One of the key components in a successful marketing strategy is the plan for getting the products to your customer. To make the best decisions about where, when, and how your products will be made available to the customer, you need to know more about how these distribution decisions relate to other marketing-mix elements in your marketing plan. To assist you in relating the information in this chapter to your marketing plan, consider the following issues:

1. Marketing intermediaries perform many activities. Using Table 13.1 as a guide, discuss the types of activities where a channel member could provide needed assistance.

2. Using Figure 13.3 (or 13.4 if your product is a business product), determine which of the channel distribution paths is most appropriate for your product. Given the nature of your product, could it be distributed through more than one of these paths?

3. Determine the level of distribution intensity that is appropriate for your product. Consider the characteristics of your target market(s), the product attributes, and environmental factors in your deliberation.

4. Discuss the physical functions that will be required for distributing your product, focusing on materials handling,

warehousing, and transportation.

Table 13.1

Figure 13.3

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Marketing Activities Marketing information Marketing management Facilitating exchanges Promotion Price Logistics Sample Activities Analyze sales data and other information in databases and information systems. Perform or commission marketing research. Establish strategic and tactical plans for developing customer relationships and organizational productivity. Choose product assortments that match the needs of customers. Cooperate with channel members to develop partnerships. Set promotional objectives. Coordinate advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, publicity, and packaging. Establish pricing policies and terms of sales. Manage transportation, warehousing, materials handling, inventory control, and communication.