An analytic decision making framework to evaluate multiple marketing channels

• An analytic decision making framework is proposed to perform the complex task of assessing multiple marketing channels.
• The framework is demonstrated by a case study on Cisco China to exemplify its managerial implications.
• The evaluation results are found to be reliable and accurate by comparisons with other decision making methods.

Marketing channel evaluation is a crucial and complex task. Although empirical studies have made efforts to identify key constructs, no models have been developed to comprehensively assess the viability of different marketing channels for business. With this research, we propose an analytic decision-making framework for multi-channel evaluation. We first develop an analytic network, based on the inputs of managers and literature, to depict the interrelationships between decision criteria. Multi-Criteria Decision Making methods are then adapted to determine the weight of each evaluation criterion and to rank the practicality of alternative marketing channels. The model is tested with Cisco China. Sensitivity analysis is conducted in order to understand the impact of criteria uncertainties on channel rankings and the robustness of the proposed model. The management at Cisco found the model to be transparent, logical, practical, and it provided a valid and reliable guide for evaluating channel alternatives.