Abstract:

This paper describes how the growing concentration of retail power has made it increasingly important for manufacturers to optimise their relations with their key customers in order to secure a more favourable position there. This need has stimulated the development of trade marketing covering customer service in the broadest sense from sales and administration to marketing support. Consequently manufacturers, who have previously relied solely on internal sources for a playback of what is happening in the trade, are now commissioning trade research as an aid to the formulation and appraisal of their trade marketing policies. The practical uses of this research into the manufacturer/trade relationship are illustrated by case histories on: - The communication and promotion of relative strengths compared with the competition; - Remedial action, where practical, on relative weaknesses, so as to improve standing with the trade.