Summary of Learning Outcomes

1. What is the nature and function of distribution (place)?

Distribution (place) includes the efficient managing of the acquisition of raw materials by the factory and the movement of products from the producer or manufacturer to business-to-business users and consumers. Place includes such activities as location selection, store layout, atmosphere and image-building for the location, inventory, transportation, and logistics. Logistics activities are usually the responsibility of the marketing department and are part of the large series of activities included in the supply chain.

Distribution channels are the series of marketing entities through which goods and services pass on their way from producers to end users. Distribution systems focus on the physical transfer of goods and services and on their legal ownership at each stage of the distribution process. Channels reduce the number of transactions and ease the flow of goods.

2. What is wholesaling, and what are the types of wholesalers?

Wholesalers typically sell finished products to retailers and to other institutions, such as manufacturers, schools, and hospitals. The two main types of wholesalers are merchant wholesalers and agents and brokers. Merchant wholesalers buy from manufacturers and sell to other businesses. Agents and brokers are essentially independents who provide buying and selling services. They receive commissions according to their sales and don’t take title (ownership) of the merchandise.

3. What are the different kinds of retail operations?

Some 15 million Americans are engaged in retailing. Retailing can be either in-store or nonstore. In-store retail operations include department stores, specialty stores, discount stores, off-price retailers, factory outlets, and catalog showrooms. Nonstore retailing includes vending machines, direct sales, direct-response marketing, home shopping networks, and internet retailing. The most important factors in creating a store’s atmosphere are employee type and density, merchandise type and density, fixture type and density, sound, and odors.

4. How can supply-chain management increase efficiency and customer satisfaction?

The goal of supply-chain management is to coordinate all of the activities of the supply-chain members into a seamless process, thereby increasing customer satisfaction. Supply-chain managers have responsibility for main channel strategy decisions, coordinating the sourcing and procurement of raw materials, scheduling production, processing orders, managing inventory, transporting and storing supplies and finished goods, and coordinating customer-service activities.

5. What is promotion, and what are the key elements of a promotional mix?

Promotion aims to stimulate demand for a company’s goods or services. Promotional strategy is designed to inform, persuade, or remind target audiences about those products. The goals of promotion are to create awareness, get people to try products, provide information, keep loyal customers, increase use of a product, identify potential customers, and even teach clients about potential services.

The unique combination of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, social media, and e-commerce used to promote a product is called the promotional mix. Advertising is any paid form of nonpersonal promotion by an identified sponsor. Personal selling consists of a face-to-face presentation in a conversation with a prospective purchaser. Sales promotion consists of marketing activities—other than personal selling, advertising, and public relations—that stimulate consumers to buy. These activities include coupons and samples, displays, shows and exhibitions, demonstrations, and other selling efforts. Public relations is the marketing function that links the policies of the organization with the public interest and develops programs designed to earn public understanding and acceptance. IMC is being used by more and more organizations. It is the careful coordination of all of the elements of the promotional mix to produce a consistent, unified message that is customer focused.

6. How are traditional advertising media selected?

Cost per contact is the cost of reaching one member of the target market. Often costs are expressed on a cost per thousand basis. Reach is the number of different target customers who are exposed to a commercial at least once during a specific period, usually four weeks. Frequency is the number of times an individual is exposed to a message. Media selection is a matter of matching the advertising medium with the target audience. Technology continues to drive many of the recent changes to traditional advertising strategies.

7. What is personal selling?

About 6.5 million people in the United States are directly engaged in personal selling. Personal selling enables a salesperson to demonstrate a product and tailor the message to the prospect; it is effective in closing a sale. Professional salespeople are knowledgeable and creative. They also are familiar with the selling process, which consists of prospecting and qualifying, approaching customers, presenting and demonstrating the product, handling objections, closing the sale, and following up on the sale.

8. What are the goals of sales promotion, and what are several types of sales promotion?

Immediate purchase is the goal of most sales promotion, whether it is aimed at consumers or the trade (wholesalers and retailers). The most popular sales promotions are coupons, samples, product placement, premiums, contests, and sweepstakes. Trade shows, conventions, and point-of-purchase displays are other types of sales promotion.

9. How does public relations fit into the promotional mix?

Public relations is mostly concerned with getting good publicity for companies and other organizations. Publicity is any information about a company or product that appears in the news media and is not directly paid for by the company. Public relations departments furnish company speakers for business and civic clubs, write speeches for corporate officers, and encourage employees to take active roles in civic groups. These activities help build a positive image for an organization and create buzz, which is a good backdrop for selling its products.

10. What is social media, and how does it affect promotion?

Social media is a relatively new marketing channel that includes platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram. The phenomenon of social media has created a business climate in which thousands of impressions (marketing messages) can be achieved with one creative social media post. Social media is a hugely powerful tool for marketers. It has it challenges, though, because a social media post that goes viral can close down a business, even if it is not true. That’s what makes social media the newest challenge/opportunity for marketers. The internet and new technology are having a major impact on promotion and promotion expenditures. Traditional media are losing advertising funds to the internet. Many companies are now creating blogs to get closer to customers and potential customers. Podcasts offer advertisers a new medium to reach consumers. Streaming video and videos uploaded to YouTube are also important social media channels.

11. What is e-commerce, and how does it affect promotion?

E-commerce refers to the development and maintenance of a company’s website and the facilitation of commerce on the website, such as the ability for customers to order products on line, to get questions answered about products, and for the company to introduce new products and ideas. E-commerce can include special components designed specifically for separate target market segments, such as information boxes or games.

The ease of use and ability to comparison-shop is driving millions of people to the internet to purchase goods and services. Major retailers such as Walmart are quickly increasing their web presence in an effort to stay relevant in this ever-changing business environment and to attract even more loyal customers who have made the switch to doing most of their shopping on line.