Manufacturers' reliance on channel intermediaries: Value drivers in the presence of a direct web channel

Channel intermediaries constitute a key marketing asset, enabling manufacturers to reach out to and serve end-users or customers. The manufacturer-intermediary relationship has to create value for and deliver it to the end-user. In this process manufacturers and intermediaries add value to each other. Drawing upon the Governance Value Analysis (GVA) framework, this paper focuses on the manufacturer's perspective of value contributed by themselves and their intermediaries. The research setting is a multi-channel context where the manufacturer employs a direct web site for marketing in addition to the intermediary channel. We find that relational investments in intangible assets such as training and operating procedures by manufacturers in intermediaries, and intermediary investments in their end-customer relationships, increase manufacturers' reliance on intermediaries even when the manufacturer has its own direct web site. Further. regardless of having their own website, manufacturers' reliance on intermediaries increases with the web competence of their intermediaries. In addition, we find that, to the extent that the manufacturer's direct web site can perform the same functions as the intermediaries, manufacturer reliance on its intermediaries decreases. Surprisingly, manufacturers whose web sites have e-commerce transaction facility, rely on intermediaries more than those manufacturers whose web sites do not have this facility. Finally, the study finds that manufacturers' reliance on intermediaries has increased over time despite their direct web channels, probably due to market growth opportunities. Overall, our study findings showcase the complementary role played by manufacturers' web sites and intermediaries in serving their end customers in growth markets. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.