African Journal of
Business Management

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Bus. Manage.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1993-8233
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJBM
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 4198

Full Length Research Paper

CRM practice in an emerging market: The case of China Mobile

Lin Shengdong1 and Ke Xue2*
1Department of Advertising, Journalism and Communication School, Xiamen University, People’s Republic of China. 2Business School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China.  
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 16 May 2011
  •  Published: 18 August 2011

Abstract

This study uses the case of China Mobile Communications Corporation to explore CRM practice in an emerging economy. While still in its infancy and with many deficiencies, China Mobile adapted its CRM practice to China market successfully. It does focus on key customers, but never gives up unprofitable customers. In fact, China Mobile has done a lot to cultivate the low-end market and is being rewarded now. China Mobile also has targeted influential work units to develop a big group clients market and run its CRM marketing like B2B industries successfully. Due to poor data quality and fast market change, it relies on both technology and intuition to organize around CRM and manage knowledge. It is suggested that organizations in emerging economies should adopt a middle way and a developmental vision in CRM practice to keep a balance between the global and local, the present and future.

 

Key words: CRM, emerging economy, group client, individual user, technology, intuition.