Designing and Managing Integrated Marketing Channels Essay

Most manufacturers of products use trade intermediaries to sell their products to the consumers. The merchandising intermediaries make up a trade rail track stress (distribution street or a trade deport). The market channel overcomes the time, place, and possession gaps that severalize gods and services from those who get or want them. A normal way of functioning for a company is to procure raw materials, use its expertise in creating the product and whence distribute to the customer. Companies hire to convert this come out chain into a value network as to develop and obligate partnership with different stakeholders.Core competency for a company lies in developing a product which satisfies a particular study of the market. A company if it decides to sell a product on its own than it is deviate from main line business resulting in operational difficulties. Marketing channel is ears and eyes of companies in the market. They provide companies with valuable information of customers, competitors and other players in the market. Dells computer exclusively uses like a shot marketing (the meshing and express mail service) in reaching customers are different of marketing channel depending upon the number intermediaries like retailer, wholesaler and distributor. Channels are in any case used by companies providing services for example, hospital and fire station have to strategically locate for people to reach without considerable efforts.In calculating marketing channel companies analyze customer needs and preference for a given product. Further marketing channel should fall in line with overall objectives of the company in cost and desired output level. Companies then need to explore various marketing channels like direct marketing, tele-marketing, direct mail, etc. to find the right fit to reach the customer. apiece channel short listed has to be evaluated on operational, cost effective and flexibility criteria. Once the channel is designed, com panies look forward to selecting partners with characteristics, which have a verifying impact for the product. Channel outgrowths need to get the right amount of upbringing as to full understand their role with respect to customer and product. Companies need to develop a mechanism as to monitor functioning of marketing channels on criteria based on total customer satisfaction. aft(prenominal) reviewing marketing channel companies should modify them to improve functioning and productivity.Companies are face forward to innovating business functioning as to stand up to the controversy and changing market scenario. This has seen rise different types of marketing channel. In a vertical marketing channel, the traditional producer-wholesaler-retailer becomes one functional unit. This can be achieved through franchise or single ownership. In crosswise marketing channel two or more un-related agencies combine to exploit the market opportunities, for example, banks in super markets. In multi-channel marketing systems, companies use different marketing channels to reach different customer base or segment.In vertical channel conflicts are between members of same channel. In horizontal channel conflicts are between similar service providers in a different channel. In multi-channel conflict arise when a different channel serves the same market. The first step in conflict resolution is to bring up the cause for the conflict. Next step is to manage the conflict. This can be do by setting up clear mandate for each member and their role in the overall objective of the company. Further, joint membership, diplomacy and change over of team members are other ways in resolving conflicts.Companies need to design and manage marketing channels in such a way that they are always able to deliver value to customer.