CHANNEL MANAGEMENT - 2020/1

Module Overview

Marketing Channels are the routes to markets - digital as well as physical - used to sell products and services that consumers and business buyers purchase. In an increasingly competitive business environment, with margins and profits under ever greater pressure, the effective and efficient management of this channels is central to performance of the different supply chain partners.

This module focuses on marketing channel management as a strategic component of the marketing mix alongside the product, price and communication management. It takes into considerations the demand/marketing as well as the supply/logistics side of channels and takes into considerations the significant challenges that evolve with complex multi/omni channel environments.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

SAJJAD Farhana (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Module content

Indicative content in the context of channel management in a digital environment includes:

• Conceptual framework of strategic channel management ​​​​.


• Organisation and control of the channel management process.


• Retail product management


• Channel logistics/supply chain management.


• Category management.


• Channel conflict and negotiation


• International supply chain relationships and supply chain partnering.


• Contemporary developments; eg. omni-channel behaviour, show/web rooming.


• Corporate social responsibility: implications for channel management.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Individual Coursework – 1500 word report

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to: i) provide students with a practical opportunity to apply theoretical concepts of channel management (from the fields of marketing and supply chain management); ii) demonstrate their theoretical and practical understanding associated with channel management. Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of two components:

Assessment 1 - Assignment (Mini-project, 50% weight): Students are required to submit a 3000-words written group (maximum of two students) report on the channel management strategy and tactics of a specific manufacturer. More specifically, students are required to describe and critically evaluate the digital as well as physical dimensions of the channel of their choice and then report their findings in writing. Relevant concepts and theories must be used in both setting up an evaluation structure and interpreting and consequently discussing the results of the empirical evaluation. All reports must be submitted via SurreyLearn. The assignment enables students to:

• Apply relevant consumer behaviour, marketing and management concepts and theories in describing and examining a marketing channel;


• Critically and insightfully analyse the operational effectiveness of the marketing channel and


• Prepare and present management report that facilitates the construction and management of a specific marketing channel;

This first assessment relates specifically (but not exclusively) to the following learning outcomes (ascending order of importance) – LO2, LO4, LO3 and LO6.

Assessment 2 - Exam (50% weight): An individual assessment, students are required to answer two short-essay questions within two hours. This assessment aims to test both theoretical and practical understanding of students in relation to the module. The individual exam enables students to:

• Identify and apply relevant theoretical concepts to address various marketing channel management issues,


• Critically and insightfully evaluate good and bad channel management practices in various product contexts, and then provide recommendations to address these good and bad practices.


• Insightfully understand the strategic and operational importance of channel management from different supply chain partners’ perspectives;

Both assessment components have been designed to:

• Develop an understanding of the origins and latest development of channel management practices across different sectors,


• Gain a sound and critically informed knowledge of the essential concepts and models within the marketing as well as the supply chain management discipline, and


• then apply these concepts in critically examining ‘real-life’ channel management practices. This second assessment relates specifically (but not exclusively) to the following learning outcomes (ascending order of importance) – LO1, LO4, LO3 and LO5.

Formative assessment and feedback will be provided in seminars as part of group discussions and presentations, i.e. verbal feedback and mini assignment which informs the final summative assessment. The assignment will be the principal means of providing formative feedback. Students will be given indications of achievement on five-point scales between poor and strong; one for each of the assessment criteria published with the brief in week one. This will be supplemented by qualitative feedback. For the exam, individual feedback will be available on request, when marking has been completed. For both items of assessment, a summary statement of generic feedback and group performance will be supplied to assist the student in reflecting on their own individual performance relative to that of peers.

Module aims

• Provide background knowledge and process steps for designing and implementing high performing omnichannel strategies.
• Explore retail strategies from a viewpoint of product marketing and retail management.
• Provide a systemic understanding of the interplay between the strategic and operations marketing mix elements with a special focus given to channel management strategies and operations within a digital environment.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategies are designed to develop knowledge and understanding in both theoretical and practical perspectives. In addition to self-directed learning, the teaching and learning methods include formal lecture and tutorial, use of case studies and seminar exercises.

• 2 hrs x 11 lectures


• 1 hr x 5 seminars


• 123 hrs independent study

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM445

Other information

None.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.