Monitors- LG tops the chart

It seems that there is no one to beat the Koreans in the monitor segment. Like the year 2010, LG has pipped Samsung to regain its lost position with AOC holding the third slot since the last 2 years. Thanks to its overall product quality, channel partners have rated the company very high in terms of overall product reliability, user-friendliness and diversity of product range. Partners also endorse the overall marketing support - its advertising strategies, point of sales material, manpower at disposal, and flexibility in conducting localized promotions.

LG scores high on overall commercial terms too. Not only its product pricing and profit margins are popular, the company's flexible and transparent commercial terms and policies, back-end incentives and its settlement, credit policy received, and promptness with which it communicates the schemes/incentive programs are also a hit with the channel partners. It is, although, at loggerheads with Acer, when it comes to providing online support to its partners.

However, channel partners believe that LG needs to improve upon its ability to provide satisfactory repair and replacement services, promptness in stock replacement, and proactive service approach. Though Samsung's overall product quality is lauded, it misses out on user-friendliness, diversity of product range, and conformation to specifications. Partners feel that Samsung definitely scores over LG in terms of providing satisfactory repair and replacement services and promptness in stock replacement. However, the company needs to re-look its overall relationship management - be it conducting training and certification programs, reward systems, or consistency in honouring commitments made by its representatives.

Placed at the #3 spot, AOC offers value for money, as it scores high over its competitors in price versus performance ratio. Besides, keeping transparency in its commercial terms and policies, there is consistency and effectiveness in the company's communication with channel partners. Nonetheless, if the company aims to become the #1 choice of channel partners, it will have to definitely work on its marketing as well as after-sales support. It needs to bring innovations in the market development programs, be flexible in conducting localized promotions, and work on its turnaround time along with maintaining the richness of online resources offered.

Meanwhile, the new entrant in this segment, Intex has gained a lot of mindshare amongst the channel partners in the country. In fact, it is quite ahead of the likes of AOC, Samsung, and Acer in providing overall marketing support to its partners. Not only it has allocated funds for marketing, but also brought innovations in its market development programs.