<p>The purpose of this thesis is to describe the marketing channels Gen Y is exposed to, uses and is influenced by. The thesis also seeks to comment on whether there are other factors, in addition to the marketing channels described, which influence Gen Y in their consumption choices. In addition, we intend to develop knowledge about whether the generalizations of Gen Y have any bearing, or if they are only assumptions with no support. From the empirical results, we have seen a consensus among the respondents concerning which properties they want commercials to hold, but they differ in their opinions regarding which marketing channels the commercials should be distributed through. Overall, the respondents want the commercials to be entertaining, relevant to their interests, and they want to be able to choose themselves whet­her to take part of them or not.</p>

This study investigated the consumers' intention towards multi-channel shopping and the function of synergy in a multi-channel retailing format (i.e., brick-and-mortar stores, catalogs, and the Internet). Two questionnaires were developed, one for the multi-channel consumers and the other for the multi-channel retailers. The structural equation modeling was used to predict the effect of shopping benefits and costs perceived from each channel on the consumer's purchase intention. Data analysis (N = 500) indicated that the purchase intentions were affected by different shopping benefit and cost variables. Qualitative analysis of retailers (N= 10) revealed that the retailers considered synergy to be an important part of their multi-channels. Also, there existed a high level of synergy among the existing three retail channels.

Abstract Social media is a marketing phenomenon that is growing very fast. Social media helps creating value for customers in broadcasting the advertising among social networks. Blog posts, videos, pictures, reviews and ratings all have a significant impact on marketing. The purpose of the thesis is to investigate how companies can achieve customer loyalty and customer relationship management using social media marketing and if companies can target new customers by social media. An inductive research approach was used in the study. Semi-structured interviews were performed with interviewees from two companies. A survey questionnaire was answered by 100 social media users which were also customers of the companies. The findings show that there are certain constraints in social media such as risk of user information security when their information can be shared with the companies so that companies can do better marketing research. Word of mouth is spread on social media where new customers are targeted. Social media is providing new channels for support, advertisement and acting as a news feed tool to keep customers up to date about recent events and news. The company stated that no extra resources were required to market on social media.

Small retailers are searching for a basis of competitive advantage to compete against larger retailers. The independent sales representative (rep) may represent such a basis. Little is known about how the role of reps and their performance is perceived by suppliers and retailers. We do not know what is expected from reps, if the reps' performance meets suppliers and retailers expectations, or whether met expectations lead to a basis of competitive advantage. Primarily, the study was designed to identify the role and contributions reps in the interactions between the supplier and retailer in the channel of distribution.

M.Com. (Business Management) / In the field of supply chain, rival organisations compete on the basis of routes to market. The organisation that has the most cost competitive route to market is able to gain dominance and ultimately increase its profitability. Currently Clover is faced with the challenge where its retail customers want to take ownership of the delivery of perishable goods from the manufactures to their retail stores. Such a move would result in considerable loss of revenue to Clover. To retain this business Clover needs to prove to the retail customers that it has the most cost competitive routes to market and that it can deliver to market in the most economical and efficient manner that will benefit both Clover and its retail customers. The availability of appropriate information plays a key role in any activity along the supply chain. This research will focus on Point-of-Sale (POS) data, and how it can strengthen strategic collaborations between Clover and its retail customers in order to achieve cost competitive routes to markets. The research explores the supply chain strategies that can be utilised by the branded food and beverages group to collaborate with its retail customers. The impact of these supply chain strategies on routes to market is established and investigated. The role of information systems, mainly POS data, is highlighted to indicate how it can assist in attaining cost competitive routes to market. A qualitative research approach was adopted in order to solve the research problem with interviews being used as the primary data collection instrument. The data collected through the interviews was coded and analysed according to the themes, time, distance, volume and weight. The research analysed how these identified key themes impact on the cost competitive routes to markets. The research recommendation on how to attain cost competitive routes to market include, strategic collaboration with retailers along distribution channels, where feasible introduction of leaner and agile supply chains,

Este estudo tem como objetivo entender como a dinâmica do relacionamento entre duas empresas é afetada por fatores internos e externos à mesa de negociação. Interdisciplinar, a pesquisa convergiu as contribuições de diversas literaturas, notadamente marketing de relacionamento e negociação, para poder lidar com a complexidade dos dados empíricos coletados. Através de um estudo de caso único, baseado na relação diádica entre um fornecedor e um canal do varejo alimentício brasileiro, foram analisados os fatores que levaram um relacionamento interorganizacional estável por décadas a se deteriorar em apenas dois anos. Os resultados encontrados apontam para o fortalecimento da concorrência e o conflito intradepartamental na empresa fornecedora como os principais motivos da migração para um estado relacional danificado. O histórico positivo do relacionamento se mostrou insuficiente para ajudar na recuperação do relacionamento, assim como a utilização da estratégia de compromisso pelos negociadores. A importância de distinguir em estudos as diferentes formas de conflito é ressaltada pela conclusão da pesquisa. Ao final do trabalho, implicações gerenciais derivadas das conclusões são apresentadas. / The present study aims at understanding how the relationship dynamic between two companies is affected by both internal and external factors to the negotiation table. Interdisciplinary, the research converged the contribution from several literatures, such as relationship marketing and negotiation, in order to deal with the empirical data complexity. Through a case study based on the dyadic relation between a supplier and a channel from Brazilian food retail, the research analyzed the factors that led a solid, long lasting interorganizational relationship to deteriorate into a damaged state in just two years. The results point to a strengthening of the competition and intradepartmental conflict as the main reasons of the migration to a damaged relationship state. The positive relationship history proved to be insufficient to aid in the recovery of the relationship, such as compromising. The importance of distinguishing different types of conflict when studying this phenomenon is highlighted by the study\'s conclusion, and managerial implications to channel management practice are presented.

Historicamente, as indústrias conquistaram espaço no mercado a partir do aumento de seu volume de produção e da redução no preço dos produtos. Tal estratégia, no entanto, não se mostrou eficaz nas últimas décadas, visto que a mesma foi copiada por todos os fabricantes. Dessa forma, uma nova estratégia foi adotada pelas indústrias com o objetivo de diferenciar seus produtos da concorrência, especialmente no âmbito varejista. As indústrias passaram, então, a criar novas linhas de produtos, com o propósito de atingir esse objetivo. Todavia, mais uma vez as estratégias adotadas pelas indústrias não tiveram o impacto esperado. Em especial no setor de bens de consumo não duráveis, os espaços varejistas passaram a ficar super abastecidos, sendo que muitos dos produtos comercializados apresentavam baixo giro e baixa rentabilidade, além de muitas marcas possuírem pouco apelo junto ao consumidor final. Diante desse cenário, o varejo começou a ditar os produtos e marcas que seriam comercializados em seus estabelecimentos, elevando seu poder frente à indústria. Essa inversão de poder no mercado varejista obrigou os fabricantes a reverem a maneira como desenvolviam o relacionamento com seus clientes de canal, principalmente com o varejo. Antes preocupada em atender apenas as necessidades dos consumidores finais, a indústria buscou atender também as demandas de seus clientes de canal, criando, então, os departamentos de trade marketing. As atividades de trade marketing foram inicialmente aplicadas pelas indústrias de bens de consumo não duráveis em grandes redes varejistas. Esse fenômeno se reflete na academia, aonde a maioria dos estudos sobre trade marketing tem como objeto de pesquisa essas indústrias, com poucos estudos realizando uma abordagem a partir da visão do varejo. No entanto, os poucos estudos que abordam a visão do varejo sobre o trade marketing não são aplicados no segmento alimentar, no qual ocorreram as transformações varejistas mais intensamente. O pequeno varejo, apesar de possuir considerável importância na economia brasileira e na comercialização de muitas categorias de produto, é pouco explorado na literatura de trade marketing. Dessa forma, torna-se interessante compreender como funciona o trade marketing quando desenvolvido em pequenos varejistas do segmento alimentar e, se não for desenvolvido, quais as razões para esse fenômeno. Diante dessa oportunidade de pesquisa, esta dissertação foi conduzida com um referencial teórico abordando os grandes tópicos \"canais de distribuição\" e \"trade marketing\". A pesquisa, do tipo exploratória e qualitativa, utilizou-se do método de estudo de casos múltiplos. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com três pequenos varejistas da cidade de Piracicaba, e tiradas fotos do interior dos estabelecimentos. Os resultados proporcionaram a conclusão que as atividades envolvendo comunicação e promoção são realizadas tanto em conjunto por indústria e pequeno varejo, quanto individualmente pelo varejista; que a definição de preços é realizada individualmente pelo varejista; que o relacionamento estabelecido entre indústria e pequeno varejo é eficaz, apesar dos varejistas não acreditarem na existência de cooperação entre ambos; que o compartilhamento de informações é pessoal, sem o auxílio de ferramentas eletrônicas e que a gestão por categorias é desenvolvida pelo pequeno varejo sem o auxílio da indústria. / Historically, industries have gained market space by increasing their production volume and reducing product prices. Such a strategy, however, has not proved effective in recent decades since it has been copied by all manufacturers. In this way, a new strategy was adopted by the industries with the objective of differentiating their products from the competition, especially in the retail area. The industries then started to create new product lines, in order to achieve this objective. However, again the strategies adopted by the industries did not have the expected result. Particularly in the non-durable consumer goods sector, retail spaces became overcrowded, with many of the products marketed presenting low rotation and low profitability, as well as the fact that many brands have little appeal to the shopper. Faced with this scenario, the retailer began to choose the products and brands that would be marketed in their establishments, which increased their power. This exchange of power in the retail market forced manufacturers to review how they developed the relationship with their channel partners, particularly retailers. Previously concerned with meeting only the needs of shoppers, the industry also began to meet the demands of its channel partners, creating the trade marketing departments. Trade marketing activities were initially applied by non-durable consumer goods industries in large retail chains. This phenomenon is reflected in the academy, where most of the studies on trade marketing have as object of research these industries, with few studies taking an approach from the perspective of the retail. However, the few studies that approach the retail vision about trade marketing are not applied in the food segment, where the retail transformations occurred more intensely. Small retailers, despite having considerable importance in the Brazilian economy and in the commercialization of many product categories, are little explored in the trade marketing literature. In this way, it becomes interesting to understand how trade marketing works when developed in small retailers in the food segment and, if not developed, what the reasons for this phenomenon. Faced with this research opportunity, this dissertation was conducted with a theoretical framework approachig the major topics \"distribution channels\" and \"trade marketing\". The research is exploratory and qualitative and used the multiple case study method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three small retailers in the city of Piracicaba, and photographs were taken of the inside the establishments. The results provided the conclusion that the activities involving communication and promotion are carried out jointly by industry and small retail and also individually by the retailer; that the pricing is carried out individually by the retailer; that the established relationship between industry and small retailers is effective, although retailers do not believe in the existence of cooperation between them; that the sharing of information is personal, without the help of EDI and that category management is developed by small retailers without the help of industry.

by Ip Sum-Sum. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-37). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENT --- p.iv / LIST OF CHARTS/ TABLES --- p.v / Chapter CHAPTER I --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Definition of Channel Management --- p.1 / Critical Success Factor of Channel Management --- p.2 / Objective of the Study --- p.5 / Methodology --- p.7 / Research Design --- p.7 / Limitation --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- INDUSTRY BACKGROUND --- p.9 / The Unit Trust / Mutual Funds Industry in Hong Kong --- p.9 / Definition of Unit Trusts/ Mutual Funds --- p.10 / Unit Trusts Business Growth --- p.10 / Chapter CHAPTER III --- CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNIT TRUSTS DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL --- p.13 / Three Level Conventional Marketing Channel --- p.13 / Multi-Relationships in Channel Management --- p.14 / Clear Division of Work and Responsibilities --- p.16 / Marketing Cooperation --- p.16 / Transactions Handling and Servicing --- p.18 / Commission Based Revenue Sharing Mechanism --- p.18 / Chapter CHAPTER IV --- EVALUATION OF THE EXISTING UNIT TRUSTS CHANNEL --- p.20 / Cost Perspective --- p.20 / Cost Effectiveness to Tackle the Mass Market --- p.20 / Customer Base Leveraging --- p.21 / "Standard Products, Standard Price" --- p.22 / Adaptation Perspective --- p.23 / Flexibility in Alignment with Business Strategies --- p.23 / Control Perspective --- p.24 / Control in Communication --- p.24 / Possible Differences in Business Priorities --- p.25 / Business Flexibility Being Limited --- p.27 / Chapter CHAPTER V --- DILEMMA IN THE EXISTING CHANNEL MANAGEMENT --- p.28 / Chapter CHAPTER VI --- HINDRANCES TO THE INDUSTRY - OTHER FACTORS --- p.30 / Overall Investment Environment --- p.30 / Hong Kong Investors' Attitude --- p.30 / Regulatory Regime --- p.31 / Chapter CHAPTER VII --- RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.32 / Focused Approach in Distribution Relationship --- p.32 / Focused Approach in Target Segment --- p.32 / Strategic Alliance --- p.33 / Technology- Led Information Delivery --- p.33 / Periodic Checks with the Distributors --- p.34 / Product Development According to the Needs of Distributors --- p.34 / Chapter CHAPTER VIII --- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION --- p.35 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.36

DHL, the international air express service provider, set up its first branch in Taiwan in 1973. UPS and FedEx, followed in the forerunner¡¦s footsteps, and joined the market as well. Together with the Chunghwa Post Corporation, these four major international express service providers have made the international express marketplace in Taiwan a very competitive environment. Until now, the competition is pretty much settled with DHL having a majority of the market share in both B2B and B2C markets. The main reason why DHL dominants the industry is due to its cooperative relationship with 7-ELEVEN, the largest convenient chain store in Taiwan. DHL customers can drop-off their shipment or packages at any 7-Eleven in Taiwan. Nevertheless, there are still underlining problems and concerns in regard to the business relationship with 7-Eleven which the company needs to pay attention to. First of all, are the 7-Eleven service personnel receiving professional training needed for DHL distribution channels? Second, is the image of 7-ELEVEN stores consistent with that of DHL? Third, is there strong connections and bonding between DHL express operations and 7-Eleven? These are some questions that are often omitted in the B2C market for the international express enterprises; and yet, these questions are the sources of the company¡¦s internal competitive advantages. This study aims to provide an in-depth interview with international express corporations in the B2C market, channel providers that cooperates with the international express corporations, and the international express customers in Kaohsiung. In terms of international express corporations, the question focuses mostly on the company¡¦s marketing strategies including marketing target, product, price, promotion and channels. In terms of channel providers, the center of attention focuses on marketing channels, cooperation strategies, receiving status, and store locations. In terms of customer impressions, the interview focuses mainly on the issues of user experiences, delivery process, package tracking systems, attitudes of service personnel, prices, service satisfactions and whether recommendations are made to other people. The research findings suggested that DHL is still the leader of the B2C marketplace in Taiwan. Those companies that are closer to their customers win the market share. As for 7-Eleven, by providing product and service diversity, the company actually becomes a concern for DHL for being ¡§unprofessional¡¨. It is found that DHL distribution channels often lose packages during the delivery process. FedEx decided on its distribution channel locations based on the channels¡¦ profit incomes. In terms of employee training for distribution channels, FedEx provides a more complete program than DHL. If a comparison is made with these express companies¡¦ advantages, the Chunghwa Post Corporation provides cheap services; DHL has the most distribution channels in Taiwan; FedEx provides the fastest international express services; and UPS has the most complete distribution channels around the world. The key factor to international express success is the degree of professionalism. The distribution channel personnel must be able to provide clear and precise answers and services in order to gain customer satisfaction or even recommendations to potential new customers. In conclusion, this paper will provide some suggestions and future study suggestions for both the researchers and international express companies. And hopefully provide some valuable information and suggestions to international express companies for their future competitive developments.

Graduated: June, 2002 Student: Hu, Shen Sheng Academic Degree: Master thesis Advisor: G. Gary Hu Abstract: The semiconductors products are the key components for electronics industry. The applications covered the wide field of 3C(Computer, Communication, Consumer) electronics products. The suppliers are the manufacturers of CPU, MPU, Chip set, Logic IC, Linear IC, etc. The customers are the manufacturers of 3C electronics products. The Distributors of Semiconductor are not only sales components or import-export business, but also provide the professional value-added service for suppliers and customers. They are important bridge for the suppliers and customers in the worldwide semiconductors supply chain. They perform a key role in the electronics industry. Taiwan has the competitive advantage in the hardware of information industry such as low cost and high quality. The worldwide manufacturers consider the production cost and the price competitive. They would like to reinforce the strategic alliance relationship with Taiwan. In this trend, the customer of 3C product manufacturers want to reduce their stock risk and production cost. The customer will not buy from the original component manufacturers directly. They will choose the distributors which can provide low cost, fast delivery, design support, FAE support, good quality, e-process, overseas support, etc. The distributors should develop to differentiation business mode in the future. Provide the value-added service for the supply chain in the electronics industry field. The strategic development of Marketing Channels for Semiconductor Components in Taiwan is shown as below: 1. Build and extend core capabilities. 2. Construct a worldwide distributors network. 3. Continuing expend the economic scale. 4. Provide the total-solution for customers. 5. Search for new products and new applications.