What is Placement in the Marketing Mix?
Where and through what methods are the products or service sold?
The various aspects of product placement include:
- Location
- Distribution Channels
- Directness of Channel
- Number of Channel Members
- Criteria for Channel Members
- Number of Channels per Market
Locations
- Local, National, International,
- Internet-based, physical locations.
- Logistics, including transportation, warehousing, and order fulfillment
Distribution Channels
- How does the company plan to get the product/service to the end user?
- What channel of distribution is to be used?
- Direct manufacturer to consumer.
- One stage manufacturer to retailer to consumer.
- Traditional manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer.
- Multi-stage manufacturer to broker to wholesaler to retailer to consumer.
- Who or what company will carry out the distribution?
- How will you motivate the distribution channel?
- What will the distributor profit margins look like?
- Are commissioned salespersons to be used?
- What are the costs associated with the proposed distribution channels?
- Criteria for evaluation distributors?
- How do these channels affect delivery/production time frames?
- What are delivery terms?
Degree of Directness of the Channel
- Marketing Conditions Are end users concentrated (direct) or dispersed (indirect) in market.
- Product Attributes Is product large (direct) or small (indirect), bulky (direct), perishable (direct), hazardous (direct), expensive (direct).
- Cost Benefits Considers the cost benefits in selection of channel members; many benefits (indirect) minimal or no benefit (direct).
- Venture Attributes Financial strength, size, channel experience, and marketing strategy of venture.
Number of Channel Members
- Intensive As many retailers, wholesales, etc., as possible.
- Selective Small number of channel members based on some set of criteria or requirements
- Exclusive Select only one wholesaler and/or retailer.
Criteria in Selection of Channel Members
- Reputation
- Services Provided
Number of Channels per Target Market
- One channel for one target market or multiple target markets.
- Multiple channels for one target market or multiple target markets.