In an increasingly complex and competitive market place the role and responsibilities of ‘go-to-market’ intermediaries has never been more critical. Whether your sales activities are extended through distributors, channel partners, trade partners, alliance partners or any other variation they will need marketing support.
The sophistication of the market, the resource capacity of the channel and the importance they place on your products and services will influence what needs to be done. Your role may be strategic and you will have a clear understanding of what you need to do to maximise the business benefit for all parties. Where your relationship is more opportunistic the ability to influence and guide marketing direction will be minimal.
We have enjoyed the development and execution of channel marketing growth initiatives since we started Make It Happen. Our founder is a passionate believer that strong, mutually beneficial channel relationships are key to sustainable business growth. Respectfully understanding the lines of delineation and co-operation not competitive exclusion underpin what channel marketing activities could be pursued.
The structure of channel partners and vendors are different. A channel partner’s focus is largely acquisition orientated – they have a sales culture and have vendor generated sales targets to meet. They may not have dedicated marketing resources.
Funnily enough, most vendors don’t have enough marketing resources to support partners. That’s where Make It Happen steps in. We move channel partners from an often streamlined sales mentality into a marketing-aware mindset.
Where we have helped:
Channel enablement – maximising access to and use of vendor provided core systems including training; ordering etc
Channel communications – programs & communications to increase awareness of products/services
Channel marketing campaigns – design, development and roll out of template campaign assets
Channel partner demand generation campaigns – specific campaigns developed and executed for selected channel partners; either fully or partly funded by the vendor or fully funded by the partner
Channel tools & resources – design, development and roll out of marketing efficiency & productivity tools including planning tools; online training modules; loyalty & reward programs
Just because people are in a partnership, it doesn’t follow that they know how to communicate. As a channel marketing agency we improve partnership communications; because if your communications aren’t strong, your relationship won’t deliver the exponential results you desire.
