Title: Vehicle distribution and marketing - the last frontier for competitive advantage

Authors: L. Sherman

Addresses: Principal, Booz, Allen and Hamilton Inc., Paris, France

Abstract: Vehicle distribution and marketing can provide a significant competitive advantage in the motor industry both in the U.S. and Europe. Problems with current motorcar distribution and marketing policies in the U.S. and Europe are identified. Manufacturers are beginning to deal with these problems by creating new distribution channels. More fundamental to competitive success in distribution and marketing is simultaneously getting back to basics and abandoning business-as-usual approaches. In the future, the winners will be those companies introducing specialisation, economies of scale, cost control and attention to consumer service into their franchise systems while meeting real customer needs. At the same time, they will have to reduce option content and unnecessary product complexity to sharpen vehicle differentiation and definition.

Keywords: strategic planning; vehicle distribution; vehicle marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1985.061368

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1985 Vol.6 No.4/5, pp.426 - 427

Published online: 25 May 2014 *

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