Marketing Logistics

Logistics is a military term that refers to the management of various activities  like transportation, inventory, warehousing right from the stage of processing  the raw materials by the manufacturer to convert it into finished goods till they  are made available to the customer for use. While logistics management helps to  optimize the flow of material within the organization, supply chain management  crosses the boundaries of organization extending material flow integration  upwards to suppliers and also descending down to customers.  Logistics basically represents two primary product movements, (i) Physical  supply, concerned with supply of raw materials, component parts, and other  related supplies necessary for the manufacturing process.… Read the rest

Industrial Distribution Channel Management

Channel designing is resorted to by the industrial marketer when he has to  develop either a new channel system or modify an existing one. As channel  design and management is a difficult and an incessant task, an industrial  marketer has to go through certain stages that are involved in designing a  superlative channel system. The various steps that are involved in channel  design process are analyzing needs of the customer, establishing channel  objectives, considering channel constraints, listing channel tasks, identifying  channel alternatives, evaluating alternate channels and selecting the  intermediaries.

The industrial marketer also has to take appropriate decisions on industrial distribution channel  management by selecting the right intermediaries based on the various steps.  … Read the rest

Industrial Distribution Channel Design

It is very important that a distribution channel is properly aligned to satisfy the  needs of channel members and also for the success of any industrial marketing  strategy. A good industrial channel creates the communication and physical  supply linkages with existing and potential customers. Channel designing in industrial markets is a  dynamic process that consists of either developing the new channels or  modifying the existing ones.

Designing an appropriate industrial distribution channel and managing it is a tough and  continuing task. A well designed channel structure helps to achieve the desired  marketing objectives. A channel structure consists of types and number of  middlemen, terms and conditions of channel members, number of channels.… Read the rest

Industrial Distribution Channel

When a company or a manufacturer produces goods or services, it has the  immediate responsibility to distribute and sell them to the industrial and  institutional customers. The industrial customers generally constitute of  wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers, educational institutions, governments,  hospitals, public utilities, and other formal organizations. There are various  intermediaries who are involved in a distribution and selling process helping the  manufacturers to make their goods reach the end users. Thus, a network or  channel that helps to flow the goods from the producer to the consumer through  a set of interdependent organizations (intermediaries) is called distribution  channel or trade channel or marketing channel.… Read the rest

Uses of Industrial Advertising

Rarely is advertising employed by itself in the industrial arena. The  complexity of most industrial products, coupled with buyers’ expectations and  unique information needs, requires personal contact. It is not possible, however, for  sales people to make contact with all the various individuals who may be  involved in a purchasing decision. In fact, studies have indicated that on the  average for every ten buying influencers, salesperson reaches only three to four.  Not only is industrial advertising an effective means of reaching inaccessible or  unknown buying influencers, it creates awareness, enhances the effectiveness of  the sales call, increases the overall efficiency of the selling effort, and is an  important ingredient in creating and maintaining demand at the distributor level.… Read the rest

Medias used in Industrial Advertising

While some industrial advertisers use traditional consumer media when  they serve their advertising objectives, their choices generally center on  whether to use print media (business magazines, trade publications, and  industrial directions), direct marketing (direct mail, telemarketing, catalogs, and  data sheets), or some combination thereof.

General Business and Trade Publications

General business and trade  publications are classified as either horizontal or vertical. Horizontal  publications deal with specific functions, tasks, or technologies and cut across  industry lines. Vertical publications are directed toward a specific industry and  may be read by almost anyone from the person on the assembly line to the  company president.… Read the rest