New tradesman: A new mode of flat channel

As the explorer of the new mode of the post channel flattening era, the two deer, AIA and Haier have provided a new way of thinking on how to adjust and innovate the channels on which the problems are frequent and the dilemma is flat. The real successful implementation needs to be based on the specific situation of different enterprises and the competitive environment for targeted strategic planning and deployment.

The channel flattening is one of the most popular topics in marketing and business circles in recent years. From the promotion of product sales, channel flattening can maximize the profit margin of the terminal, while compressing the cost of the enterprise at the distribution level, so that end consumers can enjoy relatively more inexpensive products and services, thereby increasing terminal sales. From this level, many enterprises put the channel flat as the guiding ideas of their own channel construction, and combined with their own diversified market environment to continue to explore and practice, in order to find the most suitable for their own flat channel strategy, in this regard is a more prominent example of the two deer group in rural household electrical appliances market established two-level channel model. However, with the intensification of competition and the escalation of the industry, the drawbacks of the flat channel are exposed gradually and become the obstruction factor of the further development of enterprises. is to adjust the existing mode or to innovate the channel mode, which has become a dilemma choice for several enterprises in the channel Strategy planning.

The joy and sorrow of the flat of the Double deer Channel

As an early entry into the three or four-tier market of well-known household appliances brand, the Double deer group has started the rural household electrical appliances market exploration. After in-depth investigation and demonstration in the field, double deer found that compared to the one or two-line City perfect marketing system and logistics network, the brands want to send products to rural consumers smoothly, such as according to the existing channel mode, its distribution costs will be very alarming. On the other hand, the products from the factory to the retail terminals, after the various distribution links at the level of price increases, the end to the hands of consumers has been very high prices, which has become a key factor in curbing the rural market consumption demand. To reduce unnecessary costs, return the profits to the terminal business to better motivate terminal shipments, the two deer in ensuring their product quality at the same time, the original based on channel innovation of the two-level marketing model, the distribution of their own sales channels to maximize the compression, the final flat to only manufacturers-dealers- Terminal level two distribution network: Regardless of which level of the distributor, can only be their hands of the two deer products directly sold to retail terminals. The new channel model not only saves a great deal of cost for the double deer, makes the double deer refrigerator inexpensive brand image deeply rooted, but also more agile and efficient in the after-sale service, this provides the sufficient operation space for the terminal retail.

Other major brands at frequent branch offices, regional agent, and then to the large network of agents, such as two-stage channel model is a body light as Yan. Township rural market relatively fragmented, traffic inconvenience, when the product because of improper use of problems or contingency, the traditional channel structure through the retailer layer feedback to the manufacturer, the manufacturers to coordinate after-sale service, wait until the problem solved is not known to be donkey. The countryside is no more than the city, the consumers in the city are not familiar with each other, products out of the problem can only wait for the factory door, nowhere to get angry; but in the countryside, if manufacturers can not in the shortest possible time to the site to deal with product problems quickly, just a meal of the time bad comments will be spread throughout the village, 3 days, Problem brands will be completely relegated to the local area. And after the channel innovation of the two deer, can ensure that the general small problem 3 days to feedback to the factory, big problem leader will know that day, this greatly accelerated the two deer in the rural market reaction speed and mobility, but also for the double deer won a very good brand reputation and influence. In Sheyang County, Jiangsu Province, a 300-square-metre small pop a year retail double deer refrigerator more than 600 units, and the store sold all the refrigerators added together on 1000 sets.

After years of intensive cultivation, at present, the double deer has more than 12,000 terminals, more than 800 distributors, more than 3,000 terminal repair service outlets, in the vast rural market woven into a compact and effective sales network, this two-level channel network to support the double deer more than 1 billion yuan annual sales.

Although the two-tier channel model has made a contribution to the development of the two deer in the rural market and the revival of the old two-deer brand, but with the implementation of home appliances to the countryside, many industry predators and regional brands gradually sink the channel, competing in the three or four-line market for the strangulation of hand-to-hand combat, the competitive environment, the more severe competition, The disadvantages of flat channel are becoming more and more obvious.

The first problem is the weakening of the control of the channel and the difficulty of management. The more flattened the channel, enterprises need direct docking of the number of dealers and terminals, the two deer from the original less than 100 dealers to today's close to 1000, the scale has been 10 times times, but the management power and management style has not been a major change, although set up a branch, However, because the conflict between control and management can not be effectively delegated, the functions which should share the burden of management are only a mere formality. On the other hand, a large number of dealers because of the lack of effective evaluation also makes the quality of uneven, some regions because the quality of the distributor is very good sales, the other part of the no improvement. At the same time, because of the fierce competition, the loyalty of the dealers are also a few. Driven by the interests of all parties, dealers in the distribution of the two deer at the same time distribution of other home appliances brands, and some even the distribution of two deer Direct competition brand, which makes the two deer in the terminal market shipments greatly discounted. In addition, such as the flow of goods between different dealers, because the channel flat brought about by the increase in operating costs and logistics costs, dealers at all levels of interest contradictions between the escalation of the channel system and the healthy development of the enterprise's benign brand building bring a small impact and harm.

The above problem is only the channel flat operation in the process of many troubled iceberg, and encountered such problems is not just a double deer enterprise or home appliance industry, then for such problems, enterprises should adjust their own mode of operation? Is it possible to develop a better channel system on the basis of flat channel mode? or design a new channel flattening model that is more adaptable to the current competitive environment? Jumping out of the industry to see the market, may give marketers and business executives to bring more thinking and reference.

Self-owned terminal--new tradesman path of channel flattening

AIA Integrated Ceiling is a wonderful flower in the building materials industry in recent years, its subversive innovation concept will be the traditional home building materials industry pattern has been reconstructed. AIA's innovation is not only to create a new category of integrated ceiling products, but also to create a home building materials industry since the establishment of the image Terminal new channel mode, and through the product and channel upgrade to lead an industry development.

AIA to promote the integration of ceiling products better market development, has not selected building materials brand has always been customary traditional channel path--into Gome, suning and other home appliances sales stores and hundred homes, Oriental home and other building materials stores, but in building materials market and building materials a street to open 100% of the brand franchise stores, using the self-built terminals, The form of the proprietary terminal directly to the channel flat into, seize the commanding heights of the channel strategy. Through the image terminal's large-scale and vivid presentation, AIA let the integrated ceiling this brand-new product through the scene demonstration, the consumer experiences the way, will the product brand-new consumer idea carries on the transmission, thus causes the consumer to form the intuitive impression, and can profoundly understand its core value. At the same time, well-designed terminal stores also give AIA application design consultants a space for professional design consulting for consumers, so that consumers and design consultants together for DIY design, to do a full product elements of the application design and creative inspiration. Facts have proved that by subversion of the original home appliances chain and building materials chain terminal form, from the store path into the self-terminal mode, AIA let their innovative products quickly covered the national mainstream cities and consumer areas, and quickly grow into a new category industry leader brand.

On the other hand, AIA changed the original home appliances and building materials industry promotional shopping guide staff generally forced to sell the way, first product application design consultancy Consulting service concept, make full use of terminal channels, so that AIA designers in this "one mu three points" of the closed brand store space to AIA brand connotation, personality design, Standard services such as interpretation to the extreme. Secondly, through the construction of the Terminal channel management, AIA has greatly reduced the circulation cost and operating cost of middlemen and distribution channels, and the saved funds can invest heavily in the development and design of innovative products, so that AIA's products have been continuously innovative style, and 12 consecutive product upgrades, Become the industry's absolute leading brand. and by AIA Headquarters Direct management guidance of the terminal image shop, are strictly in accordance with the uniform requirements of the Headquarters for the standardization of Decoration, layout and display, terminal store image and all the hardware and software are unified design and production, shopping guide staff wearing, words, the designer's service standards are also unified guidance and training, So as to ensure the attractiveness of all terminal stores and sales force, effectively evade the channel flat to bring the quality of distributors, sales can not control the adverse situation.

AIA in the building materials industry through a series of innovation to become a black horse, quickly occupy the leading position, and the home appliance industry, through the self-terminal channel Innovation practice case is not uncommon. With the last piece of the home appliance market--the more intense competition in rural household appliances market and the continuous upgrading of the household appliances industry, the channel mode of the self terminal has been gradually recognized and tried to use by more and more household appliance brands, among which the typical representative is Haier's day and day shun appliance chain stores.

Through the shares, Haier has become the daily shun home appliances, the actual controller. As Haier to expand the three or four-tier market bridgehead, Japan and Japan Shun with its unique innovative model to obtain rapid development and expansion, only 2010 years, Japan and Japan have contributed to the Haier 8 billion revenue. According to the public data show, so far, Japan has built a county network as the core of the county, town, village three network system, county-level network reached more than 7,000, township network reached 30,000, village-level base area to achieve 130,000.

Haier's acquisition of the day and the day to achieve a proprietary terminal channel flat innovation-type upgrade. Japan and Japan shun the initial market in the form of small home appliances, to store and chain stores both the form of profit, and then through professional marketing network, efficient logistics network and professional service network support, to achieve a catalogue of goods, online shopping malls, entity shop Trinity of the complex terminal industry transformation. The proprietary terminal mode of controlling the day by day not only strengthens Haier's control over the channel, but also guarantees the market share, profit margin and cash flow. As the function of the distribution terminal, Japan and Suning and the United States in the same sales procurement cycle There is a time lag, which gives Haier a large number of disposable liquidity. Secondly, a large number of standardized replication of the scale of the terminal greatly enhanced Haier in the channel price and channel control on the right to make Haier in the procurement, logistics and after-sale and other aspects of competitiveness have been greatly improved.

As a typical new tradesman path, AIA and Japan-Japan shun the terminal innovation business model, for other enterprises in the channel flattening of the improvement and Innovation provides reference and reference, some of the key factors can provide more reference for practical implementation.

One is to win the system, standardization, information, large-scale system is the key to win the terminal channel. AIA Terminal stores unified image decoration, layout, display, standardized out of the sample, hardware and software facilities and shopping guide, the National network of Information design program database, the terminal channel of the "Pull rabbit" force embodied to the extreme, into the system of standardized terminals to create also for AIA innovation products promoted and promoted the role of promoting, and changed the building materials industry consumer-led purchase model, as a terminal channel to guide the creation of consumption, created every 67 seconds the birth of an AIA user miracle. Haier day by day to make full use of large-scale, information-based system to enhance Haier's competitiveness in the three or four-line market, whether it is from raw material procurement cost bargaining power or the face of terminal retail bargaining power have been significantly strengthened, at the same time the mature information construction fully guarantee the logistics and distribution of high efficiency, So that the profit space of the channel system has been quite improved.

Second, fine marketing. Details determine success or failure, in the system to win the details of the terminal link is extremely important, any place a little negligence may be far-reaching, the fine marketing of the dozen created for innovative channel model to succeed one of the necessary conditions. AIA's fine marketing fully penetrated to the terminals of every link and every corner. The hardware inspection of AIA's stores is based on the two dimensions of time and space before opening, in and out of the shop outside all the details of all included, covering the door, window, floor mats, reception desk, negotiation area, display racks, image display tools, the ground, easel and so on a large and small indicators of nearly hundred, Even sanitary products in the sanitary treatment after the completion of how to properly receive are considered. And the fine of the day is more embodied in its three-network integration of the architecture: professional marketing Network to provide customers with the most immediate product information and a phone call to complete all the orders under the high efficiency of the single mode; Advanced logistics management and distribution system of high efficient logistics network, Can quickly delivery of goods to customers and through reverse logistics to provide rapid after-sale repair services, professional services network for customers to set up a dedicated return to the system, the first time to solve the various problems of customers.

In addition, it includes proficient links, excellent efficiency, subdivision of functions, refinement of positions, such as "Five fine six fine" refinement of the law of the implementation and high image, high bargaining power, high bargaining power of the three core values of the building and so are AIA and Japan and Japan shun new tradesman business path to the successful implementation of the important conditions.

As the explorer of the new mode of the post channel Flattening era, AIA and Japan have provided a new way for other related enterprises to adjust and innovate the way of the channel flattening in the problem frequency and the dilemma. The real successful implementation needs to be based on the specific situation of different enterprises and the competitive environment for targeted strategic planning and deployment. In short, the channel flat mode innovation is an unavoidable trend, who can find the most effective path in this adjustment to stand out, who will be in the future channel competition to become the leader.

(Shi Qiang is the founder of Shanghai Jin-kun Culture Development Group, the Shanghai Modern Service Federation, the Secretary of the Special Committee, the Shanghai Municipal Government brand experts committee.) Public micro-letter: Kam-kun brand marketing; Weibo: @ Kam-kun stone strong, @ Kam-kun brand marketing; Email: shizhangqiang@sohu.com