• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.100-118
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• 2011

Since 1990, income has been grown rapidly in Korea. Thus, concerns of environmental pollution and health have been increased among Korea's consumers. As a result of this concern, demand for safe food and agricultural products has been growing in Korea. Recently, purchasing patterns of Korea's consumers have been changed as Korea's society has changed to an aging society, growth of unmarried person, and low birthrate. Korea's consumers prefer to buy only volume that they need. Thus, the volume of agricultural products that they purchase became small. Therefore, retailers should reflect such needs of consumers to their business. The purpose of this study is to build up new strategies in order to make a high profit through customer's satisfaction when selling agricultural products. Using literature review, this study has drawn results. The results of this study is that retailers should lay products with brand in their store and establish trust with customers in oder to make loyal customers. In addition, retailers should prepare individual package of agricultural products for sales of a small volume to keep pace with social changes.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.53-77
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• 2013

As advertising and promotions are categorized as operating expenses, managers tend to reduce marketing budget to improve their short term profitability. Gauging the value and accountability of marketing spending is therefore considered as a major research priority in marketing. To respond this call, recent studies have documented that financial market reacts positively to a firm's marketing activity or marketing related outcomes such as brand equity and customer satisfaction. However, prior studies focus on the relation of marketing variable and financial market variables. This study suggests a channel about how marketing activity increases firm valuation. Specifically, we propose that a firm's marketing activity increases the level of the firm's product market information and thereby the dispersion in financial analysts' earnings forecasts decreases. With less uncertainty about the firm's future prospect, the firm's managers and shareholders have less information asymmetry, which reduces the firm's cost of capital and thereby increases the valuation of the firm. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to examine how informational benefits can mediate the effect of marketing activity on firm value. To test whether marketing activity contributes to increase in firm value by mitigating information asymmetry, this study employs a longitudinal data which contains 12,824 firm-year observations with 2,337 distinct firms from 1981 to 2006. Firm value is measured by Tobin's Q and one-year-ahead buy-and-hold abnormal return (BHAR). Following prior literature, dispersion in analysts' earnings forecasts is used as a proxy for the information gap between management and shareholders. For model specification, to identify mediating effect, the three-step regression approach is adopted. All models are estimated using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods to test the statistical significance of the mediating effect. The analysis shows that marketing intensity has a significant negative relationship with dispersion in analysts' earnings forecasts. After including the mediator variable about analyst dispersion, the effect of marketing intensity on firm value drops from 1.199 (p < .01) to 1.130 (p < .01) in Tobin's Q model and the same effect drops from .192 (p < .01) to .188 (p < .01) in BHAR model. The results suggest that analysts' forecast dispersion partially accounts for the positive effect of marketing on firm valuation. Additionally, the same analysis was conducted with an alternative dependent variable (forecast accuracy) and a marketing metric (advertising intensity). The analysis supports the robustness of the main results. In sum, the results provide empirical evidence that marketing activity can increase shareholder value by mitigating problem of information asymmetry in the capital market. The findings have important implications for managers. First, managers should be cognizant of the role of marketing activity in providing information to the financial market as well as to the consumer market. Thus, managers should take into account investors' reaction when they design marketing communication messages for reducing the cost of capital. Second, this study shows a channel on how marketing creates shareholder value and highlights the accountability of marketing. In addition to the direct impact of marketing on firm value, an indirect channel by reducing information asymmetry should be considered. Potentially, marketing managers can justify their spending from the perspective of increasing long-term shareholder value.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.61-118
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• 2008

The purpose of this research is to construct research framework for international franchising based on existing literature and to identify research components in the framework. Franchise can be defined as management styles that allow franchisee use various management assets of franchisor in order to make or sell product or service. It can be divided into product distribution franchise that is designed to sell products and business format franchise that is designed for running it as business whatever its form is. International franchising can be defined as a way of internationalization of franchisor to foreign country by providing its business format or package to franchisee of host country. International franchising is growing fast for last four decades but academic research on this is quite limited. Especially in Korea, research about international franchising is carried out on by case study format with single case or empirical study format with survey based on domestic franchise theory. Therefore, this paper tries to review existing literature on international franchising research, providing research framework, and then stimulating new research on this field. International franchising research components include motives and environmental factors for decision of expanding to international franchising, entrance modes and development plan for international franchising, contracts and management strategy of international franchising, and various performance measures from different perspectives. First, motives of international franchising are fee collection from franchisee. Also it provides easier way to expanding to foreign country. The other motives including increase total sales volume, occupying better strategic position, getting quality resources, and improving efficiency. Environmental factors that facilitating international franchising encompasses economic condition, trend, and legal or political factors in host and/or home countries. In addition, control power and risk management capability of franchisor plays critical role in successful franchising contract. Final decision to enter foreign country via franchising is determined by numerous factors like history, size, growth, competitiveness, management system, bonding capability, industry characteristics of franchisor. After deciding to enter into foreign country, franchisor needs to set entrance modes of international franchising. Within contractual mode, there are master franchising and area developing franchising, licensing, direct franchising, and joint venture. Theories about entrance mode selection contain concepts of efficiency, knowledge-based approach, competence-based approach, agent theory, and governance cost. The next step after entrance decision is operation strategy. Operation strategy starts with selecting a target city and a target country for franchising. In order to finding, screening targets, franchisor needs to collect information about candidates. Critical information includes brand patent, commercial laws, regulations, market conditions, country risk, and industry analysis. After selecting a target city in target country, franchisor needs to select franchisee, in other word, partner. The first important criteria for selecting partners are financial credibility and capability, possession of real estate. And cultural similarity and knowledge about franchisor and/or home country are also recognized as critical criteria. The most important element in operating strategy is legal document between franchisor and franchisee with home and host countries. Terms and conditions in legal documents give objective information about characteristics of franchising agreement for academic research. Legal documents have definitions of terminology, territory and exclusivity, agreement of term, initial fee, continuing fees, clearing currency, and rights about sub-franchising. Also, legal documents could have terms about softer elements like training program and operation manual. And harder elements like law competent court and terms of expiration. Next element in operating strategy is about product and service. Especially for business format franchising, product/service deliverable, benefit communicators, system identifiers (architectural features), and format facilitators are listed for product/service strategic elements. Another important decision on product/service is standardization vs. customization. The rationale behind standardization is cost reduction, efficiency, consistency, image congruence, brand awareness, and competitiveness on price. Also standardization enables large scale R&D and innovative change in management style. Another element in operating strategy is control management. The simple way to control franchise contract is relying on legal terms, contractual control system. There are other control systems, administrative control system and ethical control system. Contractual control system is a coercive source of power, but franchisor usually doesn't want to use legal power since it doesn't help to build up positive relationship. Instead, self-regulation is widely used. Administrative control system uses control mechanism from ordinary work relationship. Its main component is supporting activities to franchisee and communication method. For example, franchisor provides advertising, training, manual, and delivery, then franchisee follows franchisor's direction. Another component is building franchisor's brand power. The last research element is performance factor of international franchising. Performance elements can be divided into franchisor's performance and franchisee's performance. The conceptual performance measures of franchisor are simple but not easy to obtain objectively. They are profit, sale, cost, experience, and brand power. The performance measures of franchisee are mostly about benefits of host country. They contain small business development, promotion of employment, introduction of new business model, and level up technology status. There are indirect benefits, like increase of tax, refinement of corporate citizenship, regional economic clustering, and improvement of international balance. In addition to those, host country gets socio-cultural change other than economic effects. It includes demographic change, social trend, customer value change, social communication, and social globalization. Sometimes it is called as westernization or McDonaldization of society. In addition, the paper reviews on theories that have been frequently applied to international franchising research, such as agent theory, resource-based view, transaction cost theory, organizational learning theory, and international expansion theories. Resource based theory is used in strategic decision based on resources, like decision about entrance and cooperation depending on resources of franchisee and franchisor. Transaction cost theory can be applied in determination of mutual trust or satisfaction of franchising players. Agent theory tries to explain strategic decision for reducing problem caused by utilizing agent, for example research on control system in franchising agreements. Organizational Learning theory is relatively new in franchising research. It assumes organization tries to maximize performance and learning of organization. In addition, Internalization theory advocates strategic decision of direct investment for removing inefficiency of market transaction and is applied in research on terms of contract. And oligopolistic competition theory is used to explain various entry modes for international expansion. Competency theory support strategic decision of utilizing key competitive advantage. Furthermore, research methodologies including qualitative and quantitative methodologies are suggested for more rigorous international franchising research. Quantitative research needs more real data other than survey data which is usually respondent's judgment. In order to verify theory more rigorously, research based on real data is essential. However, real quantitative data is quite hard to get. The qualitative research other than single case study is also highly recommended. Since international franchising has limited number of applications, scientific research based on grounded theory and ethnography study can be used. Scientific case study is differentiated with single case study on its data collection method and analysis method. The key concept is triangulation in measurement, logical coding and comparison. Finally, it provides overall research direction for international franchising after summarizing research trend in Korea. International franchising research in Korea has two different types, one is for studying Korean franchisor going overseas and the other is for Korean franchisee of foreign franchisor. Among research on Korean franchisor, two common patterns are observed. First of all, they usually deal with success story of one franchisor. The other common pattern is that they focus on same industry and country. Therefore, international franchise research needs to extend their focus to broader subjects with scientific research methodology as well as development of new theory.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.193-224
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• 2006

When we look into the market economy of our country recently, we learn that the mind of consumption after IMF crisis is very shrunk and the market is led into a serious slump of consumption. For an approach to survive the contraction of the market and the market competition, enterprises command a variety of sales promotion strategy, out of which presentation is a sales promotion strategy to give the same product. The price-discounted strategy through the provision of donation commodity may induce the temporarily-discounted commodity not to be sold to the consumers or make a damage of the images of the brand, or arouse the price war against other companies, or lower the sense of the quality of the commodity. Therefore, it is necessary for a company to meet the end users' demand and also maintain the evaluation of the quality on the consumers' products highly. Therefore, in this study, we have attempted to study and analyze the consumers' satisfaction level and reliability on the donation goods in order to suggest the orientation of the presentation promotion strategy in accordance with the changes of the sales market. In addition, we tried to understand how the recognition, consumers' satisfaction level and reliability on the presentation goods had on the repurchase. With such objectives in this study, we could make an analogy of the following significance and suggestion of study. Firstly, in order to survive a serious competition market, enterprises must execute the product presentation along with diverse events instead of commanding the sales promotion strategy through a simple product presentation. This strategy can be an alternative to lower the danger a person-to-person product presentation may bring about. That is to say, we shall not lower the quality and value of the products but enhance a new image to customers through a product donation occasion together with an event as a new marketing pioneering method. Secondly, during the period of the current economic depression, if a company provides the consumers with an opportunity free of charge through the present special event period and the practical events, it will affect the advertising effect of the goods, the introduction of the customers and customers' repurchase. For this purpose, the company has to heighten customers' preferences by selecting the items customers are liable to prefer and closely analyze the consumers' response and market for such an objective. Thirdly, with the internet age, as the market has a tendency to increase In the number of consumers who do shopping in the internet, the marketing strategy has to build up the strategy of the presentation product instead of a simple offline strategy. For example, a company shall have to draw attention or attraction from end users who intend to do shopping through the online by a product planning expo or a presentation product corner. Fourthly, the excessive sale promotion strategy of presentation products may bring about even a reverse effect on the value of the goods or consumers' attitude as seen above. Therefore, a company has to relay' the value as to the price' to the consumers instead of the sales promotion strategy of donation products just for a temporary sales volume. Conclusively, even if we put the value with a reasonable price through the presentation product strategy in the past, we shall have construct the strategy by providing some plus factors in the price such as the provision of the upgraded products or services instead of just presentation, or the invitation of the events related to diverse events or culture arts from now on.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.49-59
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• 2011

A franchise can be said to be the main method of distribution and marketing. It appears to be the future of the retail industry and is one of the world's fastest growing businesses sectors, as many policy reports and research results have acknowledged. Korea's franchise industry began in the 1970s, spread out into many areas (including food services, retail, and the service industry), and has grown by over 10% each year ever since. The industry's influence on the national economy becomes ever greater. Although the size of the franchise industry is expected to grow as it spreads and as the government expands its support, it has not yet attracted much academic interest. Research has so far been very fragmented. The main interest has been the relationship and conflicts between the head offices and the affiliates. No study has yet occurred on whether the concepts of satisfaction and intent to conclude a contract directly affect the success or failure of the affiliates. Few studies have empirically inquired into the demographic characteristics and abilities of the affiliates that significantly affect their results. Domestic franchise industries must prepare to leap from quantitative to qualitative growth. Most important is the need for affiliate headquarters and affiliates to build confidence between them. A friendly and reliable relationship between affiliate headquarters and affiliates will eliminate distrust from the franchise and maintain a healthy franchise system. This study suggests that current and prospective heads of affiliation should concentrate not on attracting affiliates but on investment and techniques of affiliate support. They should work on the reinforcement of brand power, the appropriate affiliate business environment, systematic education/training, taking burdens off the affiliate business persons, consolidating the relationship with the affiliate business persons, marketing mix factors (e.g. products, price conditions, logistics and shipping services, promotion, supervising and supervisor, operation procedures/processes, and material evidence); these all greatly affect the success or failure of the affiliate business. Supporting the affiliates is an important factor that enhances their results and satisfaction and consequently increases the positive recommendations to others and the ratio of recurrent conclusions of contracts, which ultimately generate the growth of the franchises. In addition, it is suggested that prospective franchise founders should make every effort to choose a good head office since the characteristics of the head office greatly influence the success of the affiliates. This study is significant in that it grasps the characteristics of the head office of affiliation and of the affiliates that influence affiliate results in ways not yet academically attempted.

• 한국벤처창업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.375-404
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• 2007

When we look into the market economy of our country recently, we learn that the mind of consumption after IMF crisis is very shrunk and the market is led into a serious slump of consumption. For an approach to survive the contraction of the market and the market competition, enterprises command a variety of sales promotion strategy, out of which presentation is a sales promotion strategy to give the same product. The price-discounted strategy through the provision of donation commodity may induce the temporarily-discounted commodity not to be sold to the consumers or make a damage of the images of the brand, or arouse the price war against other companies, or lower the sense of the quality of the commodity. Therefore, it is necessary for a company to meet the end users' demand and also maintain the evaluation of the quality on the consumers' products highly. Therefore, in this study, we have attempted to study and analyze the consumers' satisfaction level and reliability on the donation goods in order to suggest the orientation of the presentation promotion strategy in accordance with the changes of the sales market. In addition, we tried to understand how the recognition, consumers' satisfaction level and reliability on the presentation goods had on the repurchase. With such objectives in this study, we could make an analogy of the following significance and suggestion of study. Firstly, in order to survive a serious competition market, enterprises must execute the product presentation along with diverse events instead of commanding the sales promotion strategy through a simple product presentation. This strategy can be an alternative to lower the danger a person-to-person product presentation may bring about. That is to say, we shall not lower the quality and value of the products but enhance a new image to customers through a product donation occasion together with an event as a new marketing pioneering method. Secondly, during the period of the current economic depression, if a company provides the consumers with an opportunity free of charge through the present special event period and the practical events, it will affect the advertising effect of the goods, the introduction of the customers and customers' repurchase. For this purpose, the company has to heighten customers' preferences by selecting the items customers are liable to prefer and closely analyze the consumer's response and market for such an objective. Thirdly, with the internet age, as the market has a tendency to increase in the number of consumers who do shopping in the internet, the marketing strategy has to build up the strategy of the presentation product instead of a simple offline strategy. For example, a company shall have to draw attention or attraction from end users who intend to do shopping through the online by a product planning expo or a presentation product corner. Fourthly, the excessive sale promotion strategy of presentation products may bring about even a reverse effect on the value of the goods or consumers' attitude as seen above. Therefore, a company has to relay 'the value as to the price' to the consumers instead of the sales promotion strategy of donation products just for a temporary sales volume. Conclusively, even if we put the value with a reasonable price through the presentation product strategy in the past, we shall have construct the strategy by providing some plus factors in the price such as the provision of the upgraded products or services instead of just presentation, or the invitation of the events related to diverse events or culture arts from now on.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.111-133
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• 2010

Marketing financial services used to be easier. Today, the competition in financial services is fierce. Not only has the competition become more intense, financial services have also changed structurally. In an environment with various customer needs and severe competitions, the marketing in financial services industry is getting more difficult and more important than before. However, there are still not enough studies on financial services marketing in Korea whereas lots of research papers have been published frequently in some international journals. The purpose of this paper is (1)to review the literature on financial services marketing, (2)to investigate current marketing activities based on in-depth interview with financial marketing managers in Korea, and (3)to suggest some implications for future research on the financial services marketing. Financial products are not consumer products. In fact, they are not products at all in the way product marketing is usually described. Nor are they altogether like services. The financial industry operates in a unique way, and its marketing tasks are correspondingly complex. However, the literature review shows that there has been a lack of basic studies which dealt with inherent characteristics of financial services marketing compared to the research on marketing in other industries. Many studies in domestic marketing journals have so far focused only on the general customer behaviors and the special issues in some financial industries. However, for more effective financial services marketing, we have to answer following questions. Is there any difference between financial service marketing and consumer packaged goods marketing? What are the differences between the financial services marketing and other services marketing such as education and health services? Are there different ways of marketing among banks, securities firms, insurance firms, and credit card companies? In other words, we need more detailed research as well as basic studies about the financial services marketing. For example, we need concrete definitions of financial services marketing, bank marketing, securities firm marketing, and etc. It is also required to compare the characteristics of each marketing within the financial services industry. The products sold in each market have different characteristics such as duration and degree of risk-taking. It means that there are sub-categories in financial services marketing. We have to consider them in the future research on the financial services marketing. It is also necessary to study customer decision making process in the financial markets. There have been little research on how customers search and process information, compare alternatives, make final decision, and repeat their choices. Because financial services have some unique characteristics, we need different understandings in the customer behaviors compared to the behaviors in other service markets. And also considering the rapid growth in financial markets and upcoming severe competition between domestic and global financial companies, it is time to start more systematic and detailed research on financial services marketing in Korea. In the second part of this paper, I analyzed the results of in-depth interview with 20 marketing managers of financial services companies in Korea. As a result, I found that the role of marketing departments in Korean financial companies are mainly focused on the short-term activities such as sales support, promotion, and CRM data analysis although the size and history of marketing departments to some extent show a sign of maturity. Most companies established official marketing departments before 2001. Average number of employees in a marketing department is about 58. However, marketing managers in eight companies(40% of the sample) still think that the purpose of marketing is only to support and manage general sales activities. It shows that some companies have sales-oriented concept rather than marketing-oriented concept. I also found three key words which marketing managers think importantly in financial services markets. They are (1)Trust in customer relationship, (2)Brand differentiation, and (3)Rapid response to customer needs. 50% of the sample support that "Trust" is the most important key word in the financial services marketing. It is interesting that 80% of banks and securities companies think that "Trust" is the most important thing, whereas managers in credit card companies consider "Rapid response to customer needs" as the most important key word in their market. In addition, there are different problems recognition of marketing managers depending on the types of financial industries they belong to. For example, in the case of banks and insurance companies, marketing managers consider "a lack of communication with other departments" as the most serious problem. On the other hand, in the case of securities firms, "a lack of utilization of customer data" is the most serious problem. These results imply that there are different important factors for the customer satisfaction depending on the types of financial industries, and managers have to consider them when marketing financial products in more effective ways. For example, It will be necessary for marketing managers to study different important factors which affect customer satisfaction, repeat purchase, degree of risk-taking, and possibility of cross-selling according to the types of financial industries. I also suggested six hypothetical propositions for the future research.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.191-203
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• 2016

This purpose of this study is to academically define what "luxury products" mean, and to clarify the cognitive structural relationship between corporate attributes and "luxuriousness" in relation to the determinant of luxuriousness that eventually affects the purchase intention of consumers. This study is also written under the theory that luxuriousness leads to benefits such as functional benefit, experiential benefit, symbolic benefit, and exclusive benefit; which all provide core values to consumers and serve as effect factors that influence the psychological satisfaction of consumers. The commonly discussed measure of the determinant of luxuriousness has often failed to adequately describe the reasons to why the consumers prefer luxury products. This study also aims to suggest a new path in how and what the consumers perceive as luxury products, and to conceptualize what luxuriousness means in the marketing perspectives on the background of a previous theory. The part of corporate attributes are divided in the following sections: corporate ability(CA) and corporate reputation(CR). The part of the determinant of luxuriousness is divided in sections of superiority, scarcity, differentiation, and traditionality. Therefore, this study used the theoretical concept used in such common measures as well as 282 examples to empirically analyze the relationship between corporate attributes and luxuriousness of luxury products, and how such affect the purchase intentions of consumers. The survey used to aid this study targeted luxury product consumers regarding "B" brand of automobiles. Using the analysis through a structural equation model, the study draws a conclusion that in a relationship between corporate attributes and luxuriousness, corporate ability(CA) of corporate attributes affects the facts of differentiation and traditionality in a significant way, and corporate reputation(CR) of corporate attributes affects the factors of superiority and scarcity in a significant way. Additionally, the superiority and scarcity of luxuriousness positive significantly affects purchase intention, and differentiation and traditionality of luxuriousness affects purchase intention in a negative significant way. The structural concept of luxury and luxuriousness suggested in the study will provide the theoretical basis for building a new case study, and the determinants of luxuriousness in the marketing perspective will be a practical help for checking the consumers' psychological reasons for purchase.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.24
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• pp.223-246
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• 2011

Today, cultural content industry could be defined to service business rather than manufacturing business because of its own trait. Also, it has the realistic restriction that it can't hold the dominant position in the market competition when it can't provide consumers satisfaction regardless of its quality or degree of completion. In other word, it can only expect great success when the business plan and the activities get the perfect balance with its best quality and perfect of completion. As the result, it emphasizes the importance of business competition in the global market. In briefly, there is no doubt that the creativeness of content is very important in the cultural content industry but in the future, making system to maintain the distribution process and share the profits fairly will be taken more important role. Especially, animation genre has the feature, which compares to other genres, such as film or TV drama, would be free from cultural barriers, and it is a great advantage. So to speak, animation can get little influence from cultural discount. However, Korean animation can't use the advantage properly for the foreign distribution because of its poor infrastructure and short of professional human resources. For those reasons, it has been needed to set up the realistic and specific action plan to overcome the situation. Therefore, considering those needs and the situations of Korean animation facing, making B2B online marketplace could be a great solution. The online marketplace stands for taking more efficient and broad distribution channel instead of the passive way, which we have now. If we have the B2B online marketplace, we can share all the information about the Korean animation with the potential customers whom live outside of Korea at real time. It also could be use to the windows of multiple distribution, which can make additional profits and activate the optional markets for the Korean animation. Through the method, Korean animation would be expected to get the higher international competitiveness, and it would be developed in quality and quantity of the business. Finally, it would be a great chance to Korean animation, which can get the unique brand power by improving the backward distribution circumstances.

• Proceedings of the Korean DIstribution Association Conference
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• 2003.02a
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• pp.123-166
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• 2003

Marketing channel is recognized as one of the society systems which have the character of functional organization. These organizations are related to each other for specialized and cooperative work. Channel members in distribution channel are striving to accomplish exchange through reciprocal action. Thus channel members exercise their power to take better position in exchange. There will be struggling between members about satisfaction and conflict during this power exercise. Now a days, buyers use more harsh power as large retail firms are increasing. This phenomenon is occurring in the distribution channel. However, there will be different phenomenon in case of agricultural products. Not like industrial product suppliers, agricultural product suppliers have various supply channels and many agricultural products are seasonal. It has also unstable amount supplies. There should be differentiated marketing in agricultural products. Relatively weaker powered suppliers have to strengthen comparative factors and also have to be technically specialized through assessed experience in order to establish strong product sales chain. Making a brand of agricultural product would be also a good idea to increase the product comparability. Channel members need to be recognized their specialized functions in order to make balanced distribution channel. There have to be conversion of concept of relation between suppliers and buyers from subordinate relationship to cooperative relationship.