The Application of Key Account Management in Chinese Aluminum Industry

Under the context of economic globalization, enterprises are now facing fiercer competition than ever from all sides. Key Account Management (KAM) has become the focus of marketing practice. This paper first briefly introduces the researches of the western KAM from the aspects of the resource, concept and execution etc., then points out the inadequacies in the existing researches and practical implementation. This paper has examined the KAM´s implementation at Aluminum Corporation of China (CHINALCO), the biggest aluminum enterprise in China. Under marketing environment in China, the paper puts forward a model of two levels of KAM innovation that leads to the success. The results from the research also indicate that the classic KAM theories in western countries are not totally applicable to the Chinese enterprises. The paper also aims at offering certain practical basis to further enrich the Chinese KAM theory.