Network Marketing and Supply Chain Management: Here to Stay

Network marketing, as a strategic tool of supply chain management, has been gaining popularity. This paper looks at the network marketing-supply chain paradigm, and analyses some of its implications. The network marketing paradigm has become more significant because of the growth/popularity of the internet, which provides a powerful impetus to the whole concept of effective network marketing-supply chain management. This mainly conceptual, theoretical study will also provide a practical perspective by looking at a few manufacturing and service companies that are implementing the network marketing-supply chain strategy model in some form. The study develops an effective network marketing-supply chain management model that uses network marketing and supply chain management as key strategies, and shows their positive impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. This study contends that network marketing and supply chain management are here to stay!