DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM THREE 1
Discussion Board Forum Three
Samantha N. Bostwick
Liberty University
BUSI 745: Marketing for Competitive Advantage
Dr. Kendrick Brunson
July 16, 2020
DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM THREE 2
Discussion Board Forum Three
The 4Ps of the marketing mix include product, price, promotion, and place. This
discussion will review three peer-reviewed journal articles that discuss the marketing mix,
focusing on place. The first article discusses leveraging distribution in emerging markets and the
benefits of allocating distribution resources across various store formats. The second article
reviews marketing strategies and online buying discussing the perceived risks and how
marketing strategies can eradicate the perception of risk for electronic commerce. The third
article discusses branding and marketing channel strategies emphasizing the importance of
tightly tied distribution relationships and independent channel partners.
Leveraging Distribution in Emerging Markets
Leveraging distribution to maximize firm performance in emerging markets by Kumar et
al., (2015) discusses the rise of emerging markets and an econometric model to help firms
develop multichannel distribution strategy. The article introduces the rise of emerging markets
due to globalization and current market saturation. The authors aim to quantify the differential
impact of distribution channel formats, allocate distribution resources across various store
formats, assess the impact of competition and other marketing mix elements on sales, and
account for inherent dependencies across product forms that could influence sales. The overall
objective of the research is to build a profitable distribution strategy in an emerging market. This
was accomplished by a research framework made up of the following five elements: alignment,
model specification, model estimation, developing insights, and optimal store reallocation for
profit maximization. Alignment requires and understanding of the retail landscape and the brand
and product offerings. Model specifications requires integration of push (distribution) and pull
DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM THREE 3
(advertising) elements of marketing. Using model estimates gained from the model specification
the strategic distribution of resources can be allocated providing insights that drive the goal of
optimal store reallocation for profit maximization. The proposed strategy resulted in an average
of 7.7% increase in profits for the local firms in the study.
Marketing Strategies in Online Buying Behavior
Marketing strategies, perceived risks, and consumer trust in online buying behavior by
Pappas (2016) discusses the rapid shift to ecommerce and the interrelationship between
perceived risk factors, how marketing impacts those perceptions, and the influence of product
and web-vendor consumer trust. Even when the actual transaction doesn’t happen online, the
initial place that a customer is engaged is often on the internet, and digital sales promotion has
many advantages over traditional sales promotion (Jiang & Ma, 2018). Pappas found that web-
vendor security and quality risks have a negative impact on consumer trust and that customer
trust in a web vendor has a positive impact on the intention to purchase. Using the Theory of
Planned Behavior (TPB) in combination with the Perceived Risk Theory (PRT) the author found
that online retailers should focus their marketing strategies on strengthening brand image and the
image of the web-vendors being used.
Branding and Marketing Channel Strategies
Branding and marketing channel strategies: some effects on channel partners by Bellin
(2016) discusses the impact of branding and distribution. The author reviews how companies can
gain competitive advantage through better utilization of distribution channels, concluding that
distribution advantage is often more sustainable than other marketing mix elements. Bellin found
that broader distribution networks can provide wider market coverage but that multi-branded
DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM THREE 4
companies should avoid channel conflict. Channel conflict is where different marketing channels
compete to sell to the same customers. The author discusses the following downsides to channel
conflict: end user confusion, damage to the supplier’s image, reduced reseller profitability,
reduced reseller motivation, and reduced customer after-sales support. The insight from this
conclusion may guide companies to reduce the number of brands leading to more concentrated
promotion of products and a decrease in central costs such as inventory, administration, and
overhead. In closing the author recommends that marketing channel strategy should include the
development of appropriate brands for each market segment as well as the determination of
which marketing channels would best support the brand’s position.
Conclusion
Each of the above articles provided insight to the place, or distribution, aspect of the
marketing mix. The 4Ps of the marketing mix (product, price, promotion, and place) constitute
the traditional theoretical framework of marketing promotion (Festa et al., 2016). The first article
focused on how to choose the appropriate store front for distribution in emerging markets. The
second article reviewed the emergence of ecommerce and online distribution channels, and the
last article reviewed the importance of marketing channels to eliminate channel conflict in
distribution. Each article provides valuable insight and real-world application of the distribution
of products focusing on the current global, online, and multi-branded business environment
many marketers are in.
DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM THREE 5
References
Bellin, H. (2016). Branding and Marketing Channel Strategies: Some Effects on Channel
Partners. Journal of Marketing Channels, 23(4), 255–257.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1046669x.2016.1224311
Festa, G., Cuomo, M. T., Metallo, G., & Festa, A. (2016). The (r)evolution of wine marketing
mix: From the 4Ps to the 4Es. Journal of Business Research, 69(5), 1550–1555.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.10.015
Jiang, H., & Ma, J. (2018). Effects of Internet Sales Promotion on a Differential Advertising
Model. Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, 2018, 1–11.
https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8618146
Kumar, V., Sunder, S., & Sharma, A. (2015). Leveraging Distribution to Maximize Firm
Performance in Emerging Markets. Journal of Retailing, 91(4), 627–643.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2014.08.005
Pappas, N. (2016). Marketing strategies, perceived risks, and consumer trust in online buying
behaviour. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 29, 92–103.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.11.007
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