Marketing and Reflective Thinking

2) Explain the role of channel intermediaries in the product distribution process. Why is their role important?

​Competition within the internet sales industry is fierce and innovation is the way internet retailers are looking to grab the top spot. Internet retailers such as Walmart are following in the path of competitors and building fulfillment centers left and right to allow for faster delivery to customers. Many internet retailers have explored the possibilities of drone delivery, using customers to deliver products to other customers on their way home, and allowing customers to pick up products out of lockers in stores so they don’t have to wait in line; these competitive strategies internet retailers are seeking to implement illustrate how far firms are willing to go to gain the upper-hand on one another (Forbes, 2012).

This paper is intended to shine a light onto distribution channels, both direct and indirect, as well as, provide a better understanding of channel levels. It will also deal with the different channel organizations, including conventional, horizontal, vertical and multichannel marketing systems.

By not going through the regular intermediaries that the competitors use will cause problems for the distribution factor. By going through their intermediaries it will be provided by a trusted network where the salespeople that Richard hires might cause a channel conflict and it will fail.

In 1995, Li and Fung had discovered the intranet as a way to link its offices to manufacturing sites all over the world. Internal communications were simplified, order progress easily monitored, and online inspections done in real-time. In 1997, customized extranet sites linked key retailers with manufacturers. Three years later, ten extranet sites existed; each of which facilitated online product development processes. The use of the internet prompted quick response manufacturing

This research was conducted to shed light on the market entry aspects of Canada Goose Inc., and consequently propose a distribution channel commentating on the aptness of E-commerce. It is an exploratory based study and the research methodology requires gathering relevant data from specified documents and databases in order to analyze the various barriers to entry and arrive at a more complete understanding of possible distribution channels and E-commerce suitability.

By grafting its system of custom direct sales onto the Internet infrastructure, Dell has transformed these activities, creating an innovative and efficient procurement, production, and distribution network. The innovative advance made by Dell in deploying Internet communication as the foundation of its production network, is a process innovation. Although to some extent, the Internet has enabled Dell to create a new product -- a PC custom-configured through Internet communication -- it is the process of organizing flows of materials and information within its network, from customer order to procurement, production and delivery, by means of Internet communication, that defines the innovation at the Firm. The case supports this notion by stating “While most other PCs were sold preconfigured and pre-assembled in retail stores, Dell offered superior customer choice in system configuration at a deeply discounted price, due to the cost-savings associated with cutting out the retail middleman. Additionally, an important side-benefit of the Internet-based direct sales model was that it generated a wealth of market data the company used to efficiently forecast demand trends and carry out effective segmentation strategies. This data drove the company’s product development efforts and allowed Dell to profit from information on the value drivers in each of its key customer

Analyze the challenges that organizations face in the effective transition between selling products using the traditional brick and mortar marketing channel and selling products online. Synthesize the strategies that organizations like Zara and Wal-Mart- two companies that are having difficulty developing eCommerce capability can implement to increase the effortless movement of customers between the traditional and online channels.

This has proved to be a very successful tactic for companies in marketing. Marketing channels are also used by companies to reach their consumers. They use three types of marketing channels which are communications, distribution and service channels. Communications is important to get the company's message out to the public and this could be in many forms such as the radio, television, the internet, posters and the like. They also need to distribute their products to the consumer and this means they will need a physical location like a store, or be a wholesaler and have others retail your products for you and also sell your products on the internet. Service channels are needed to effect transactions with the consumers and these could be banks for credit card purchases and transportation companies such as UPS to deliver the products to homes and businesses.

Marketing channels are very important to both the manufacturer and the consumer. These channels are the way the manufacture releases their product to the consumer for purchasing. Manufactures can choose either a direct channel which is the means of selling customers or accepting orders from them. A sales force calls on customers and prospects to present information on products and persuade them to place orders. Retailer channel is the channel that manufacturers sell their goods directly to large retailers such as Amazon which then sell onto the final consumers. wholesaler channel typically buys and stores large quantities of several producers’ goods and then

In terms of Place, C&C’s mail order distribution channel satisfies the customer needs better than the existing retail model. C&C should focus on further strengthening the existing distribution channel and mitigating the customer’s reluctance to embracing the mail order mode compared to bricks and mortar retail. An analysis of the distribution channel through the P.O.I.M. framework will demonstrate the strengths and potential weaknesses of the C&C distribution model and the best course of action for addressing these attributes.

According to Turban and King (2003), internet technology renders retailers an additional channel for branding, transactions and customer relationship management, the adaptation of which may drive down retailers’ transaction costs, and ensuring faster and higher quality of customer interactions, resulting in enlarging the existing markets and consumer base. M&S realizes this and have tried to sell clothing via high street stores as well as via internet though they have experienced cost cutting, rationalisation and management changes in order to revive their business in recent years. Internet technology might enable sustainable competitive advantage, but problems remain on how to physically organize their online retail operations.

As Jobber(2012) was claiming, the marketing concept is "Achieving corporate goals by meeting and exceeding customer needs, better than the competition". Marketing is the process of telling a true story in an unforgettable manner. As a consequence, it became an essential tool in the competitive business environment. The main objective is to maximize the company 's profit by showing up with stunning adverts. Bearing in mind the development of technology, "It is well known that markets grow by the reduction of unit prices: this is how the computer became a household necessity", this could not be possible without a good marketing strategy (Kapferer 2012, p.205).

Marketing channels are the arrangement of intermediaries (wholesales, retailers, and the like) that the firm uses to achieve its marketing objectives. Is the problem discussed in Handy Andy’s marketing channels? Why or why not? Utilizing the factory distributor

This is a research project aimed at four different topics within e-commerce and the dynamic landscape of logistics within this emerging field. I will first be focusing on current landscape of e-commerce. Secondly the focus will be shifted to a global perspective and the difference of markets based on region. Thirdly I will cover the future trends of e-commerce, and the differences that we may see. Finally, I will present data on select countries and how they are affected by e-commerce currently and the changes that we can expect to see in the future. While researching this broad and developing topic, I have found that there are a handful of takeaways that can be seen in the entirety of this paper: