Marketing Channel Strategy Channel Flows Nature of Distribution Channels: Why Use Marketing Intermediaries? Why Use Marketing Intermediaries? Distribution Channel Functions Traditional Marketing Channel Designs The Design of Marketing Channels The Design of Marketing Channels • Buyers are easily identifiable • Personal selling is a major component of the communication mix • Organization has a wide variety of offerings for the target market • Sufficient resources are available The Design of Marketing Channels • Intermediaries are not available for reaching target markets • Intermediaries do not possess the capacity to service the requirements of target markets The Design of Marketing Channels • Intermediaries can perform distribution functions more efficiently and less expensively • Customers are hard to reach directly • Organization does not have resources to perform distribution function Channel Management: Evaluating Channel Members Conventional vs. Vertical Marketing Systems Types of Vertical Marketing Systems Nature and Importance of Marketing Logistics • Involves getting the right product to the right customers in the right place at the right time. • Companies today place greater emphasis on logistics because: – customer service and satisfaction have become the cornerstone of marketing strategy. – logistics is a major cost element for most companies. – the explosion in product variety has created a need for improved logistics management. – Improvements in information technology has created opportunities for major gains in distribution efficiency. Goals of the Logistics System Channel Selection at the Retail Level Target Market Coverage