| What is the biggest challenge facing channel | | | | Vendors need to offer a range of campaigns to |
| marketing Director's today? Anecdotal feedback | | | | partners, with the minimum investment closer to |
| from many indicates that it is the reluctance of | | | | 2,000. This means that multiple marketing |
| channel partners to engage in co-marketing | | | | tactics must be on offer, to scale with the |
| campaigns with them, despite substantial MDF | | | | investment available. |
| funds being on offer. | | | | Objection 4: "We don't get enough support from |
| This article examines some of the key reasons | | | | the Vendor" |
| why partners are reluctant to engage in | | | | Part of this can be explained by the fact that |
| co-marketing campaigns, and what the technology | | | | many of the Vendor's channel management |
| vendors can do to reduce these obstacles. | | | | teams are currently over stretched. During the |
| Objection 1: "We have already committed our | | | | downturn caused by the credit crises, channel |
| marketing budget for the quarter or year". | | | | marketing teams have been decimated at many |
| This comes down to a lack of planning on the | | | | of the large technology Vendors. |
| part of the Vendor's channel team. Most | | | | Many of the Vendors are now turning to |
| company's financial year is calendar, so every | | | | specialise third party channel marketing agencies |
| October and November the Vendor's channel | | | | to provide either strategic or ad-hoc support to |
| team should be working with key partners on | | | | their channel teams, and also directly to partners. |
| their joint marketing calendar, including budgets, | | | | Support ranges from marketing workshops with |
| for the following year. | | | | partners, aimed at making the most of |
| Events and campaigns should be mapped out, | | | | co-marketing campaigns, to administrative |
| using the Vendors marketing calendar as the | | | | support, demand generation and lead |
| basis. Good overlap opportunities for co-marketing | | | | management. |
| events and campaigns should be identified, and | | | | Objection 5: "The amount of co-funding is too |
| nailed down. The entire year's co-marketing plans | | | | small / other Vendors co-marketing offers are |
| will therefore be mapped out before the year | | | | better, or better funded." |
| gets underway. | | | | There is a wide divergence in both the quality of |
| Channel marketing teams should remember that | | | | co-marketing campaigns and level of market |
| they are competing with other Vendor's for their | | | | development funds available from the different |
| partners time, resources and budget. The partner | | | | Vendors. Some vendors offer 75% funding on |
| only has so many resources to share between | | | | co-marketing campaigns, while others offer zero. |
| IBM, HP and Oracle for example, and the early | | | | Policy is policy, and there is not much channel |
| bird will catch the most worms. | | | | marketing managers and directors can do about |
| Objection 2: "We just don't have the time and | | | | funding levels if the company policy is limited or |
| resources". | | | | no co-funding. However, they can increase the |
| Many Vendors don't understand how much | | | | quality and support of campaigns. Free marketing |
| pressure the smaller partners in particular are | | | | workshops, free lead management, free |
| under. They have to make a profit every quarter, | | | | drip-marketing and higher quality leads can all be |
| and have a very limited marketing team, if any. | | | | provided by specialist third party agencies, and all |
| They need to focus on making sales - now. | | | | improve the quality of experience and ROI for |
| Marketing campaigns need to be simple to | | | | the partner. |
| prepare, launch and manage. | | | | Objection 6: "The Vendors drive peak-and-trough |
| "Campaigns in a Box" are a great way to get | | | | marketing." |
| partners marketing joint solutions professionally | | | | In the ITC sectors, many solutions have a six to |
| and efficiently. However, this is only part of the | | | | eighteen month sales cycle (at least). Partners can |
| solution. The Vendor has to make it easy for the | | | | become overwhelmed with the volume of leads |
| partner to customise, launch, report and claim | | | | from once-off campaigns that quickly generate |
| back funds on the campaign. Often, the solution is | | | | lots of leads, and then no leads at all until next |
| to bring in a third party agency that can hand-hold | | | | year. Partners simply do not have the resources |
| the partner through all of this, and take over | | | | to handle the peak, and do not have professional |
| much of the administration. | | | | lead management and "drip-marketing" systems |
| Objection 3: "The minimum project size is too | | | | to nurture longer term opportunities over time. |
| large." | | | | Vendors need to take a longer-term view on |
| Some smaller partners find it difficult to even get | | | | co-marketing campaigns. The objective should be |
| on the ladder with co-marketing campaigns. While | | | | to provide partners with a steady stream of |
| the Vendor may think that a 10,000 | | | | qualified opportunities, with quantities matched to |
| investment is nothing, the partner has to consider | | | | partner resources. The Vendor, either directly or |
| that they need four campaigns a year with each | | | | using a third party agency, should also provide |
| of their three strategic vendors. At 10,000 per | | | | lead management and nurturing support so that |
| campaign, this is a 120,000 investment. | | | | return-on-investment is maximised through closed |
| Depending on the margins, expected sales, and | | | | sales from both near-term and long-term sales |
| size of company, this simply may not be feasible. | | | | opportunities. |