Marketing Channel Strategy
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| Channel Basics
LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this chapter, you will be able to: • Define the generic channel functions that characterize costly and value-added channel activities. • Understand how the efficiency template helps codify channel function performance according to the channel and channel participant. • Describe the role of channel function allocation in designing a zero-based channel. • Recognize how channel function performance leads to appropriate allocations of channel profits among channel members, using the equity principle. • Locate channel function analysis within an overall channel audit process. • Use the efficiency template, even in conditions with little information. • Define service and cost gaps and describe the sources of these gaps. • Perform a gap analysis using both service and cost gap analysis templates. • Appreciate the challenges of conducting a channel audit in an omni-channel environment. I N T R O D U C T I O N The Importance of Marketing Channel Strategies As outlined in Chapter 1, most products and services go through multiple mar- keting channels before consumers can purchase them. Thus, a central task for marketing is to design and manage a channel structure that can ensure the overall channel system operates efficiently and effectively. These challenges are compounded in omni-channel environments, where firms must integrate their operations and synchronize the customer experience across multiple channels. The channel provides a gateway between the manufacturer and the end-user; in few situations do end-users interact directly with the manufacturer. Therefore, their channel experience determines people’s perceptions of the manufacturer’s brand image and end-user satisfaction. CHANNEL BASICS 37 General Motors’ now defunct Saturn brand transformed the car-buying experience for customers, resulting in a cult-like brand that inspired great customer loyalty. At Saturn dealerships, salespeople earned a flat fee, rather than commissions, which meant there was no high-pressure selling or haggling on price. Each car was deliv- ered to customers with a full tank of gas, and celebratory pictures captured the moment they took possession of their new cars. 1 These channel-specific elements helped differentiate the company’s market offering from those of its competitors. Such differentiation is fundamental to building and maintaining a competitive advantage, such that even as a new brand in the competitive automotive market, Saturn was able to position itself as a “different kind of car company.” In short, a strong channel system is a competitive asset, not easily replicated by other firms, which means it is a source of a sustainable competitive advantage. If it adopts a less-than-effective channel strategy, a manufacturer’s products or services will suffer from limited reach and insufficient attractiveness to buyers, who may prefer to buy in a different manner. In this chapter, we take a close look at channel basics, including the functions and activities that occur in marketing channels. In doing so, we explain why marketing channels exist in the first place. We also outline how channel audits can create more efficient, responsive channel structures. Why Do Marketing Channels Exist? We noted in Chapter 1 that channels are essentially sets of interdependent organi- zations that act as teams and operate on trust. But manufacturers seemingly could just sell their products and services directly to all end-users. If they did, they could avoid depending on other parties and retain full control over their distribution. So why do marketing channels even exist? The answer involves balancing the benefits of interacting directly with end-users with its incremental costs (e.g., breaking bulk early in the distribution process, shipping many small packages to many different locations rather than large shipments to few locations). This balance shifts con- stantly, though, so once it is in place, a marketing channel constantly must change and develop new forms. To devise optimal channel structures and strategies, it thus is critical to understand the benefits that intermediaries in the channel provide to both upstream and downstream channel members, which we refer to as the tải về 5.39 Mb. Chia sẻ với bạn bè của bạn:
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