2008

After a period of strong growth most mobile operators are now facing increasingly saturated markets. Since most companies are selling both directly and indirectly, managing channel performance is of utmost importance. Companies must identify the right channel-mix, develop their channel-partners and unleash the potential of channel-based CRM to preserve sales growth and boost market share.

Of course, channel management cannot be fully effective if it is a stand-alone effort. Channel management must be closely interlinked with products, pricing, quality, branding, segmentation and customer knowledge. However, we have discovered that in many cases channel management is an underused weapon in a company’s arsenal. In addition, the cost-return ratio of investing in the channel is often higher compared to other marketing tools such as heavy-discounting, ubiquitous advertising and confusing proliferation of product/service options. Three key challenges arise for a best-in-class channel management: channel-mix optimization, channel-development, and channel-based CRM.

At Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, we have expansive experience in optimizing channel management. We have worked extensively in the industry – not just with mobile companies, but also supporting fixed-line operators. In particular, we offer support in following areas: