plan: watches

1. Are you marketing to consumers? If so, you may choose between a direct channel or a channel using marketing intermediaries. A direct channel contains no intermediaries. A producer marketing directly to consumers is often the best choice for personal services, for example, because no intermediary separates the service provider and the customer. Some product marketers market directly to consumers online. Alternative marketing channels include various numbers and types of intermediaries, such as wholesalers and retailers, that can help get products from the place of production to a convenient location where buyers can buy or pick up products. The key is whether intermediaries can help you reach more customers or keep costs lower than if you used a direct channel. Based on your marketing situation, which of these marketing channels will you choose? Write a paragraph explaining your ideas.

2. Are you marketing to business customers? You also have a choice of marketing channels. A direct channel is often used when marketing heavy equipment or installations that require a lot of technical support. Business marketers may also use channels with various intermediaries that have contact with business customers on the producers behalf. Think about your product and your marketing situation as you determine which of these channels makes the most sense for reaching business customers. Write a paragraph explaining your choice.

3. Look back at how you classified your product in the previous assignment, which has a bearing on the intensity of market coverage you will choose. Also review your customers preferences, the competitive situation, and other environmental factors. Will you use intensive distribution (products available in many retail outlets), selective distribution (products available in some outlets), or exclusive distribution (products available in very few outlets)? Intensive coverage works well for convenience products that are inexpensive and purchased frequently. Selective coverage is well suited for shopping products, and exclusive coverage is well suited for specialty products. Write 2-3 sentences about your decision.

4. Next, consider the physical functions required to make the supply chain function smoothly as you get your product from production to your intermediaries (if any) and to customers. Cost, speed, dependability, accessibility, capacity, and frequency are among the criteria to use when deciding on transportation. Will you use trucks, pipelines, air transport, railroads, waterways, or a combination of these to move your goods? Will you need different transportation options for different customers or times of the year? Write a few sentences about transportation, mentioning how the cost and timing might affect your price and the overall plan.

5. Should you plan for warehousing your products, either after production prior to transportation or delivering to distribution centers maintained by your chosen intermediaries? What issues are important to your decisions about storing goods (security, physical protection, climate, location, and so on)? Write 1-2 sentences about your ideas regarding warehousing, and add a note about the effect on implementation.

6. Inventory control is critical for having sufficient quantities available to meet demand. Review what you know about customers and the influences on their buying behavior, the competitive environment, and distribution decisions youve already made. Are there certain occasions or times of the year when its particularly important to avoid running out of products? For example, should retailers have extra inventory to meet holiday-shopping demand during November and December? Remember that having a lot of inventory means investing heavily in goods well in advance of when theyll sell, if your organization can afford to do this. Also keep your marketing objectives in mindbecause if you dont have sufficient inventory at the right time, you cant meet your sales objectives, for example. Now write 2-3 sentences about your ideas for inventory control plus a sentence about the implications for the timing of implementation.

7. Think about your customers preferences and buying patterns as you examine the possibilities for marketing through retail intermediaries. What type(s) of retailers should you choose for your consumer product? Bear in mind the location of your customers, the image and characteristics of your product, the image and characteristics of potential retail distributors, the level of support needed for your product, and the price you expect to charge. What retail image would fit with your products positioning? If youre planning to market internationally, what are the implications for your retail choices, and the effect on implementation? Write 1-2 paragraphs about your retailing decisions.

8. Depending on your product, your market, and your customers, you may want to include direct marketing (such as catalogs, direct response, TV home shopping, telemarketing, and/or online retailing) in your marketing plan. For some products and target markets, consider the use of direct selling (such as party plans) and/or vending machines (in malls, airports, and other locations). Write 2-3 sentences about these distribution methods, if appropriate for your marketing plan. If not appropriate, write 1-2 sentences explaining your reasoning.