Why all the buzz about relationship marketing? Because it has enormous potential: loyal customers who generate greater profits, year after year. But for many companies, relationship marketing isn't working. There are at least two explanations: 1) Consumers don't seem to know what they want--in products, services, or partnerships with your company. But your fawning all over them, trying to cater to their every whim, doesn't help. 2) For consumers who do want meaningful relationships with your company, you're pestering them, repeatedly asking for personal information without providing personalized services in return. It's not clear what they get out of this "relationship." This Harvard Business Review OnPoint collection offers alternatives to both scenarios. The three Harvard Business Review articles in this collection: "Torment Your Customers (They'll Love It!)" by Stephen Brown (HBR reprint R0109E), "The Buzz on Buzz" by Renee Dye (HBR reprint R00606), "Preventing the Premature Death of Relationship Marketing" by Susan Fournier, Susan Dobscha, and David Glen Mick (HBR reprint 98106).