Marketing Channel Structure Analysis--Mobile Phone Channels In China

As the carrier of marketing behaviors, marketing channels carry the responsibility of fulfilling the movement of commodities from manufacturers to consumers. They play a very important role in the economy. This article plan to solve the problem of channel structure design, i.e., how to design a suitable distribution channel on a standpoint of manufacturers, especially the problem of choosing which channel structure: direct channel or indirect channel.Theories on marketing channels are various in western literatures. Regarding channel structure there are various literature that formed a main stream of marketing channel theories. These structure theories are based on Microeconomics and Industry Organization theories. They focus on the efficiency of channel system try to analyze the change of channels through economic models. Though these theories are quite mature and applicable in western countries, they meet a great difficulty in applying to China's unique situation. So the author tried to alter the traditional channel structure theories and developed a modified economic model which can be used on China's situation. After developed the economic model the author did empirical study in one of the industry in China---Mobile Phone industry. This article creatively divided the development of Chinese cell phone distribution channel into four stages, and then specified the characteristic of each stage and the symbols of transforming from one stage to another. Finally the author used the economic model developed in the article to analyze the process of changes of cell phone channel.