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challenging. Done well, it’s practically an art. We’ll talk more about supply chains in the next chapter
and what companies can do to improve them to better satisfy customers and gain a competitive edge.
KEY TAKEAWAY
All of the organizations that figure into any part of the process of producing, promoting, and delivering an
offering to its user are part of the offering’s supply chain. In recent decades, firms have begun looking at these
organizations in addition to the organizations that sell and promote their products. The process of managing
and improving supply chains is called supply chain management.
REVIEW QUESTION
- What are the benefits of looking at all of the organizations that contribute to the production of a product
versus just the organizations that sell them?
8.7 Discussion Questions and Activities
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- What’s the ideal number of marketing channels a firm should have?
- Is a pull strategy superior in all markets?
- Is selling power the only source of channel power? From what other sources could an organization derive
channel power? - The chapter listed a number of scenarios that can cause channel conflicts. What other factors can you think
of that might cause channel conflicts?