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. Channels are the tools used by management to move the goods from the place of production to the place of consumption. In the progression, the title of goods gets transferred from sellers to buyers. Industrial distribution is unique as there are several different methods of channeling the Continue reading
Industrial Marketing Management
Strategic Planning in the Industrial Market
While the basic principles of marketing planning apply in both markets, many organizations have found that what works well in the consumer market fails to do so in the industrial market. Two significant differences between these markets appear to account for this phenomenon. First, unlike the consumer market where products are normally’ marketed through one or two channels, most industrial marketers face diverse markets that must be reached through a multiplicity of channels-each requiring a different marketing approach. A producer of communication equipment, for instance, may market to such diverse segments as the commercial, institutional, and governmental market, each of which will require a unique marketing plan. Second, in contrast to consumer marketing, successful industrial marketing strategy depends more on other functional areas. Where the elements of planning in consumer marketing can often be contained within specific areas of marketing, such as advertising, selling, and product management, planning in the Continue reading
Strategic Industrial Marketing
Marketing is carefully meshed with production, finance, research and development (R&D), purchasing, and other functions of the business so as to make the maximum contribution to company objectives. The marketing activities of industrial products are an integral part of the company’s total operating system. Therefore, it is useful to identify the major types of plans by which operations of an enterprise are directed. These may be designated as strategic, operational, logistical, and organizational. A plan is a goal-directed system of action. A strategic plan is one which describes the allocation of a firm’s resources which the management believes will achieve the corporate mission with the greatest efficiency over the long run. Supporting the strategy and contributing to its implementation are plans for the operations, logistics and organization called for by the strategy. Together, these constitute a hierarchy of objectives, and plans to achieve them, which make up the guidance system Continue reading
Industrial Buying Behavior Models
The buying decisions of industrial buyers are influenced by many factors. Usually, these are influenced by organisational factors or task-oriented objectives viz. best product quality, or dependable delivery, or lowest price and personal factors or non-task objectives viz. like promotion, increments, job security, personal treatment, or favor. When the suppliers proposals are substantially similar, organizational buyers can satisfy organisational objectives with any supplier, and therefore personal factors become more important. When suppliers offers differ significantly, industrial buyers pay more attention to organisational factors in order to satisfy the organisational objectives. There are two models available to provide a comprehensive and integrated picture of the major factors that combine to explain organisational buying behavior. These are: The Webster and Wind Model The Webster and Wind Model of organisational buying behavior is quite a comprehensive model. It considers four sets of variables: environmental, organizational, buying center, and individual, which, affect the Continue reading
Decision Making Units (DMUs) in Industrial Marketing
It is essential to understand the roles of buying-center members or Decision Making Units (DMUs) before identifying the individuals and groups involved in the buying-decision process. It is helpful to the industrial marketers to develop an effective promotion strategy. The roles of buying center members are as follows: Initiators: The initiators might be any individuals in the buying firm. Often, the users of a product/service play the role of the initiators. Buyers: The major roles of buyers are obtaining quotations (or offers) from suppliers, supplier evaluation and selection, negotiation, processing purchase orders, speed up deliveries, and implementing purchasing policies of the organization. Generally, they are the purchase (or material) officers and executives. Users: The user is those individuals who use the product or service that is to be purchased. Generally, users play the role of the initiators. The influence of the users in purchasing decisions may vary from minor to Continue reading
Publicity and Public Relations in Industrial Marketing
Publicity When any significant news about a product is made known to the people through a published medium like radio, television, newspaper or otherwise, such kind of act is known is publicity. Publicity has very high credibility in the eyes of organizational buyers as the sponsor does not pay anything for publicity and it is not a part of any promotional program. It is the least costly promotional alternative available for the company that is very effective. Publicity helps to generate sales leads and improves relationship with customers. Technical articles published in trade journals about a company or products with the identity of authors (such articles are called as signed articles) improve the image of the company and the products. They form as a good source of information for customers. Though publicity is free, there are some associated costs attached to it. The costs incurred are for reasons like obtaining Continue reading