Make Good Use Of Channel Strategy To Create Competitive Advantage

In twenty-first Century, more and more enterprises found that in today's products, prices and even the trend of homogenization of advertising intensifies, it is very difficult to win competition solely on the basis of independent advantages of products.

Our dream marketing believes that under the background of product homogeneity, only "channel" and "communication" can produce differentiated competitive advantages.

The competition of future enterprises is not only the competition of products, but also the competition of marketing channels.

　　渠道變革，關注戴爾(DELL)直線模式

To create competitive advantage, enterprises usually start with product strategy.

However, in addition to a small number of multinational enterprises, most enterprises lack of research and development capabilities, it is difficult to achieve business goals directly through product strategy.

In fact, the way to create competitive advantage is not only a product strategy, but also achieves the same effect through the unique channel management.

DELL changed the way it used to sell personal computers through retail channels, selling directly to customers, and organizing production according to orders.

DELL has created a new channel for the production and sale of personal computers.

New channels mean that companies do not have to be restricted to retailers, nor do they have to bear huge inventory and operating expenses.

In fact, it achieves the best utility cycle: low cost and high profit.

DELL's straight line sales model can be summarized as: bypassing intermediaries, and directly interacting with customers.

In the past, DELL had a direct relationship with its customers, providing sales and technical support to customers through free direct dial calls.

Now, DELL further uses INTERNET to promote its straight line sales mode. Customers can order websites through their system to understand the various configurations of products, and provide technical support and value-added services.

Marketing channel management is not only about sales or supply, but more importantly, it is a way of thinking, a way of building new connections with customers to catch new business opportunities.

There are various ways of interaction between a company and its customers, including how and where customers purchase goods or services, and how and where to use these goods or services, and marketing channels are the essence of these interactive modes.

　　通路扁平化，提高渠道效率

In the past, a multi-level marketing system was popular in China's automobile market.

This can pfer part of the marketing risk to the distributor, but at the same time, the quality and service of the sales are difficult to monitor and ultimately threaten the image of itself.

In order to enhance the efficiency and function of the channel, Shanghai GM takes Buick car as the breakthrough point, resolutely decides to introduce the general marketing mode of the United States, and establish its own flat regional distribution network, so that Shanghai general will become the pioneer of China's auto industry monopoly mode.

The advantages of this channel's flattening attempt are: the unified image design of brand stores has become an important means of brand promotion; manufacturers directly deal with the stores, get rid of the middle levels such as wholesalers and agents, reduce the cost, respond faster to customers, and control more easily.

By establishing Buick brand stores, Shanghai GM has established the brand image of enterprises and products, and paved the way for the channel development of the following low-end products, such as sail.

Enterprises have built up a perfect marketing network and have the ability to fully respond to the rapid launch of the following models.

In this way, a variety of products share the same channel to reduce the marketing cost of unit products and enhance the overall competitiveness of enterprises.

Today, the establishment of brand store has become a popular approach to the sales channels of the automobile industry.

Only when the channel is flat, can manufacturers make direct and interactive communication between terminals and consumers, and do well in pre sales, after sales and after sales services, so as to better meet the needs of consumers.

The flattening of the channel is not to abandon the distributor. Its core is to attach importance to the terminal. The way of operation is through the intensive cultivation of the terminal, to better realize the service and management of the distributor, and at the same time, to control and control the dealer fundamentally.

Manufacturers intensive cultivation of the terminal, the market risk is basically borne by the manufacturers, and manufacturers in the terminal to better communicate with consumers and services, but also greatly promoted sales, which is the support of distributors.

　　市場細分，提供渠道個性化服務

Marketing channel management includes 5 basic steps: to understand the customer's purchase and demand; to classify the customers, and develop new marketing channels for each type of customer; to test the profitability and competitiveness of the new concept; to quickly promote the implementation of the new concept; to study the implementation results and to re position to enhance the understanding of the customers.

Then start a new round of circulation.

The key to marketing channel management is to directly face the final customers in order to increase their purchase value and make them repeat the purchase, that is to say, we should cultivate customers' loyalty to the products.

Therefore, enterprises must be able to understand customers' consumption experience and develop their ability to observe customers.

At present, Chinese enterprises are also aware of the importance of customer segmentation, and begin to provide personalized services for customers after subdivision.

Analysis of detailed customer data enables companies to lock in specific customers more effectively and more effortless.

For example, Guangdong mobile provides airport VIP cards to its high-end customers (monthly fee of more than 1400 yuan), customers can enjoy Airport VIP services, baggage check-in and boarding passes, etc.

It is based on the fact that these high-end customers are also frequent customers of aircraft business or private travel. The move of Guangdong mobile undoubtedly plays a positive role in attracting and retaining high value customers.

Marketing channel management requires companies to segment the market as far as possible so as to tailor specialized marketing channels for each sub market.

The key here is to subdivide large customer groups into small customer groups, which requires the company to rethink the way to create value.

Therefore, we must divide the functions of service and marketing into independent elements, so as to provide correct service and marketing channel combination for target customers.

　　共生營銷，實施渠道共享

According to the concept of product life cycle, new products are generally sold through professional channels during the product introduction period; in the fast growing period, sales personnel and sales channels will be introduced; in the mature and declining period, as the growth slows down, some competitors will turn their products into low-cost channel sales, such as large-scale integrated shopping centers, mail order and online stores.

Channels are also changing with the development of enterprises and products. Therefore, enterprises should choose suitable channel combinations according to the product life cycle.