<P> Marketing Channels can be long term or short term . </P> <P> Short term channels are influenced by market factors such as: business users, geographically concentrated, extensive technical knowledge and regular servicing required, and large orders . Short term product are influenced by factors such as: perishable, complex, and expensive . Short term producer factors include whether the manufacturer has adequate resources to perform channel functions, Broad product line, and channel control is important . Short term competitive factors include: manufacturing feels satisfied with marketing intermediaries' performance in promoting products . </P> <P> Long term market factors include consumers, geographically dispersed, little technical knowledge and regular servicing is not required, and small orders . Product factors for long term marketing channels are: durable, standardized, and inexpensive . Producer factors are manufacturer lacks adequate resources to perform channel functions, limited product line, and channel control not important . The competitive factors are: manufacturer feels dissatisfied with marketing intermediaries' performance in promoting products </P>

A marketing channel that consists of one or more intermediaries is known as a