VII _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________ Preface The book series, Applied Marketing Science - Angewandte Marketingforschung aims to bridge the gap between scientific rigor and practical relevance in the transfer of c- ting-edge theoretical and applied knowledge between scholars and practitioners. The series explores classic and contemporary theories and themes in global competitive networks, inter-organizational relationships, customer relationship management, and competitive advantages as conceived, developed, and applied in the field of marketing. Some major themes pursued by books in this series include: The management of networks and value chains Networks between firms and customers Inter-organizational networks Consumer behavior Brand management Marketing channels Other themes will also be explored at the discretion of the series editors. Given its international focus, the series Applied Marketing Science – Angewandte Marketingforschung will include contributions in both German and English. For authors, Applied Marketing Science – Angewandte Marketingforschung offers the opportunity to publish original work, edited volumes or monographs. In order to - sure the highest possible standards of academic quality and readability, authors must first submit a brief proposal that includes the major themes explored in the book, e- dence or rationale of why the themes, methods and conclusions are original and c- ting-edge in the discipline, and the intended contribution to the practice of marketing science. The proposal would then be reviewed by the series editors and, if necessary, external reviewers. Based on their evaluations, a proposal is either accepted,con- tionally accepted or rejected by the editorial board.