, the brand and the relationship combine to provide a compelling consumer experience.
