SMU MBA ASSIGNMENTS

To ensure sales, companies go to great lengths to make sure that their products are visible in stores and are presented in an appealing, ‘sellable’ way. This is called merchandising, which includes product packaging, placement, promotions and pricing to appeal to the target market. == Answer == One definition of Merchandising is a marketing practice in which the brand or image from one product or service is used to sell another. It is most prominently seen in connection with films, usually those in current release and with television shows oriented towards children. 

. Trademarked brand names, logos, or character images are licensed to manufacturers of products such as toys or clothing, who then make items in or emblazoned with the image of the license, hoping they’ll sell better than the same item with no such image. Merchandising, especially in connection with child-oriented films and TV shows, often consists of toys made in the likeness of the show’s characters or items which they use. However, sometimes it can be the other way around, with the show written to include the toys, as advertising for the merchandise. The first major example of this was the TV show “He-man and the Masters of the Universe,” in the early 1980s, but this practice has been common in children’s broadcasting ever since. Sometimes merchandising from a television show can grow far beyond the original show, even lasting decades after the show has largely disappeared from popularity (Hello Kitty). In other cases, huge amounts of merchandise can be generated from a pitifully small amount of source material (Mashimaro). A smaller niche in merchandising is the marketing of more adult-oriented products in connection with similarly adult-oriented films and TV shows. This is common especially with the science fiction and horror genres. (Examples: Star Trek, McFarlane Toys) Occasionally shows which were intended more for children find a following among adults, and you can see a bit of a crossover, with products from that show oriented towards both adults and children. (Gundam model kits) The most common adult-oriented merchandising, however, is that related to professional sports teams (and their players). Sometimes a brand of non-media products can achieve enough recognition and respect that simply putting its name or images on a completely unrelated item can sell that item. (An example would be Harley-Davidson branded clothing.) Merchandising, as commonly used in Marketing also means the promotion of merchandise sales, as by coordinating production and marketing and developing advertising, display, and sales strategies to increase retail sales. This includes disciplines in pricing and discounting, physical presentation of products and displays, and the decisions about which products should be presented to which customers at what time.

Export house is a business term used primarily in global markets outside the United States to describe a company that develops products for its country’s export market. The job functions of the export house merchandiser compare closely to aspects of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics job descriptions for the wholesale and retail buyer; production, planning and expediting clerks; and the shipping, receiving and traffic clerk.
Product Development

• A merchandiser can have both buyer and seller roles. As a buyer for materials needed in production, his duties might include sourcing vendors, securing samples and communicating between the export house and suppliers. In the seller role, the merchandiser helps buyers with developing merchandise specifications for export house orders.

Export house duties can include developing samples and presentation portfolios used to secure prospective buyers. An educational background in design may be sought for an export merchandiser whose primary duty is to assist clients with product development. In the garment industry, for instance, the merchandiser may help a client develop custom specifications for garment designs, including fabric and color selections.

Production Coordinator

• The export house merchandiser’s role may also include coordinating at every stage of the manufacturing and production processes. This entails the general flow of work and materials within and among departments. The merchandiser might participate in developing production and shipment schedules and milestones. And she might coordinate meetings among department supervisors, designers and sales teams to monitor the progress and completion dates for projects
• An export merchandiser might analyze past buying trends, sales records, pricing and merchandise quality to determine value and yield. Duties might also include overseeing the assemblage, addressing, stamping and arranging for transportation to export markets. He might also be expected to ensure that export products comply with the quality control and export specification standards required by national regulators.

Other Duties

Country Variances

• The role of the merchandiser in an export house will differ among countries and export houses. An Indian export house will operate under different regulations than an Australian export house. This will shape the work functions of the merchandiser within each market’s export house. Some export houses have a home country and international offices. As an example, the export house Mandakini Fashions’ home office is located in Mumbai, India, but it has multinational offices in Paris and offices in other parts of India.