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Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is a shining star in the FMCG industry, with its legacy of iconic brands and deep market presence. For students and professionals passionate about marketing, studying how HUL adapts and innovates is a masterclass in strategic thinking, product management, and distribution excellence.

When it comes to FMCG marketing, everyone dreams of a super-charged distribution machine—one where your channel partners happily move your products, your market share climbs steadily, and everyone hits their targets. In the real world, though, if you work as a channel manager in FMCG, paint, tiles, or building materials, you quickly realize something: your distributor isn’t always your biggest supporter. Sometimes, he’s your biggest bottleneck.

Channel management is an art, not just a job. Whether you manage distributors in FMCG marketing, automobile dealerships, or construction channels, the real power lies in growing together. You’ll often hear that “the distributor is tough to handle” or “he only cares about margin”—but what if the real secret is understanding his business as deeply as your own? Here are five steps, drawn straight from hands-on experience, that will help you turn your channel into a competitive a