Strictly speaking, a marketing channel is the route that a product follows from factory to customer and incorporates all of the intermediaries – middlemen (sorry, middlepersons) that help the product reach the ultimate consumer. Another term for a marketing channel is a distribution channel. Sometimes the term ‘marketing channel’ is taken to mean an advertising media channel, but this is an incorrect use of the term.
As far as deciding on you marketing channel is concerned, there are a number of decisions you need to make. These are:
- How will you enter the foreign market place?
- How will you physically get the product from your factory to the end user?
- Who will you turn to help you with your distribution?
Follow the links above to learn more about each of these issues!