This preference was based on message content, urgency, and an
acknowledgement of the need for less uncertainty and ambiguity in communications
regarding specific transactions. Duncan and Moriarty (1998) cited the increased need for
marketers to manage relationship building with customers as the driver of a new
generation of customer-centric marketing approaches that emphasized two-way
communication. A customer-focused philosophy has fostered interactivity of
communications at all phases of the purchase process: before, during, and after a
transaction.