KAMs: a shift in the centre of gravity?
Brian Moore
With the growth in trade funding from 5% to 20% of sales in the past 20 years, possibly at a cost to above-the-line budgets in a zero-sum game, it is perhaps useful to explore the possibility that an equivalent shift is taking place in the potential power of key account managers (KAMs) compared to that of their colleagues in brand marketing. Add to this the growth in trade concentration that has resulted in fewer, larger and more powerful customers, and it is probable that a KAM is now managing a...