Marketing - Distribution Strategy

Chapter 1

Introduction

In marketing, it is impossible to avoid consideration of marketing mix, which involves 4Ps. The 4Ps encompass: place, promotion, price and product (Viardot, 2004). This exposes one of crucial obligations of any marketing manager. That is, a marketing manager is responsible for formulating effective distribution strategy (place) in order to keep the other Ps moving (Distributionstrategy.org., 2013). As a result, studies described distribution strategy as crucial prerequisite for success of any business (Chapter 15: Product Distribution, n.d.). It is a plan of actions employed to move service/product from the manufacturer to the end consumers through different approaches such as physical distribution and distribution channels. Generally, it tries to describe where and how customers purchase firm’s service/products. Distribution strategy focuses on various factors, which encompass: location of the firm and target market, approaches of reaching the target market, warehousing, as well as transportation. In this paper, distribution strategy critically discussed besides evaluating how it used in consumer market. It hypothesized that good distribution strategy contributes to health relationship between businesses and their consumers.

Important of research

The research is very important in a sense that it will foster deeper understanding of distribution strategy, as well as its application in consumer market. Additionally, the research will aid in disclosing various challenges encountered in distribution strategies and how such challenges addressed. Further, the research will help in comprehending the impact(s) of good/poor distribution strategy on business.

Objective of research

The main objective of this paper is to acquire sufficient understanding of distribution strategy and how it is applied in consumer market.

The research will achieve this through answering the following questions:

i) What is distribution strategy

ii) What...