Study on Marketing Channel Structure Design – The Case Study of 3C Peripheral Product

• Main Authors: Wang, Ching-Hung, 王景弘
• Other Authors: Lin, Ting-Ling
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/68954537655511455172

碩士 === 國立臺北大學 === 企業管理學系碩士在職專班 === 101 === The booming of 3C products brings up a lot of business opportunities to 3C peripheral products firms. In addition, due to fast development of retail channels, intermediaries of 3C peripheral products play an important role in decision-making of channel selection and completion of transactions. Selecting marketing channel is not decided by a single 3C firm in the channel, all firms also have roles. Thus, this study aims at analyzing factors which affect the channel selection and design of channel structure, and researching on a three-layer marketing channel of manufacturer, distributor and retailer simultaneously as well. This study adopts a quantitative approach by in-depth interviews on different firms in a marketing channel in order to understand their points of view on each affecting factor. The interviewees are composed of professional managers of one manufacturer, one distributor and two retailers of 3C peripheral products. It uses multiple cases to study factors which affect the channel selection and design of channel structure. When a new 3C peripheral product is about to be launched, what are the various factors affecting each firm’s decision on channel selection and design of channel structure. Through literature review and in-depth interview on professional managers, we found that firms themselves, products, consumers, competitors, intermediaries and macroeconomic environments are the six major factors considered in channel selection for introducing a new product to the market. Though each firm has different view point and emphasis on each of these factors, firms themselves and products are the two key factors considered by all layers of a marketing channel. It is also found that the suitable channel structure for 3C peripheral products is a long channel and intensive distribution. Because each firm has different market positioning and owned resources, the manufacturer and distributor opt to use selective distribution, whereas retailers take intensive distribution. In a very competitive 3C peripheral product market, obtaining the authorization of international brands favors a distributor to explore its retail outlets. We expect the conclusion of this study will have implications for high rank managers and marketing decision makers of manufacturers, distributors, or retailers, for them to set up a suitable channel to improve their firms’ role and position in a marketing channel.