Ken Rother is an entrepreneur who has built and exited two successful tech/media startups. His experience is centered in operations, sales, product management, and technology. Mr. Rother is director of Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, which runs several hardware accelerator programs. He also is the managing director of eLab, an accelerator program for Cornell student startups, as well as a visiting lecturer of management at Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.
Developing a Distribution and Marketing StrategyCornell Course
Course Overview
In this course, you will explore the process of taking an unassembled product to a shippable product. You will investigate supply chain areas of fulfillment and reverse logistics (i.e., returns, recycling, and so on) as well as marketing. You will first learn how to decide whether to outsource product assembly or do it in house. You will also explore DIY sites such as Kickstarter. There are many variables that affect fulfillment and you will determine which can affect a product. After you've assembled a product, you will make a plan to design and finance the distribution strategy. You will also make a plan for what happens after the purchase: Can the customer return the product or send it in for repairs? How can they recycle the product? Is it disposable, or does it contain toxic chemicals? All these options must be defined. Finally, you will investigate how to plan product marketing.
You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:
- Building and Validating Prototypes
- Developing Product Specifications
- Launching Small-Scale Production
- Managing High-Volume Production
- Sourcing a Manufacturer
Key Course Takeaways
- Gather together the shippable product
- Select a fulfillment partner
- Align your financing strategy
- Design reverse logistics
- Market your product
Download a Brochure
Not ready to enroll but want to learn more? Download the course brochure to review program details.How It Works
Course Author
Who Should Enroll
- Entrepreneurs
- Product managers
- Designers
- Usability experts
- Software engineers
- Consultants
- Manufacturers
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