Are you a channel partner working in the information technology sector that wants to increase your branding and marketing awareness? If the answer is yes, chances are you may not need to look any further than your existing vendor and distribution partnerships for help.
In this day and age where everyone’s tasked with having to do more with less, channel partners need to realize that their vendor and distribution partners are there to help with things such as marketing funds, lead generation, campaigns and seminars.
CDN spoke with several marketing experts to find out some easy and inexpensive marketing resources available for partners to use.
Kelly Bizeau, president of Ottawa-based MarketWorks Ltd., an IT channel marketing company that designs and delivers channel development strategies for resellers, distributors and manufacturers, said one of the most common marketing mistakes partners make is that they don’t define their target customer market as well as they should and they fail to use multiple vehicles to leverage their brand and market awareness.
“By not identifying your target market and by not looking at multiple (marketing) vehicles to achieve mindshare, partners often throw their efforts into just one media, and that can be costly,” Bizeau explained.
“Partners need to step back and find out their target market and target that niche so they can identify some low-cost marketing initiatives to invest in.”
Vendor partnerships are a good place to seek marketing resources and tools from first, Bizeau suggests. Rose Genovese, channel marketing program manager at HP Canada (NYSE: HPQ), manages the company’s channel marketing programs for resellers and distributors in the SMB (small to mid-size business) market.
Under HP’s SMB Elite Program, Genovese says there are a variety of technical and sales training resources available for qualified partners.
“We have resources to help partners execute their campaigns, we help them with co-branding, lead generation programs and subsidies so partners can get free marketing from us,” she said.
Each year, HP offers its SMB Elite partners US$10,000 a year and $2,500 each quarter to help subsidize their marketing campaigns. This money can usually fund between three and four campaigns a year, she added.
Tricia Atchison, senior director for channel marketing at Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC), said the company also offers proposal-based funding to qualified partners on a quarterly basis.Aside from funding, Campaign Creator is another tool Atchison recommends Symantec partners take advantage of.
“Campaign Creator allows partners to upload their logo and create joint materials,” she said. “Partners can also utilize already created marketing collateral from Campaign Creator that align to their business objectives. This can be easily customized with a partner’s logo and contact information.”
Over at HP, Campaign Central (part of HP’s Marketing Subsidy Centre) is an electronic, co-marketing tool that lets partners launch custom co-branded direct mail and e-mail campaigns using HP content.
While Genovese says all of the company’s SMB partners have taken advantage of at least one HP marketing initiative each year, she admits that some partners are more active than others.
“We’re working hard to educate partners to refresh and remind them on our (marketing) offers,” she said. So why isn’t every partner cashing-in on these marketing offers? According to Derick Wong, senior director of marketing at Ingram Micro Canada (NYSE: IM), partners simply may not understand the scope of every program that’s out there.
“In many cases, channel partners may not know if they qualify for a particular marketing initiative or program,” he added. “Partners need to tell me how they want to grow their business and not be afraid to propose (projects) because we may be able to help.”
When partners receive marketing dollars from their vendor partners, they need to make sure they keep the vendor involved and keep the lines of communication open, Bizeau says.
“Partners need to use marketing dollars (from vendors) as if it was their own money because vendors will see more value in supporting resellers if they know it’s not just a one-off type of event,” Bizeau said. “If partners keep the vendor informed and they follow-up, then the more activity and traction the vendor sees, the more they’ll open their wallets (to partners).”
Partners can also look outside of their traditional partnerships to marketing companies who offer things such as canned marketing initiatives, Bizeau said. These cans usually house multiple marketing components such as tradeshows, e-campaigns and more, and are usually offered for a fixed cost.If a marketing budget is an issue, Bizeau recommends that once partners establish their target market, they find a vertical sector industry association to affiliate themselves with. For example, if a partner wants to work with law firms in Ontario, she says there’s the Ontario Bar Association.
“Almost every association has marketing initiatives, tradeshows and resources,” she said. “These associations often have magazines, newsletters, sponsorships and e-campaigns that partners can utilize to get their name out at a very low-cost.”
Put together a marketing planPartners should also put together a marketing plan so they can tailor their advertising and use the best marketing vehicle for that particular time of year.
Wong adds partners can increase their reach using social media Web sites such as Twitter. Partners can sign up for a Twitter account and can join feeds and tweet on topics to associate their company as an expert in that specific solution area.
With so many marketing resources, programs and tools out there, Bizeau says partners should look to drive mindshare through at least three different marketing vehicles. That way, you can have a more successful campaign, she explains.
Follow Maxine Cheung on Twitter: @MaxineCheungCDN.