How do marketing intermediaries add value?
Intermediaries perform certain marketing tasks—such as transporting, storing, selling, advertising, and relationship building—faster and cheaper than most manufacturers could. Channels of distribution ensure communication flows and the flow of money and title to goods. They also help ensure that the right quantity and assortment of goods will be available when and where needed. • What are the principles behind the use of such intermediaries? Marketing intermediaries can be eliminated, but their activities can’t; that is, you can eliminate some wholesalers and retailers, but then consumers or someone else would have to perform the retailer’s tasks, including transporting and storing goods, finding suppliers, and establishing communication with suppliers. Intermediary organizations have survived in the past because they have performed marketing functions faster and cheaper than others could. Intermediaries add costs to products, but these costs are usually more than offset by the values
