Securing Marketing Support from Channel Members: Insights from an Empirical Study

Abstract

How can manufacturers foster middlemen cooperation and marketing support for their products? This paper presents empirical findings from the U.S. automobile channel to help us address this question. We argue that the key is to develop marketing programs that in turn make support financially desirable for middlemen. We explore, in the car industry, how different manufacturer strategies affect dealer profits and reactions, and how these effects vary with dealer characteristics.