What is the role of marketing channels?

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Ensuring the availability of the final product to the consumer is often the most crucial issue for the success of a marketing strategy .

Indeed, both the management and the selection of a company's marketing channels are typical and fundamental activities of the company's marketing director.

It is even included in one of the famous four "Ps" , Point of Sale, Price, Product and Promotion.

Choosing the best channel involves building a series of mechanisms and a network through which the company goes to market, stays in contact with its customers and performs a set of tasks, from generating demand to the physical delivery of the product.

The tasks carried out by the marketing channel also include:

provision of product information;
service customization;
quality assurance;
partitioning of lots;
offering complementary products such as after-sales and logistics.
How to choose the best channel?
To determine which marketing channel to use for your business, the best way to start is by understanding which strategy is most aligned with your product.

Intensive distribution , when the manufacturer sells through as many intermediaries as possible, should be used if the product has a low unit value and a high purchase frequency, since it will always be found on most shelves.

In the case where a product can be compared with another similar one, selective distribution is recommended – when the manufacturer sells through a selected group of intermediaries – since this way it will be possible to count on intermediaries that are better prepared to defend the brand.

But for a product that requires a specialized sales effort or an investment in specific inventory and physical facilities, the best solution is exclusive distribution – when you choose your own resellers, give them permission to do exclusive distribution of the product and control their activities.

Exclusivity will ensure adequate support for the product, even providing it with an image of value and luxury in the market.

However, to help you make a more informed decision, we have put together some tips that can help you decide which marketing channel and type of distribution will be most suitable for your company.

Note:

evaluates the markets (both actual and potential) in which you can work;
determine the characteristics, behaviors and needs of your customers, as well as the quantity, geographic dispersion and frequency of purchase of your product;
choose the essential characteristics of the product in terms of dimensions, perishability and degrees of standardization to optimize transport;
defines the characteristics that intermediaries must have in terms of the type of transport, equipment and storage system used, information technology, among other aspects;
Evaluate the environmental and local characteristics necessary for the conservation of your product, such as humidity and temperature;
Study the intermediary companies involved in your channel considering their financial strength, the other products they offer, service quality levels, marketing and brand strength.
One of the most important points on this list is to know and select the channel members, since they will be responsible not only for bringing your product to the end customer, but also your brand , always seeking to achieve the highest degree of consumer satisfaction.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the integration between the members of each channel so that the product reaches the consumer's hands at the right time.

In the end, when you are hungry, you expect the cheese to be on the shelf, no matter how it got there and what structure was used to fulfill it.

Depending on the company's willingness cambodia phone number list to control more or less the distribution of products, the number of members in a marketing channel can vary.

By implementing shorter channels, you will have much more control , allowing you to change your actions and strategies more quickly to improve the entire flow of products in the market, and achieve faster and purer consumer feedback.

There is a wide variety of channels available on the market today and choosing the best way to promote and distribute your product can be a big problem, since a wrong choice at that moment can compromise your entire marketing plan.

However, the use of channels is essential to reach the consumer in the best way and establish alliances with companies that can profitably benefit your business.

Are you ready to review your product distribution strategy? Remember that by optimizing it according to the new consumer profile, you have a greater chance of standing out in the market.

Still unsure whether or not you should step out of your comfort zone? Take advantage of your visit to the blog and read our post What is Uncle Bernie and how is it hindering your sales? It will surely help you look at this issue from a new perspective.