Amazon, which was founded in 1995 as a book store, has experienced explosive growth by moving beyond online selling to physical stores, video and music streaming, cloud services, and the Internet of Things, which allowed it to grow revenue to $233 billion. Its CEO, Jeff Bezos, said that Amazons success is due to its obsession with customers. It is driven to create genuine value and special experiences for customers. Selection, convenience, and value are the foundation stones of the Amazon experience, and Amazon has introduced innovations that make shopping easier (e.g. 1-Click ordering; Alexa; fast delivery; Amazon Key).

Discussion Questions A)

The first marketing story in the text is about Amazon. Lets go to Amazons Facebook page. What stands out about Amazon? Go to Amazons other media channels to find examples of how Amazon connects the company and the customers.

B)

How does the Amazon shopping experience affect performance? The company has grown astronomically in market share and strength of customer relationships, due largely to its customer satisfaction and customer experience.

C)

Why did the authors choose Amazonas the very first company to highlight in the first chapter of the text? How does this opening story relate to the major points made in the rest of the chapter? (This question should lead naturally into major Chapter 1 concepts: What is marketing and what is the marketing process? What is customer-driven marketing? Why are customer value, customer satisfaction, and customer relationships so important?)