Accomplishing marketing channel change:Paths and pitfalls

Louis W. Stern, Frederick D. Sturdivant and Gary A. Getz

European Management Journal, 1993, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: The design and management of distribution channels is a 'hot topic' as competition for customers increases in recessionary times. Few companies have managed this process successfully, mainly because it involves radical re-thinking in a corporate field which is traditionally hostile to change. Louis Stern, Frederick Sturdivant and Gary Getz propose a new, eight-step process for companies wishing to achieve the best type of distribution system for their products and services. Its most important feature is that it is 'customer-focused', with the emphasis on the market rather than the company. The eight-step process is illustrated from the experience of Telco, a major US-based telecommunications company. There are many internal barriers to re-shaping channel systems. The authors suggest a number of ways to reduce the 'fear factor'. They include obtaining buy-in across the company, looking for a champion to manage the process, identifying responsibility for channels, having patience, and keeping close links with end-users of products through database building.

Date: 1993
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