ing ▁a ▁relationship ▁with ▁old ▁consum ers ▁is ▁more ▁econom ical ▁than ▁developing ▁new ▁customers . ▁Jackson ▁( 1 9 8 5 ) ▁further ▁modified ▁the ▁concept ▁in ▁the ▁aspect ▁of ▁industry ▁market ing . ▁He ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁ess ence ▁of ▁relationship ▁market ing ▁is ▁to ▁attract , ▁establish ▁and ▁maintain ▁a ▁close ▁relationship ▁with ▁enter prise ▁customers . ▁Furthermore , ▁other ▁studies ▁have ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁ess ence ▁of ▁relationship ▁market ing ▁is ▁the ▁actual ▁maintenance ▁of ▁existing ▁customers , ▁which ▁creates ▁long - term ▁interest ▁in ▁a ▁product . ▁This ▁research ▁conclusion ▁has ▁been ▁generally ▁recogn ised ▁after ▁the ▁original ▁proposal ▁of ▁relationship ▁market ing . ▁The ▁research ▁scope , ▁however , ▁is ▁limited ▁to ▁the ▁relationship ▁with ▁old ▁customers , ▁easily ▁ign oring ▁the ▁dynamic ▁development ▁of ▁customers ▁because ▁long - term ▁customers ▁are ▁developed ▁from ▁new ▁customers . ▁If ▁an ▁enter prise ▁is ▁restricted ▁to ▁the ▁maintenance ▁of ▁existing ▁customers , ▁it ▁is ▁impossible ▁for ▁it ▁to ▁achieve ▁any ▁progress ▁or ▁comp ete ▁in ▁the ▁market ▁since ▁it ▁cannot ▁attract ▁long - term ▁customers ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁place . ▁ ▁From ▁a ▁social ▁anth rop ological ▁perspective , ▁relationship ▁market ing ▁theory ▁and ▁practice ▁can ▁be ▁interpreted ▁as ▁comm od ity ▁exchange ▁that ▁instrument al ises ▁features ▁of ▁gift ▁exchange . ▁Mark eters , ▁cons ci ously ▁or ▁intuit ively , ▁are ▁recogn izing ▁reci pro city , ▁a ▁' pre - mod ern ' ▁form ▁of ▁exchange , ▁and ▁have ▁begun ▁to ▁use ▁it . ▁ ▁Thus