Marketing Supply Chain 

Marketing supply chain management is a difficult task and it requires balancing various factors. If you don’t employ the right tools at the right time, then all of your marketing activities would go wasted. today, we’ll discuss marketing supply chain management; the connection between marketing and supply chain, and the role of marketing in supply chain management.

What is Marketing Supply Chain Management? 

Marketing supply chain management is the method of developing, producing, creating, and distributing marketing material by maximizing efficiency and minimizing the risk factor. If you don’t have a proper MSC, then it would become risky and difficult, and it increases the cost significantly.

The marketing supply chain comprises a group of suppliers that the company depends on for the development of its marketing material and promotes its products and services. However, the MSC consists of various stakeholders both inside and outside the organization, and they’re as follows;

• Fulfillment houses personals
• Buyers and printers
• Direct sales team
• Agencies
• Marketing services
• Brand managers

The flow of the Marketing Supply Chain 

Some of the key steps involved in the flow of the marketing supply chain are as follows;

Developing

It is the stage when you recognize and create the marketing material to meet the needs and wishes of customers and offer support to the sales initiative and the sales program.

Production

As the name implies, it is the stage when you get the material to go through in various forms like sourcing, web development, or printing.

Warehousing

Warehousing comprises planning, storage strategy, or technology.

Fulfillment

Fulfillment is the stage that outlines the usage of material and its display in the field and how you would store it based on the seasonality and the availability of products and services. However, it comprises of following steps;

• Tracking and shipment use and consumption
• Service standards
• Order management

Feedback

It means gathering information from various sources for continuous improvement. Some of those sources are;

• Inventor reporting
• Management metrics and evaluation criteria
• Customer and field feedback

Connection b/w Marketing & Supply Chain Management 

Strategizing Business

If you are investing in an advertisement and MSC when your SC doesn’t have sufficient resources, then it would disturb your profitability and waste of investment. If you have got a resilient supply chain, then your focus should be on strategizing the business.

Speedy Delivery Service

Amazon Prime and various other delivery services have increased the expectations of customers; now they want fast and quick delivery. Speedy delivery service amplifies the customer conversion rate.

If you have got a well-optimized logistic network that allows you to deliver products within a day or two; then it gives a competitive edge to your business while marketing and promoting your product or service. However, if you integrate your shipping solution into your product marketing, then it gives you a strong competitive edge.

Built-in Marketing Tool

Your focus should be on developing a SC that has got a built-in marketing tool, rather than creating separate strategies both for SC and marketing. It is important to have a mindset of exploiting what you already have built while marketing and promoting your product or services.

Role of Marketing in Supply Chain Management 

Marketing plays a significant role in the growth of your business and SC processes; the MSC helps your business in the following ways;

Defining Roles & Target Market

Marketing employs various media channels and methods for communication to notify suppliers about the brand they are supporting. The role it is playing in the customer experience while delivering the final product or service. However, marketers need to know about their stakeholders and how they play their part in the supply chain. Some of the channels they employ are as follows;

• Newsletter
• Magazines
• Email
• Press release
• White paper

Establishing Collaboration

Marketing develops and promotes a culture of collaboration and coordination by regularly communicating with suppliers. It is significant that you should employ specific messages to connect with them and bring them into your team. Connecting with them regularly and consistently would help you to streamline all the internal and external partners.

Linking Supply & Demand

It is important for various departments and units of the company to beware of the industry and market trends, and the marketing is very well aware of the market trends. It means that you should know their needs, wishes, and wants, and keep them in mind while developing products and services for them. You can employ this knowledge and awareness to connect with various channels in the supply chain.

Showing Your Expertise

Marketing highlights your skills and expertise and informs customers about the things you can do for them. The marketing material focuses on the expertise of your SC and the steps you can take to take things further. You can expertise in the following ways;

• Leadership support
• Case studies
• Testimonials
• Success stories

Emphasizing Business Efforts

Marketing aligns the company’s activities and its messages so that it becomes easier for customers and the target market to know what you are offering. It allows you to connect with other successful brands to amplify your market reach.

Effective Utilization of Data

Marketers employ various data analytics and information to comprehend the target audience and market trends and various pieces of the market. The marketing department recognizes the weak points in the SC and tries to fix them.

Conclusion: Marketing Supply Chain Management 

After an in-depth study of the marketing supply chain; we have realized marketing and promotion SC play significant for the growth of businesses. If you are learning about the marketing SC and how it impacts SC, then you should keep in mind the abovementioned factors.