【正文】
number two brand. The return on sales for the number two brand is twice that of the number three brand.The power of the retail industry in the . has increased dramatically over the past five years. The retailers are driving additional costs upon manufacturers. With established products, retailers are demanding a minimal level of turns per year. With new products, retailers are demanding slotting fees and everincreasing promotional support. Product managers are forced to achieve current product revenue and market share goals while stimulating demand for new products. Many industry experts feel that there will be consolidation of brands within many of the market segments in which Ramp。H petes and, as a result of this brand consolidation, that Ramp。H will lose critical sales mass and bee a major casualty.In the last two years the allocation of marketing dollars has changed dramatically。 trade promotion has risen to 40% of total marketing spending, consumer promotion has climbed slightly and advertising has declined. Industry analysts have pointed to Ramp。H39。s trade promotion strategy as being the catalyst for the growth in trade promotion in the industry as petitors have been forced to respond.Ramp。H is widely regarded as a retailoriented pany. With a sales force that is twice the size of anyone else39。s in the industry, Ramp。H has forged great retail relationships over the years. Ramp。H traditionally had the best order fill rate in the business。 however, recently some of the efforts to reduce inventory has caused shortages in key promoted products.Ramp。H OrganizationThere are six Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs) in Ramp。H responsible for functional areas. All the EVPs report to the President, who is also CEO. The Executive Vice Presidents represent Marketing, Sales, Finance, Manufacturing, Engineering and Human Resources. The EVP of Finance has responsibility for financial reporting and analyses as well as managing Procurement, Deployment, Scheduling and Logistics. All the market segment managers report directly to the Executive Vice President of Marketing.Much of the blame for the performance of the pany over the last ten years fell on the shoulders of the former president. It was whispered that he was from the old school and could not change his ways. The new president of Ramp。H, an American, joined the pany six months ago. He was the Executive Vice President of an important