Creating Customer Value: Bridging Theory and Practice1

Abstract

Today, both marketing scholars and managers appear clearly to accept that the aim of every company is to create for its customer more value than its competitors. However, what remains largely unclear is how this concept should be approached. In this article, we will present an integrated approach to customer value creation, with a view to clarifying its main elements as well as three “success stories” (Dell, eBay and Hugo Boss) which seek to identify the underlying strategic investments needed to implement it.