What does channel marketing mean in marketing?

Marketing channel is a traditional circulation planning task, that is, putting the right amount of products into the right point of sale at the right time and presenting the products to consumers in the target market in an appropriate display way to facilitate consumers' purchase.

Includes four parts:

(1) Business flow: generally speaking, it refers to the buying and selling of commodities.

(2) Logistics: refers to the flow of commodities brought about by commodity trading activities.

(3) Information flow: information accompanying the flow of goods, such as what is the fastest-turning commodity? What products are customers most interested in? Daily and monthly sales of goods ... and so on.

(4) Capital circulation: refers to the coordinated application of the financial system in the circulation process, such as credit card and bank transfer.

Most manufacturers do not sell their products directly to the final consumers. Between producers and final consumers, there are wholesalers and retailers who buy goods and resell them after obtaining ownership. Brokers, manufacturing representatives and sales agents are responsible for finding customers.

Marketing channel decision is one of the important decisions of enterprises, which will affect other marketing decisions. For example, pricing will change with the adoption of large distributors or high-level entrustment. The company's direct sales personnel are also equipped with different numbers according to the strength of channels. In addition, the company's marketing channel decision is a long-term commitment to other companies and must be observed. For example, after the authorization of marketing regional distribution, the original agreement must be observed.

Marketing channels depend on the combination of external forces, and it takes a lot of time to establish them. It represents the long-term commitment between the company and the middlemen, and also represents the company's choice of a marketing mix strategy. Therefore, when choosing marketing channels, we must pay attention to the trend change of marketing environment and plan the marketing channels of enterprises with a long-term vision.

Marketing channel strategy

Circulation activities involve many complicated and precise operations, such as the selection of marketing channels, the development and management of new marketing channels, the business lineup of marketing channels, the relationship between marketing channels, logistics, marketing channel promotion, inventory policy, payment methods, warehousing management, loading and unloading functions, industrial packaging functions (such as taking measures to protect goods in transit) and distribution and processing functions (such as marking prices and labels). We use four steps step by step when planning the marketing channel strategy.

Step ① Define the objectives of marketing channels?

Step ② Find out the problems existing in the current marketing channels?

Step ③ Propose countermeasures to solve the problem?

Step 4 Cost estimation and evaluation?

(1) Clear marketing channel objectives?

There is no doubt that the goals of marketing channels must be consistent with the goals of organizations and markets. The objectives of marketing channels usually include:

(1) Improve the permeability-for example, expand the existing distributor from 100 to 150. ?

(2) Open up new marketing channels-enterprises need to develop new products through new marketing channels, such as selling medicated soap or toothpaste through pharmacies, which is a new marketing channel choice. When the DIY-Your-self tool market in the United States is growing rapidly, some tool manufacturers who used to take professional technicians as their customers have to open up new marketing channels and take the vast number of end consumers as their customers.

(3) Set the sales proportion combination of various marketing channels-enterprises can set the sales proportion combination target according to the acquisition status, policy demand and competition policy of various marketing channels, such as 25% for department stores, 40% for supermarkets, 65,438+05% for discount stores and 20% for special marketing channels.

(4) Improving the sales turnover rate of the point of sale-improving the turnover rate of the point of sale is a comprehensive and challenging work, and it is also an important goal for enterprises to improve their operating efficiency. By improving the speed and correctness of product information feedback, we can deliver the products that customers need in time, avoid the damage of the products in the delivery process, and obtain a more favorable display position.

(5) Setting logistics cost and service quality objectives-financial personnel often emphasize reducing logistics cost, but blindly reducing logistics cost while ignoring customer satisfaction is unacceptable in marketing. Therefore, setting logistics cost and service quality goals is also an important goal of marketing channels. For example, delivery speed is an important factor for market success, so in order to meet the requirements of rapid delivery, transportation costs need to be increased.

(6) Set the goal of keeping inventory for enterprises and distributors.

(7) Set investment return targets for different marketing channels. ?

(8) Set the goal of establishing circulation information.

(2) Find out the problems existing in the current marketing channels?

(1) General marketing channels adopted by the industry

Mastering the marketing channels adopted by the industry can be carried out from three aspects.

(1) marketing channel?

Whether the industry adopts direct selling, direct selling in key regions, distribution in other regions, exclusive agency, selective distribution or through special marketing channels.

② Coverage of the assessment area.

Evaluate the coverage of the industry in various regions?

③ Evaluate the strength of each marketing channel?

Including the number and quality of marketing personnel in each marketing channel, their position, whether they are monopolized or sold together, the loyalty of marketing channels, etc.

(2) Comparison with the marketing channels adopted by competitors?

Make the following difference analysis to the main competitors to understand the company's position in the industry.

(3) Problems existing in existing marketing channels

The formation of marketing channels is based on a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship. For some intermediate manufacturers, such as multiple and numerous distributors and regional agents, enterprises are often difficult to control, leading to conflicts and problems between them. Therefore, it is an important factor to make clear the existing problems of marketing channels and realize the marketing channel objectives. The problems existing in marketing channels are roughly as follows:

(1) Conflicts between enterprises and distributors.

Contradictions between enterprises and distributors, such as manufacturers complaining that wholesalers sell too many brands and cannot feed back market information; Dealers complain about low profits and chaotic prices, and manufacturers directly open retail stores.

② Conflicts between dealers.

There are frequent conflicts between dealers, such as competing for customers, destroying prices and cross-regional sales. For example, the low-cost sales of home appliance stores make it impossible for traditional home appliance dealers to survive, and the discount sales of well-known brand goods of Wankelong affect the sales of specialty stores.

③ How many dealers should I choose?

There are four strategies for enterprises to choose marketing channels, namely, intensive distribution, selective distribution, exclusive agency and multi-channel marketing. Each marketing channel has its own characteristics, but it may also cause problems, and we must be clear about these problems.

(3) Propose countermeasures to solve the problem?

The first step to solve the marketing channel problem, just like other marketing strategies, we still need to know clearly who our customers (users and buyers) are. Where are they? When do they buy? Why did you buy it? Only with a clear understanding of customers can we put forward effective strategies to solve current problems, open up new opportunities and achieve the purpose of marketing channels.

Existing distribution problems and their solutions are:

(1) Dealers do not attach importance to the sales of enterprise products.

① Provide sales incentives?

(2) Assist dealers in promotional activities?

(3) Providing proprietary knowledge of sales management, such as commodity display, personnel training, store management, inventory management, ordering system, etc. ?

(2) Solve the conflict of interest between marketing channels?

Conflicts of interest between marketing channels are inevitable, and enterprises can't turn a blind eye. They must provide arbitration marketing channels through effective management and control, such as dealer coordination meetings, and solve the conflicts between marketing channels by revising and implementing marketing channel management measures. When HP introduced microcomputers, it aimed at small businesses. It realizes that this is the most important marketing channel to reach small business dealers all over the country. Therefore, HP's distribution representatives play the most important liaison and coordination role between the company and the distributors. HP provides dealers with professional technical know-how, information, sales guidance, advertising and exhibition assistance, and helps them maintain a certain profit level. Hewlett-Packard also encourages direct sales representatives to help dealers get orders and provides bonuses to direct sales personnel to reduce conflicts between direct sales and distribution.

(3) Forward integration/backward integration strategy

Forward integration strategy means that manufacturers establish strongholds related to their own enterprises and have complete control over downstream marketing channels, such as Yamaha Piano Direct Store, Xerox Word Processing, and direct stores of major automobile manufacturers.

Backward integration strategy means that manufacturers or middlemen establish their own logistics centers and distribution centers to improve overall operational efficiency and competitiveness.

(4) the corresponding strategies of competition diversification

If competitors adopt some new marketing strategies and establish some new channels, you must put forward the countermeasures of competitors' marketing channel diversification strategy. ?

(5) Intelligent strategy of marketing channels

The effective implementation of marketing channel strategy depends on the cooperation of information system. For example, 7-Eleven in Japan established a set of "comprehensive store information system" to cooperate with the rapid expansion of chain stores, and successfully won the competitive initiative in marketing channel operation. Therefore, intellectualization is a subject that cannot be ignored in marketing channel strategy. ?

(6) Open up new marketing channels.

Opening up new marketing channels is also a marketing channel strategy for enterprises. By developing new marketing channels, enterprises can get closer to customers in special market segments, thus increasing market share.

Marketing channel design planning

The design of marketing channels is influenced by enterprises, products, customers, environment, competitors and middlemen. By considering the above factors, enterprises can plan some possible marketing channels. When choosing the best marketing channel, enterprises must compare and evaluate the existing marketing channels with those currently used by competitors, and it is best to set evaluation objectives when evaluating, such as the operating cost of marketing channels, the control power of enterprises over marketing channels, the competitive advantage they can obtain, and the integration degree of existing marketing channels. Developing a successful marketing channel can never be established in a short time. Enterprises must constantly monitor and adjust because there are too many uncontrollable factors in the marketing channel.

(4) Cost estimation and evaluation?

Different marketing channel strategies will lead to different costs. The circulation cost of unit products in many retail enterprises often affects the profitability and price competitiveness of enterprises. Marketing channel strategy has a long-term impact on the development of enterprises, so you must evaluate marketing channel strategy from a long-term perspective.