Fundamentals of Distribution Marketing

Apurva Pathak | September 22, 2022 | 1109 views | Read Time : 13:00 min

Distribution Marketing
Are you looking to expand into new markets, boost your sales pipeline, and increase conversions? Whatever your business growth objectives are, a distribution partnership is your answer to all of them.

Why are distributors becoming a vital component of business expansion strategies and what is the importance of distribution in marketing? Let us take a look.

Distribution Marketing Channels: Achieving More with Distribution Partners

The process of making a product or service available to a consumer through a direct channel such as a manufacturer or an indirect channel such as a distributor constitutes a distribution marketing strategy. B2B marketers decide on which type of distributor channel they want to use based on their product and the revenue targets they have in mind.

Global suppliers have eroded margins and created an explosion of products catering to even the tiniest market niches. They have disrupted local markets. Consequently, sophisticated logistical systems have been developed to shorten delivery times. Businesses have expanded their distribution network to get closer to their B2B clients.

The following statistic says a lot about why B2B businesses are keen to embrace distribution marketing and develop their indirect distribution network.

75% of the world’s commerce is transacted indirectly, meaning goods are sold through distribution channels. (Source: Forrester)

In this article, we will be focusing on distribution partners, as channels of distribution marketing, and how they are creating a foundation for businesses like yours to expand and grow while helping you bring your products to your target customers.

Distribution Marketing Strategy: Types of Strategies & Things to Consider

B2B businesses embrace a new channel of distribution marketing or improve their existing one based on their marketing and management requirements. You can consider going down the same road if you have a new customer segment in mind, are planning to release a new product or want to aggressively grow your revenue. Here are the broad types of distribution in marketing:
  • Direct channel: A direct sales channel is any company or manufacturer that creates its product and sells it directly to customers without the involvement of third parties or intermediaries. The product is sold through a shop, online channels, door-to-door or through any other method.
  • Indirect channel: An indirect sales channel is comprised of—distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and VARs (value-added resellers)—who sell products made by other companies. At times, there may be more than one middleman between the consumer and the product’s producer.

Apart from these two main strategies, there are other specialized strategies that fall under these categories, like exclusive distribution, intensive distribution, selective distribution, dual distribution, and reverse distribution. Of these strategies, manufacturers use the product distribution strategy that suits their product and revenue goals the most.

Consider the following factors when planning your distribution strategy in marketing:

The Type of Product You Sell

Your distribution channel marketing strategy should depend on the type of product. Purchase decisions that customers make are classified into three types: routine, limited, and extensive, based on the number of times businesses buy a product, its cost, and the time taken by the customer to make a purchase decision. Capitalize on this information and decide on the strategy that will work best to position your product.

Customer Base

Based on the types of purchase methods that your target demographic may use, where they make their purchase decisions, and what kind of technology influences them, you need to choose your distributor. Ensuring that your customer base gets access to your product based on its preference is crucial to attracting customers to make a purchase.

Logistics and Transportation

Whether you sell a software product to streamline business processes or spare parts that automobile businesses require, your product needs to reach your end user safely and on time from locations where your distributor stores it. Understanding a prospective distributor’s logistics and transportation capabilities should be a priority while finalizing a distribution strategy in marketing. Focus on cost-saving and increasing revenue while choosing your distributor.

A Strong Game Plan & Bigger Market Reach with Distribution Partners

Product, place, price, and promotion are the four Ps of marketing. A B2B company cannot successfully sell its product or service unless it determines its four Ps. This is where distribution comes in. It is the ‘place’ part of every marketing strategy. Distributors are channel partners who are experts at getting your products into as many markets as possible as quickly as possible so that they can be used by end customers.

There are tactical and logical advantages to having a strong distribution partner network. Let us explore them in brief.

You Can Focus on Your Expertise

Your expertise lies in creating the product. Setting up a sales system to facilitate end customers doesn’t categorically fit your skillset. With the help of a good distribution partner, you can limit your sales risk and use your time and resources to make your manufacturing processes and techniques more efficient.

Streamline Market Expansion

Selling to a new geographical market with the help of a distribution channel partner who has an established retail network can instantly get you more leads and boost your sales. Especially when entering a new international market, you can trust your distribution partner to take care of international trade law compliance, shipping and customs laws, and the culture of the new market.

Limited Involvement in Customer Service

Distribution marketing reduces your involvement and investment in customer service considerably. All you need to do is be in touch with your distributor partner. You don’t have to think about exercising administrative duties and investing in operations because your distributor will be your face while dealing with end customers.

Distribution Partners Fire-up Your GTM Strategy

In your go-to-market strategy (GTM), your distribution partners can market your product to large numbers of geographically dispersed customers. Distributors, especially VARs customize your product and complement it with prompt support and specialist services. Here’s how you can go-to-market confidently with the help of distribution partners:
  • After you segment your target market into customers and prospects, identify which of these segments you can reach with the help of distributors. They can utilize their customer base to get you sales in territories with good sales potential.
  • Distributors with experience can cover the market sectors you want to target. Choose distributors who do not market products that compete with yours. To get the most out of the channel partnership, describe the market opportunities for the distributors and talk to them about what you expect and what you need from them.
  • Decide on whether you want to share marketing rights with distributors. Create solid and binding commercial terms such as stock levels, discounts, selling prices, and marketing support beforehand so the distributors are motivated to give their best to sell your product.
  • Distributors develop sales and marketing plans, provide support in the form of marketing collateral, funds, or marketing campaigns. To support their efforts, run marketing campaigns that target your customers and promote your distributor network. Communicate the advantages of buying from your authorized distributors so that you can create and maintain sales leads for your entire distributor network to make your GTM a success.

Distribution Management: Refining Distribution Partner Performance

Just as it is important to set up a distribution network, it is also important to manage it, optimize it through consistent efforts, and make sure it is a smooth-functioning ecosystem. Managing distribution businesses can empower your distribution teams to manage distributors and the way they sell your product. They can also enable partners to do more for the sales.

Distribution management can be streamlined using a distribution management system (DMS). With the help of the following features, this platform helps you run your distribution network well:
  • Partner Recruitment
Easily deploy partner recruitment campaigns through single or multiple distributors. Target specific groups of partners through these campaigns to get them involved.
  • Partner Onboarding
Help your distribution partners bring on channel partners for short-term channel programs with high returns and low costs.
  • Partner Training
Enhance partner competency and development using partner training through the DMS system.
  • Pipeline Management
Keep track of how each distributor contributes to your pipeline growth and engage with distributors to increase revenue.
  • Partner Enablement
Use your distribution partners to drive multi-partner demand generation activities with co-branded content that your channel marketing teams create.
  • Partner Incentives
Deploy partner incentives to motivate distributors and partners they manage. Review their performance and approve their claims.
  • Performance Optimization
Get insights into how distribution partners are selling through business analytics and reports so you can accelerate sales, and in turn, boost your revenue.

When you use a good distribution management system, you can manage multiple stakeholders, including resellers, distributors, and partners, along with your internal marketing, sales, and finance teams. Your distribution teams can look at sales through distributors and forecast future performance and partner pipelines. They can also use the system to run different programs and campaigns to meet the changing needs of their business.

A U.S. Manufacturer Uses ZINFI Platform for Efficient and Effective Channel Marketing

VERSATEX, a PVC building products manufacturer, used ZINFI’s partner portal to streamline its marketing so its partners could be more engaged. "We are using the ZINFI portal as our VERSATEX CRM, and it's been working out amazingly. We can track how the salespeople in the field are selling and quickly determine what's working and what's not," said Cassidy Huff, Channel Marketer at VERSATEX.

Summing it Up

A distribution strategy can revolutionize the way you sell your product in different markets. With the correct distribution channel and strategy, your product can reach your buyer considerably more quickly and help you achieve your revenue goals.

FAQ

What is a distribution channel?

A distribution channel is a network of intermediaries like distributors, wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers, and VARs that a company uses to get its product to its end user.

What is the impact of distribution management on business?

Efficiently managing distribution partners boosts company sales and profitability as it helps businesses streamline how fast and efficiently they distribute their products in the market.

What is the difference between direct and indirect distribution channels?

In a direct distribution channel, a company allows its manufacturer or service provider to deal directly with the end customer, whereas in an indirect distribution channel, a company relies on a network of distributors, wholesalers, and retailers to sell its products.

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Marketing Strategy, Martech, Channel Partnerships

Top Books for Maximizing Revenue Growth through Partner Marketing

Article | July 5, 2023

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Moving to Outcomes Authors: Robert Glazer and Matt Wool ‘Moving to Outcomes: Why Partnerships are the Future of Marketing’ introduces a transformative perspective on partnership marketing, showcasing its evolution into a more automated and scalable form due to technological advancements and changing market dynamics. The book emphasizes the need for marketers to diversify their strategies, drawing parallels to investment portfolio management, where diversification and exploration beyond traditional channels lead to better returns. The authors urge marketers to move away from solely relying on advertising with established digital giants and instead embrace partnerships as the key to unlocking untapped potential and future success in the ever-evolving marketing arena. 2. Innovative B2B Marketing Author: Simon Hall ‘Innovative B2B Marketing: New Models, Processes and Theory’ is a vital resource for marketers seeking to navigate the ever-changing B2B marketing sphere. Authored by a recognized expert in the field, this extensively updated guide offers valuable insights into understanding evolving customer habits, adapting to the digital era, and moving beyond outdated traditional practices. The book incorporates real-life examples from diverse sectors, including marine, information technology, and pharmaceutical, alongside topical discussions and challenges from key B2B marketing forums and associations. With new chapters on customer attrition, B2B partnership marketing, lead nurturing, influencer marketing, and millennial customer behavior, the second edition provides cutting-edge strategies. Complemented by online resources, including case studies, videos, articles, and practical templates, this book equips marketers with the necessary tools and knowledge to excel in B2B marketing. 3. The Complete Guide to Partnership Marketing Author: James Cristal ‘The Complete Guide to Partnership Marketing: How to Create Successful Marketing Collaborations’ provides an in-depth exploration of partnership marketing, a rapidly expanding technique in the twenty-first century that is widely acknowledged for fostering growth and innovation through collaboration. This comprehensive guide equips readers with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the realm of partnerships effectively. Covering essential topics such as the ten types of partnerships, methods to identify new partners, and strategies for developing standout campaigns, this book offers a step-by-step approach suitable for both beginners and experienced marketers. 4. Partner Marketing Manager: A Complete Guide Author: Gerardus Blokdyk ‘Partner Marketing Manager: A Complete Guide’ offers a refreshing departure from traditional textbooks, catering to individuals who value asking insightful questions. 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The Partner’s Guide to Business Development Authors: Denis Kudriashov and Kim Montes ‘The Partner’s Guide to Business Development: Marketing Your Practice to Differentiate, Grow and Boost Profitability’ addresses the modern challenge faced by lawyers in effectively marketing their firms while juggling the demands of their legal practice. This comprehensive guide offers practical solutions for both established as well as emerging law firms, enabling them to differentiate their services, expand their practices, and enhance profitability & visibility. Going beyond traditional marketing approaches, the book provides unique insights into topics such as public relations, thought leadership, and government contracts. By offering a tailored framework specific to the legal profession, this invaluable resource equips lawyers with the strategies and tools necessary to navigate the complexities of business development, reach new markets, and strengthen client relationships. 6. Marketing Multiplied Authors: Mike Moore and Peter A. Thomas ‘Marketing Multiplied: A Real-World Guide to Channel Marketing for Beginners, Practitioners, and Executives’ fills a significant void in channel marketing literature, catering to the growing number of professionals in this field. The authors have leveraged their extensive expertise to provide a comprehensive resource on indirect channel marketing. From engaging channel partners to creating outcome-oriented programs, developing compelling content, recruiting talented individuals, and implementing effective incentives, this guide covers essential topics that drive channel marketing success. By presenting practical frameworks and real-world examples, this book revolutionizes channel partner marketing strategy, challenging outdated tactics and advocating for a modern approach that aligns with buyer preferences. It empowers professionals at all levels to achieve high growth and gain the necessary support from executives and teams. 7. Modern B2B Marketing Authors: David Sweenor and Kalyan Ramanathan ‘Modern B2B Marketing: A Practitioner's Guide to Marketing Excellence’ is a comprehensive and practical resource that addresses the specific needs of B2B marketers. With a focus on bridging the gap between various marketing functions and their day-to-day implementation, the authors offer valuable insights, advice, and best practices from their 50 years of combined experience in the field. This book is designed for a wide range of professionals, including business leaders, CMOs, product managers, sales professionals, and aspiring marketers, providing a clear understanding of how B2B marketing works and how different marketing functions fit together. The book emphasizes a customer-centric approach and provides an integrated framework for portfolio and product marketing, content marketing, demand generation, marketing operations, and customer advocacy. 8. Revenue Operations Authors: Stephen G. Diorio and Chris K. Hummel ‘Revenue Operations: A New Way to Align Sales & Marketing, Monetize Data, and Ignite Growth’ offers a transformative approach to driving growth by breaking down silos and fostering connections between teams, data, and technologies. This book presents a proven system for aligning revenue teams and unlocking growth opportunities in today's capital-intensive and data-driven business terrain. By navigating the complexities of the technology ecosystem, the book simplifies selling processes and accelerates revenue expansion. It provides real-world case studies, personal experiences, and practical insights from executives across diverse industries. The book outlines the six core elements of an effective system for managing commercial operations, digital selling infrastructure, and customer data assets. It also highlights the nine building blocks that connect the dots within the sales and marketing technology ecosystem, leading to consistent growth, improved customer experiences, and cost efficiencies. A comprehensive resource for board members, CEOs, strategists, sales and marketing professionals, and operations experts, ‘Revenue Operations’ is grounded in extensive surveys, interviews, and a thorough sales and marketing technology analysis. 9. Channel Force Author: Craig Booth ‘Channel Force: A Modern Methodology for Channel Revenue Growth’ offers a comprehensive solution to the challenges faced by sales organizations in optimizing the performance of their partner ecosystem. This book highlights the limitations of traditional approaches focusing on channel programs, margin incentives, and training by recognizing the chaotic nature of unstructured partner sales and the lack of control over the sales process. Instead, it introduces the Indirect Sales Acceleration Model (ISAM), a framework designed to organize and streamline the channel sales development process. With a step-by-step recipe for generating sales, ‘Channel Force’ provides a systematic approach to unlocking the force-multiplying potential of solution providers and achieving consistent revenue growth. By leveraging the expertise shared in this book, sales leaders and professionals can effectively navigate the complexities of channel management and unlock the full potential of their partner ecosystem, ultimately driving revenue growth and achieving business success. 10. Modern Marketing Using AI Authors: Malay A. Upadhyay and Pooja Chitnis ‘Modern Marketing Using AI: Leverage AI-enabled Marketing Automation and Insights to Drive Customer Journeys and Maximize Your Brand Equity’ is a comprehensive guide for aspiring marketing professionals seeking to elevate their brands using cutting-edge technologies. Through industry-led best practices, real-world examples, and leading AI tools, this book equips readers with the knowledge and resources to navigate the evolving sphere of modern marketing. From consumer neuroscience to subliminal marketing and virtual advertising, readers will explore advanced marketing techniques that maximize brand value and drive customer engagement. The book adopts a customer-centric approach as it delves into the stages of a brand journey, offering insights on product validation, brand definition, visibility expansion, and customer conversion through AI-led marketing strategies across various channels. With a focus on operational automation and insights, readers will learn how to harness the power of AI to fuel organizational growth and gain a competitive edge in the age of artificial intelligence. Closing Lines These channel partner marketing books provide executives and professionals with valuable insights and practical strategies for leveraging strategic collaborations and equip them with the necessary skills and tools to become next-generation growth leaders. By emphasizing the benefits of partnerships, such as expanded market reach, shared resources, and enhanced innovation, the article enables readers to maximize their competitive edge. It highlights the importance of aligning goals, establishing effective communication, and fostering trust with partners while exploring emerging trends and technologies that can further enhance partnership efforts.

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Boosting Success with Cutting-Edge Partner Marketing Tools

Article | July 6, 2023

Supercharge partner marketing efforts with game-changing PRM tools. Discover how partner marketing tools revolutionize channel programs, amplify partner engagement, and propel success to new heights. In partner marketing, the right tools can make all the difference. From PRM solutions to through-channel marketing platforms and collaborative tools, these partnership marketing platforms are essential for optimizing channel programs, enhancing partner engagement, and driving revenue growth. Organizations can explore these top 10 partner marketing tools to unlock their partnerships' full potential, propelling their businesses toward mutual success and sustainable growth. 1. Impartner PRM With Impartner's Partner Relationship Management (PRM) tool, businesses can improve partner relationships and enhance business growth. Impartner's comprehensive software solution aims to optimize and streamline the channel partner ecosystem. This PRM tool empowers users to efficiently manage partner onboarding, training, deal registration, lead distribution, and performance tracking. Real-time visibility into the partner network enables effective collaboration and drives revenue growth. Whether operating a small or large partner program, Impartner PRM provides the tools and analytics to maximize partnership value. 2. Channeltivity Channeltivity, a specialized software tailored for high-tech channel programs, simplifies launching and maintaining practical channel marketing efforts. By leveraging this tool, businesses can experience revenue growth and foster contented and prosperous reseller partners. This partner marketing tool offers comprehensive features, including notifications and reminders, robust analytics and reporting capabilities, multi-language support, partner dashboards for enhanced visibility, and social sharing and collaboration tools. These features enable businesses to optimize channel marketing activities, drive performance, and cultivate strong and successful partnerships. Channeltivity empowers enterprises to elevate their channel marketing endeavors, meet revenue objectives, and develop a thriving ecosystem of reseller partners. 3. PartnerStack PartnerStack is a comprehensive platform designed to streamline & optimize partner and affiliate programs. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, this partner marketing tool empowers businesses to manage, track, and incentivize their partner relationships effortlessly. The platform offers many tools, including partner onboarding, deal registration, lead distribution, and performance tracking, ensuring seamless collaboration and maximizing partner-driven revenue. By leveraging PartnerStack, companies can efficiently scale their partner programs, strengthen partnerships, and drive mutual success. Whether an organization is a small startup or a large enterprise, PartnerStack provides the tools to supercharge its partner ecosystem and achieve sustainable growth. 4. ZiftONE ZiftONE is designed to address the challenges of a disjointed and cumbersome buying experience. It offers channel leaders enhanced control over data, marketing efforts, and reputations through its 'one pipeline, one platform' approach. By consolidating operations, enablement, marketing, and sales into a single integrated source, this partner marketing tool enables organizations to maximize partner efficiency and minimize buyer frustration. It provides numerous benefits, including reaching and retaining new customers, centralizing program management, leveraging co-branded content, deploying powerful partner playbooks, and staying ahead through training and continuous learning. With ZiftONE, businesses can optimize their partner ecosystem, enhance customer acquisition and retention, and maintain a competitive edge in the market. 5. Crossbeam Core Crossbeam Core is a powerful tool that empowers organizations to collaborate securely and seamlessly with their partners and data providers, unlocking valuable insights. Through its innovative technology, this tool enables businesses to merge and analyze data in a privacy-conscious manner, ensuring the non-disclosure of sensitive information. Crossbeam Core identifies overlapping customers and prospects by integrating data from diverse sources, such as customer databases and CRM systems, enabling businesses to identify new partnership opportunities and foster revenue growth. This partnership software offers intuitive visualizations and customizable reports, allowing users to derive actionable insights and make informed decisions. With its strong focus on data privacy and security, Crossbeam Core ensures that organizations can engage in collaborative efforts while remaining fully compliant with privacy regulations. Whether the objective is to forge new partnerships, validate marketing endeavors, or strengthen existing relationships, Crossbeam Core empowers businesses to harness the potential of data collaboration to drive success. 6. Allbound PRM Allbound is a comprehensive platform crafted to streamline and enhance partner channel management for organizations. This powerful tool offers various features and functionalities that enable businesses to efficiently onboard, engage, and empower their partners for optimal success. With Allbound, managing partner programs, tracking performance metrics, and equipping partners with essential resources and tools becomes effortless. The platform facilitates seamless collaboration, fostering real-time communication and knowledge sharing among partners and internal teams. Furthermore, this tool provides a centralized content repository, simplifying the distribution and updating of sales and marketing materials. From deal registration to lead management and training, Allbound empowers organizations to optimize their partner relationships and drive revenue growth. Whether an organization is a small business or an enterprise, it is the ideal partnership management software to strengthen partner ecosystems and achieve mutual success. 7. Partnerize Partnerize is an advanced platform that revolutionizes partnership and affiliate marketing, catering to businesses of all sizes. With its state-of-the-art technology and comprehensive features, this tool empowers companies to efficiently manage, track, and optimize their partner programs. The platform boasts advanced partner management capabilities, encompassing partner recruitment, onboarding, and performance tracking, enabling seamless collaboration and maximizing revenue generation. Partnerize also provides robust analytics and reporting tools, equipping businesses with valuable insights into partner performance and return on investment (ROI). Partnerize simplifies process automation and streamlines partner operations by leveraging an intuitive interface and customizable workflows. Moreover, this partner marketing tool ensures data privacy and compliance with regulations through its secure and scalable infrastructure. Whether the objective is to expand the partner network, enhance brand exposure, or drive revenue growth, Partnerize empowers businesses to forge successful partnerships and achieve tangible results. 8. FlashClick FlashClick is a robust partner enablement platform that revolutionizes partner and channel management. Through its innovative Partnership Cloud, businesses can efficiently manage partners via a dedicated portal, empowering them to distribute and refer products effectively. FlashClick's tracking capabilities enable performance monitoring based on crucial sales indicators such as CPI, CPA, CPL, and CPS, ensuring top-notch results. The platform encompasses essential features like S2S integration, pixel tracking, multi-event tracking, CAPs, targeting, redirections & backups, SSL tracking, multiple payment models, publisher payout types, and backup conversions. With FlashClick, businesses can streamline partner operations, maximize performance, and drive revenue growth by establishing successful partnerships and achieving tangible outcomes. 9. Reveal Reveal is a cutting-edge tool designed to elevate sales team performance and drive revenue growth. It offers a comprehensive platform that empowers sales leaders to optimize their sales processes and foster improved team collaboration. With Reveal, sales teams can access valuable insights regarding their sales pipeline and individual performance, enabling them to identify opportunities and effectively prioritize actions. The tool provides real-time analytics and intuitive dashboards, allowing sales leaders to track key metrics, monitor team progress, and make informed decisions based on data-driven insights. This sales and marketing software also offers advanced forecasting capabilities that enable businesses to predict revenue and strategically plan for future growth. Reveal seamlessly integrates with popular CRM systems and ensures a seamless and efficient workflow for sales teams. Whether a sales manager aims to enhance productivity, align strategies, or boost team motivation, this tool equips them with the necessary tools and invaluable insights to achieve sales excellence and surpass targets. 10. OneAffiniti OneAffiniti offers an all-in-one through-channel marketing solution that enables improved channel collaboration, enhanced partner engagement, and optimized digital marketing strategies. While many channel marketing software providers focus on B2C marketing automation, OneAffiniti recognizes the unique challenges the B2B industry faces. Brands often need more visibility into their customer base, and partners may feel overwhelmed by excessive content and multiple partner program subscriptions, leading to misalignment between brand and partner objectives. OneAffiniti stands apart by aligning brands and partners around a shared goal - achieving marketing activities that drive more revenue with fewer resources and less time investment. By leveraging this comprehensive solution, brands and partners can collaborate effectively, enhance marketing performance, and achieve mutual success in the dynamic B2B industry. Wrap Up In partner marketing, staying ahead requires leveraging the right tools. This article delves into a curated selection of top PRM tools crucial to optimizing channel programs, enhancing partner engagement, and driving revenue growth. From cutting-edge through-channel marketing platforms to collaborative tools, these partnership marketing platforms empower businesses to strengthen partnerships, streamline operations, and unlock the full potential of their ventures. By embracing these partner marketing tools, companies can propel their partner marketing initiatives toward mutual success and sustainable growth while positioning themselves at the forefront of the future of channel marketing.

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Boost Business Growth with Leading Partner Marketing Companies

Article | July 6, 2023

Explore how partner marketing companies drive exceptional results through effective campaigns and technologies. Join industry leaders and pave the way for success in digital marketing partnerships. Partner marketing has emerged as a critical strategy for businesses seeking to expand their reach and drive revenue growth through strategic collaborations. This article delves into partner marketing companies that are setting new standards in this dynamic field. These industry leaders have demonstrated their prowess in building strong partner networks, executing effective marketing campaigns, and leveraging innovative technologies to achieve remarkable results. From leveraging data-driven insights to nurturing fruitful partnerships, these top partner marketing companies are redefining the landscape of collaborative marketing. 1. Impartner Software Impartner is a partnership marketing company that specializes in providing cutting-edge channel management technologies. Renowned for its Partner Relationship Management (PRM) and Partner Marketing Automation (PMA) solutions, the company aids businesses worldwide in effectively managing their relationships with distributors, resellers, and channel partners. By driving demand and facilitating revenue and profitability growth within indirect sales ecosystems, Impartner empowers companies to thrive. Committed to fostering the growth of its clients, its team capitalizes on decades of industry expertise and combines it with innovative technologies to deliver a tailored partner experience. From partner onboarding to channel marketing and performance insights, the company's solutions prioritize partners' needs, enabling channel teams to achieve rapid investment returns. Embracing Impartner's offerings grants channel teams a strategic competitive edge throughout every stage of channel management. 2. ZINFI Technologies ZINFI is a leading company that assists technology providers and their channel partners achieve rapid, cost-effective, and profitable growth by automating global channel management processes. Leveraging its Unified Channel Management platform, ZINFI empowers technology providers to drive revenue growth by seamlessly deploying a comprehensive suite of cloud-based modules for PRM and Partner Marketing Management (PMM). These modules seamlessly integrate with existing infrastructure, enabling technology providers to streamline operations and maximize profitability. By automating key channel management processes, this partner marketing agency facilitates efficient collaboration between technology providers and their channel partners, ultimately driving accelerated growth and success in the market. 3. PartnerStack PartnerStack is a game-changing company on a mission to transform how businesses engage customers through channel sales. Its software partner program empowers companies to expand their customer reach through strategic partnerships. By providing the necessary tools for building, managing, and scaling channel partner programs, PartnerStack acts as a network that connects companies with channel partners. In addition to user feedback, PartnerStack takes great pride in cultivating a culture of continuous learning, where every team member's distinctive contributions and unwavering curiosity serve as catalysts for innovation and support, leading to exceptional collaboration and achieving remarkable success. 4. Zift Solutions Established in 2006, Zift Solutions is the sole provider of a comprehensive PRM and Through-Channel Marketing Automation (TCMA) tool designed to function seamlessly as a unified solution. ZiftONE, the company's flagship platform, effectively manages the entire spectrum of operations, from onboarding and enablement to lead generation, marketing, and sales. Supported by a highly skilled and experienced team, the partnership marketing agency has garnered recognition as the exclusive leader in Channel Marketing Automation and PRM, as acknowledged by Forrester Research. Additionally, the company has been acclaimed as a market leader in Partner Management Software and Through-Channel Marketing Software, according to G2. 5. Crossbeam Crossbeam, a pioneering partner ecosystem platform, is the world's first and most potent of its kind. Acting as a trusted data escrow service, Crossbeam enables businesses to identify shared customers and prospects among their partner networks while safeguarding their remaining data's privacy and security. With the belief that 'Ecosystem is Everything,' this digital marketing partner program empowers organizations to unlock the full potential of their partnerships, facilitating collaboration and strategic growth within a thriving ecosystem. 6. Allbound Allbound is at the forefront of shaping the future of channel success through its partner-centric technology. With a strong focus on the partner life cycle, the company's PRM platform offers a robust solution that covers essential aspects such as onboarding, training, enablement, and pipeline management. This partnership marketing company empowers businesses to foster strong and mutually beneficial relationships by prioritizing partners' needs. The platform enables companies to place partners at the forefront of their channel strategy, driving collaboration and optimizing performance for long-term success. 7. Partnerize Partnerize is a leading provider of partnership automation solutions, offering a state-of-the-art platform that transforms the approach to partnerships in the marketing industry. This agency partner program stands out from competitors with a unique and fully-integrated suite of capabilities, including discovery, recruitment, optimization, payment processing, brand safety, and fraud prevention. It addresses the challenges marketers face relying on primary sales and marketing channels, providing transparency and scalability to alleviate pressure on their unit economics. In addition to its comprehensive technology, the company offers unparalleled service, including the industry's only in-house support program. This platform allows marketers to gain complete control over the partnership marketing lifecycle, all within a single forum. With its headquarters in NYC and offices across various locations, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Wilkes-Barre, Partnerize is well-positioned to serve a global customer base. 8. FlashIntel FlashIntel is a premier go-to-market (GTM) intelligence company that enhances revenue teams' capacity to discover and connect with their ideal customer profiles. Its comprehensive solutions integrate sales intelligence and engagement functionalities into a unified platform, enabling revenue teams to streamline their workflows and focus on achieving superior performance. By leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial general intelligence (AGI) and language models for marketing (LLM), the marketing management firm is at the forefront of shaping the future of the GTM technology stack. With FlashIntel, revenue teams gain a competitive edge, enabling them to excel in their GTM strategies and implementation. 9. Reveal Reveal is a free platform for partnership, marketing, and sales teams to drive revenue generation within their ecosystem. Through Reveal, users can seamlessly connect with companies within their ecosystem, ensuring secure and efficient data sharing and collaboration. By leveraging the platform's features, users can compare their CRM data with that of partners, unlocking valuable insights that can significantly enhance their win rates. With the ability to multiply win rates by up to 3X through ecosystem-driven senses, this partnership marketing company empowers teams to maximize their revenue potential and capitalize on the power of their ecosystem. 10. OneAffiniti The company's exponentially expanding team is dedicated to facilitating the global outreach of esteemed brands to their end-users through established partnerships. Leveraging its profound expertise in digital marketing and privileged access to industry insights, partner marketing companies adeptly enable the effective delivery of brand messages, fostering enduring relationships, fortifying brand equity, and, crucially, driving sales. Industry leaders like HP, Lenovo, and Dell have confidence in the company’s ability to connect with a sizable audience of more than 3 million IT buyers each month, which is a testament to its unwavering dedication. Building upon this success, the company has recently extended its digital marketing services to encompass insurance brokers, further broadening its sphere of influence and strengthening its standing in the market. 11. StructuredWeb StructuredWeb, a leading enterprise channel marketing automation platform, caters to renowned technology brands such as AWS, IBM, ServiceNow, Google Cloud Platform, Veeam, and numerous emerging brands. Since its inception in 1999, the partner marketing agency has excelled in providing these brands with a powerful, flexible, and user-friendly channel marketing automation platform. By integrating an innovative technology platform with well-established go-to-market strategies and exceptional services, it offers a superior approach to accelerating demand generation through channel-driven initiatives, enhancing partner engagement, and ultimately driving substantial growth in channel revenue. 12. Channeltivity Channeltivity is a leading partner relationship management software platform designed to assist partner marketing companies in cultivating strong relationships, maximizing partner productivity, and facilitating new sales opportunities. With its user-friendly interface and quick setup process, this agency program offers a seamless experience for users. The platform integrates seamlessly with Salesforce.com, providing enhanced connectivity and data synchronization. Channeltivity's comprehensive suite of channel management modules include a feature-rich partner portal, deal registration, MDF Co-op fund management, lead distribution, joint business planning, and various other tools to optimize partner engagement and drive mutual success. 13. Mindmatrix Mindmatrix offers a unique Bridge platform that connects and empowers direct and indirect sales, marketing, alliances, and partner ecosystems. Going beyond the traditional boundaries of sales ecosystem enablement, Bridge encompasses partner marketing and multi-vendor solution management. The company streamlines empowering the sales ecosystem by merging PRM, partner marketing, as well as partner and direct sales enablement into one user-friendly interface. With comprehensive marketing automation tools and features facilitating guided selling, multi-vendor collaboration, and streamlined revenue management, Mindmatrix Bridge is a powerful hub for multi-vendor solutions. 14. OneBill OneBill is an award-winning billing and revenue management platform that drives the entire quote-to-cash cycle. With OneBill, marketing agency businesses can seamlessly scale complex product and pricing offers (CPQ), automate service activation processes, manage billing and accounts receivables, configure tailored offerings for partners & resellers, and deliver a superior customer experience throughout their subscription journey. As a leading platform, the company empowers organizations with the tools and capabilities to streamline and optimize their billing and revenue management processes, ultimately driving growth and enhancing customer satisfaction. 15. Computer Market Research Computer Market Research (CMR) is a California-based company founded in 1984, specializing in cost-effective solutions for Global 5000 companies to efficiently manage channel partnerships, optimize marketing programs, and maximize ROI. Its streamlined partner relationship management application simplifies channel management, while modular self-service software provides flexibility and scalability. CMR's suite of channel management applications, including PartnerPortal, Channel POS, and Channel Inventory, is trusted by global customers. The company also offers customized channel software tailored to specific business requirements. Bottom Line These partner marketing companies serve as invaluable resources for C-suite executives and businesses alike, offering expertise and proven strategies in this dynamic field. Their achievements and innovative approaches highlight the transformative impact of collaborative marketing, guiding professionals seeking to unlock new avenues of growth and drive organizational success. By analyzing their practices, promotion marketing agencies can gain insights into building robust partner networks, leveraging advanced technologies, and implementing data-driven strategies to enhance customer engagement and expand market reach. The exemplary accomplishments of these industry leaders set a high standard and inspire other companies to embrace the power of partnership, ultimately driving exceptional results in the ever-evolving landscape of partner marketing.

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Marketing Strategy, Martech, Channel Partnerships

Navigating the Best Channel Partner Marketing Events of 2023

Article | July 5, 2023

Discover the potential of channel partner marketing strategy at these top events of 2023. Professionals can meet meta marketing partners to take their partner marketing efforts to new heights. Channel partner marketing conferences are widely recognized as indispensable catalysts for collaboration and strategic alliances in the contemporary business environment. These events are vital platforms that bring together industry professionals to exchange insights, foster growth opportunities, and drive toward success. They offer networking opportunities, thought-provoking discussions, expert presentations, and access to collaborative marketing trends and strategies. Presenting a curated list of top events that are shaping collaborative marketing, providing professionals with invaluable experiences and the tools to thrive in the dynamic world of partnerships: 1. Catalyst 2023 August 21-23, 2023 | Colorado ‘Catalyst 2023 Denver - The Partnerships Conference’ promises an immersive experience characterized by interactive and insightful content, unparalleled networking opportunities, and actionable takeaways to propel attendees toward their objectives. Through thought-provoking sessions, engaging panel discussions, and cutting-edge presentations, this conference will offer an extraordinary platform for industry leaders to shape the future of partnerships and forge valuable connections with decision-makers. Catalyst 2023 boasts an impressive lineup of industry speakers, including Aditya Basu (Group Manager, Solution Partner Program at Adobe), Adrienne Coburn (Director of Global Partner Programs at Oyster), and Ahmed Tolba (Senior Director of Partnerships and Channel Sales at almentor). 2. Channel Focus 2023 November 8-9, 2023 | California Industry professionals worldwide will attend this event at Sheraton Universal in California. With its illustrious history as the preeminent global event for individuals engaged in the construction and development of channels for leading IT and telecom companies, Channel Focus has consistently been at the forefront of guiding attendees in understanding emerging channel trends, designing state-of-the-art channel programs, and formulating industry-leading strategies for channel sales and marketing. By attending this esteemed event, participants will have the opportunity to acquire invaluable knowledge and insights that will equip them to maintain a competitive edge and drive success in the ever-evolving domain of channel development. 3. MSP Summit October 30 – November 2, 2023 | Florida MSP Summit, explicitly catered to managed service providers (MSPs), convenes an exceptional gathering of leading experts, executives, and professionals within the MSP community. With engaging keynote sessions, interactive panels, and informative workshops, attendees can gain valuable insights into business growth strategies, operational efficiency, customer success, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and other vital areas of interest for MSPs. With an impressive lineup of speakers, including Michelle Accardi (CEO of Logically), Anurag Agrawal (Founder and Chief Global Analyst of Techaisle), Cristian Anastasiu (Managing Partner at Excendio Advisors), and other distinguished speakers, participants can expect great expertise and industry insights to enhance their MSP businesses. 4. Women of the Channel Leadership Summit October 3, 2023 | Singapore This conference is a prominent gathering for accomplished women in the tech industry, dedicated to advancing organizational diversity and promoting women in technology. With its engaging and unparalleled format, this event offers women in tech a unique opportunity to enhance their skills and draw inspiration from influential women who are profoundly impacting the industry today. Attendees can expect a remarkable lineup of best-in-class thought leadership sessions, motivational keynotes, insightful discussions on tech trends, interactive peer panels, and valuable networking opportunities. The summit is specifically designed to navigate the intricacies of the workplace and assist women in developing their professional, corporate, and personal goals. 5. XChange Security July 10-12, 2023 | Texas XChange Security presents a unique platform that brings together solution providers and vendors, fostering strong partnerships and offering valuable insights into the latest advancements in security-focused businesses. This event allows participants to engage with innovative leaders and learn how to utilize cutting-edge technologies to combat internal and external threats effectively. Attending XChange Security will enable attendees to establish unparalleled connections, benefit from interactive boardrooms and breakout sessions led by industry experts, and acquire up-to-date market intelligence in the security field. Notable speakers at the event include Robert Cioffi (COO & Co-Founder of Progressive Computing), Richard Murray (FBI Dallas Cyber Task Force, Brian Mahon, Certified Insurance Counselor), and other distinguished speakers. Their expertise and insights will further enrich the attendee experience and contribute to the overall success of achieving their business goals. 6. ChannelPro SMB Forum 2023 August 9-10, 2023 | New Jersey IT professionals, industry experts, and solution providers will be marking their presence at the highly anticipated ChannelPro SMB Forum 2023 in Parsippany (New Jersey). This exclusive event promises a day filled with networking opportunities, educational sessions, and valuable insights. Attendees will have the chance to explore the latest trends and technologies, gain practical knowledge to propel business growth and connect with like-minded professionals in the SMB community. Professionals are encouraged to participate in this event, which offers an opportunity to enhance their skills and sustain a competitive advantage in the ever-evolving field of IT. 7. Channel Futures Leadership Summit October 3 – November 2, 2023 | Florida Channel Futures Leadership Summit stands out as a distinguished gathering, serving as a hub for established and aspiring channel leaders to engage in strategic conversations to accelerate high-performance managerial skills and capabilities. This event provides a platform for exploring innovative approaches to drive top-line growth, navigate economic challenges, enhance profitability, and outpace competitors through peer interaction and expert advice. Moreover, it offers channel leaders the invaluable opportunity to establish connections with new partners and reinforce relationships with existing ones as the focus shifts toward the upcoming year of 2024. 8. Partnership Day London 2023 July 5, 2023 | London This channel partner marketing conference will host the industry's premier partnership event, showcasing renowned brands, esteemed partners, and distinguished guest speakers. Professionals can secure attendance at this event, guaranteeing an action-packed day featuring thought-provoking panel discussions, actionable insights, and invaluable networking opportunities with industry leaders. Executives must attend this in person to enhance their knowledge, cultivate strategic relationships, establish meaningful connections, and maintain a competitive edge. 9. CompTIA ChannelCon 2023 August 1-3, 2023 | Las Vegas ChanelCon 2023, a channel marketing and partnership event, will feature renowned speakers, including Dave Alton (CTO at Strategic Information Resources), discussing achieving competitive advantage through business resilience. Eric Anthony (Director of Partner Engagement at Egnyte) will shed light on the seven phases of the customer journey—a blueprint for business success. Carolyn April (Senior Director of Industry Analysis at CompTIA) will cover vital topics such as strategic workforce planning for MSPs and mergers and acquisitions in the channel. Attendees are encouraged to join this event to gain valuable insights and networking opportunities. 10. Stack’D Connect August 1-2, 2023 | New York City The event will empower partnership leaders to harness the full potential of their partner programs to drive exponential growth. Attendees can look forward to discovering new partnership opportunities by participating in actionable workshops to enhance their ecosystem strategies and gaining invaluable market insights from market pioneers or GTM innovators in vibrant cities. The agenda encompasses four key aspects - building networks by connecting with like-minded SaaS companies and potential partners, learning from industry experts through coveted presentations, engaging in interactive workshops to refine partner programs, and driving revenue growth by applying newfound knowledge to achieve sales and partnership success. This event is a must-attend for professionals seeking to expand their network, gain expert insights, and boost revenue through effective partnerships. End Notes These channel partner marketing events are indispensable for individuals seeking to explore new avenues for collaboration, growth, and achievement in the partnership sphere. These events, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to advancing the partnership landscape, serve as must-attend gatherings where attendees can unlock fresh possibilities and forge valuable connections with peers, industry vendors, and solution providers. By offering a platform for knowledge exchange, exploration of emerging trends, and discussions on best practices within the rapidly-evolving technology services, these events empower seasoned professionals and newcomers to stay ahead in the dynamic realm of managed services. With networking opportunities abound and a focus on staying at the forefront of industry developments, these events offer an unparalleled platform for learning, collaboration, and the pursuit of success in the partnership ecosystem.

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Paradowski Creative

Paradowski Creative is a full-service creative agency based in St. Louis, Missouri. Those who drop by the agency would find roughly 80 writers, designers, strategists, producers and developers working on all kinds of amazing stuff. Our team builds brands, campaigns and digital experiences for some of the largest companies on the planet, as well as some of the smallest, not-for-profit organizations. Basically, we do work we believe in for clients we believe in.

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Martech, Channel Partnerships

Scale Computing's Jeff Ready, Scott Mann Recognized on CRN's 2023 Top 100 Executives List

PR Newswire | August 01, 2023

Scale Computing, the market leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions, today announced that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Jeff Ready, CEO and co-founder, and Scott Mann, global channel chief, to its exclusive 2023 Top 100 Executives list. CRN's Top 100 Executives list acknowledges the tech visionaries who are setting the pace for the rest of the IT industry. The list honors executives impacting the IT channel across four subcategories: the 25 Most Influential Executives, Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders, Top 25 Innovators, and Top 25 Disruptors. Ready was named to the Top 25 Innovators subcategory, while Mann was named to the Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders subcategory. Despite the past year's challenging global economic environment, Ready led Scale Computing to increased sales and profitability, driven by its edge computing software platform, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and channel partnerships, and the launch of SC//Fleet Manager with Zero-Touch Provisioning and Secure Link, the first cloud-hosted monitoring and management tool built for hyperconverged edge computing infrastructure at scale. Over the past year, Mann led the global channel team and continuously worked to improve the Scale Computing MSP program, while increasing revenue and average selling price (ASP) per partner. "Innovation infiltrates everything we do at Scale Computing, from our highly reliable, scalable, and easy-to-manage solutions to our partner and customer relationships. We constantly seek to leverage that innovation to solve customer problems," said Ready. "Scale Computing continues to be a leader in the emerging edge computing space and we're very proud of the innovations we've made in the technology, products, and partnerships that help us work with enterprises of all sizes, all around the world, today." The annual Top 100 Executives list honors the passionate and hard-working technology executives who are supporting, growing, and redefining the IT channel. The executives named to the list have demonstrated their commitment to the channel and proved themselves as exemplary leaders through their innovative channel-focused strategies and initiatives. "We've had tremendous success in the Scale Computing Partner Community over the past year with SC//Fleet Manager and it's exciting to see how our end customers find more value and success with both our technology and their valued advisors in the channel partner community. I'm thrilled to be named on CRN's 2023 Top 100 Executives list and look forward to continuing to lead and grow Scale Computing's channel efforts worldwide," said Mann. "It is the bold and decisive who continue to dominate our annual list in the technology world," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "Those featured on our CRN 2023 Top 100 Executives list demonstrate perpetual commitment to business growth, partner success, and IT innovation and aren't afraid to push boundaries – even in a time of economic uncertainty." The Top 100 Executives list will be featured in the August 2023 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/Top100. For more information on Scale Computing's Partner Community, please visit https://www.scalecomputing.com/partners. About Scale Computing Scale Computing is a leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions. Using patented HyperCore™ technology, Scale Computing Platform automatically identifies, mitigates, and corrects infrastructure problems in real-time, enabling applications to achieve maximum uptime, even when local IT resources and staff are scarce. Edge Computing is the fastest-growing area of IT infrastructure, and industry analysts have named Scale Computing an outperformer and leader in the space, including being named the #1 edge computing vendor by CRN. Scale Computing's products are sold by thousands of value-added resellers, integrators, and service providers worldwide. When ease-of-use, high availability, and TCO matter, Scale Computing Platform is the ideal infrastructure platform. Read what our customers have to say on Gartner Peer Insights, Spiceworks, TechValidate, G2, and TrustRadius.

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Channel Partnerships

Grammarly Unveils New Global AI Writing Assistance Partner Program

Grammarly | September 22, 2023

Grammarly enables its partners to address market demand by providing distinctive AI product offerings and dependable, secure communication assistance. As per a Forrester Consulting study for Grammarly, 97% of companies intend to invest in generative AI for communication within 24 months, with the market projected to hit $1.3 trillion by 2032. Collaborating with Grammarly improves efficiency and quality, providing value to customers given the company's existing support for global partners. Grammarly has officially announced the launch of its new Global Channel Partner Program. This program is crafted to assist enterprises spanning various sectors in safeguarding the sustainability of their establishments and augmenting their profit margins through advanced artificial intelligence. Through collaboration with Grammarly, enterprises operating within channel-based structures can anticipate providing their clientele with a dependable and user-friendly business solution. Furthermore, this affiliation promises a heightened revenue stream and the potential to introduce supplementary offerings, such as Grammarly Business and Grammarly for Education, to their portfolio of services. Ty Rottare, Head of Global Channel Sales at Grammarly, expressed excitement about the current climate in which enterprises are realizing the transformative potential of AI in reshaping work processes. He emphasized that Grammarly's generative AI features enhance the productivity and creativity of teams, enabling businesses to achieve superior results at a faster pace. Furthermore, he added that the Global Channel Partner Program equips partners and sellers with the tools necessary to deliver enhanced customer value through Grammarly's trusted technology, facilitating streamlined business interactions. Partners face escalating demands to provide their clients with reliable AI solutions. The newly introduced program equips channel partners with the capability to seamlessly deliver Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistance to their clients wherever it is required, fostering confidence in their offerings. Dwight Moore, Chief Information Officer, SHI, said, "Grammarly fits perfectly with our Modern Workplace and Employee Experience solutions portfolio, helping users across the organization be more efficient and successful in their written communications. We have experienced the benefits Grammarly can deliver first-hand at SHI, as we roll it out to more than 5,000 of our colleagues in sales, customer success, marketing, and IT." [Source – Business Wire] Grammarly's Global Partner Portal offers a range of resources, including deal registration, quotation management, purchase order submissions, customer engagement materials, and swag redemption. Meanwhile, the enablement program empowers sales professionals with a deep understanding of Grammarly's competitive advantages and integrations, aiding them in effectively communicating the value of Grammarly's generative AI features to clients. This roadmap includes specialized badges, technical expertise, and vertical market specialization for a more efficient market introduction of our solutions. Dwight Moore remarked that SHI is committed to helping organizations harness technology to enhance business operations. He expressed enthusiasm about the partnership with Grammarly to offer their AI-powered writing assistant to SHI's customers. The Global Channel Partner Program extends diverse engagement opportunities to sales teams, featuring tailored solutions like Grammarly Business for enterprises and Grammarly for Education for academic institutions. These specialized offerings empower partners to deliver additional services with positive outcomes. Partners also benefit from turn-key marketing programs, expediting their market entry with appealing profit margins and incentives. Moreover, they can seamlessly integrate Grammarly's solution into their existing tech stacks, enhancing operational resilience.

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Channel Partnerships

Nutanix-Cisco Partnership Unveils Promising Opportunities for Partners

Cisco | September 20, 2023

• Cisco Systems partnered with Nutanix to sell its hyper-converged systems but has discontinued its Hyperflex portfolio. • Christian Goffi underscores the commitment to customer choice, with partners recognizing the value of the HCI platform. • For Nutanix, which relies heavily on channel partners, the partner program highlights its strong commitment to a channel-centric approach. Nutanix and Cisco Systems have formed a global strategic partnership, which offers channel partners a remarkable opportunity to extend their footprint to a fresh customer demographic, harnessing their existing prowess in architecting hyper-converged platforms. Christian Goffi, Nutanix's North American Channel Chief, remarked, . For our partner community, the opportunity really comes from having another platform that they can lean on our solution for. We've always been about customer choice, and this is another one of those areas. Our partners have become very in-tune with the beauty of our HCI platform and what Nutanix does best. [Source – CRN] In response to the partnership announcement, he noted that channel partners displayed immediate and enthusiastic interest. Partners eagerly expressed their anticipation for further details, and the overall excitement surrounding the partnership was notably high. This strategic move opens up the possibility of reaching an untapped customer base. Interestingly, the partner community quickly recognized and embraced this excitement without the need for explicit communication. After the company's earnings announcement, Nutanix CEO Rajiv Ramaswami informed investors that Cisco is acquiring the entire cloud platform, including cloud infrastructure, management, and unified storage. Cisco will integrate this comprehensive portfolio with its Unified Computing System (UCS) and UCS management platform, Cisco Intersight. Subsequently, Cisco will market and sell the entirety of this portfolio. This strategic move will result in fully integrated solutions that combine the cloud and software offerings with Cisco's hardware, networking, and security, all offered by Cisco's sales teams. John Woodall, Vice President of Solutions Architecture West at General Datatech, a Dallas-based solution provider with a longstanding partnership with Cisco, stated that the hyper-converged infrastructure market has proven favorable. However, he believes Cisco can secure more victories through collaboration with Nutanix. This strategy represents a well-balanced approach toward establishing a prominent market presence alongside Nutanix. Christian Goffi further observed that various networking challenges persist in today's market, encompassing hybrid deployments and GenAI. Cisco's partnership brings numerous benefits to Nutanix channel partners. The collaboration with a global networking leader empowers them with the agility associated with the public cloud, a model many favor due to its pay-as-you-use approach despite its inherent complexities. Nutanix excels in extending this public cloud excellence into private cloud environments, aligning with its core strengths.

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Martech, Channel Partnerships

Scale Computing's Jeff Ready, Scott Mann Recognized on CRN's 2023 Top 100 Executives List

PR Newswire | August 01, 2023

Scale Computing, the market leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions, today announced that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Jeff Ready, CEO and co-founder, and Scott Mann, global channel chief, to its exclusive 2023 Top 100 Executives list. CRN's Top 100 Executives list acknowledges the tech visionaries who are setting the pace for the rest of the IT industry. The list honors executives impacting the IT channel across four subcategories: the 25 Most Influential Executives, Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders, Top 25 Innovators, and Top 25 Disruptors. Ready was named to the Top 25 Innovators subcategory, while Mann was named to the Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders subcategory. Despite the past year's challenging global economic environment, Ready led Scale Computing to increased sales and profitability, driven by its edge computing software platform, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and channel partnerships, and the launch of SC//Fleet Manager with Zero-Touch Provisioning and Secure Link, the first cloud-hosted monitoring and management tool built for hyperconverged edge computing infrastructure at scale. Over the past year, Mann led the global channel team and continuously worked to improve the Scale Computing MSP program, while increasing revenue and average selling price (ASP) per partner. "Innovation infiltrates everything we do at Scale Computing, from our highly reliable, scalable, and easy-to-manage solutions to our partner and customer relationships. We constantly seek to leverage that innovation to solve customer problems," said Ready. "Scale Computing continues to be a leader in the emerging edge computing space and we're very proud of the innovations we've made in the technology, products, and partnerships that help us work with enterprises of all sizes, all around the world, today." The annual Top 100 Executives list honors the passionate and hard-working technology executives who are supporting, growing, and redefining the IT channel. The executives named to the list have demonstrated their commitment to the channel and proved themselves as exemplary leaders through their innovative channel-focused strategies and initiatives. "We've had tremendous success in the Scale Computing Partner Community over the past year with SC//Fleet Manager and it's exciting to see how our end customers find more value and success with both our technology and their valued advisors in the channel partner community. I'm thrilled to be named on CRN's 2023 Top 100 Executives list and look forward to continuing to lead and grow Scale Computing's channel efforts worldwide," said Mann. "It is the bold and decisive who continue to dominate our annual list in the technology world," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "Those featured on our CRN 2023 Top 100 Executives list demonstrate perpetual commitment to business growth, partner success, and IT innovation and aren't afraid to push boundaries – even in a time of economic uncertainty." The Top 100 Executives list will be featured in the August 2023 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/Top100. For more information on Scale Computing's Partner Community, please visit https://www.scalecomputing.com/partners. About Scale Computing Scale Computing is a leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions. Using patented HyperCore™ technology, Scale Computing Platform automatically identifies, mitigates, and corrects infrastructure problems in real-time, enabling applications to achieve maximum uptime, even when local IT resources and staff are scarce. Edge Computing is the fastest-growing area of IT infrastructure, and industry analysts have named Scale Computing an outperformer and leader in the space, including being named the #1 edge computing vendor by CRN. Scale Computing's products are sold by thousands of value-added resellers, integrators, and service providers worldwide. When ease-of-use, high availability, and TCO matter, Scale Computing Platform is the ideal infrastructure platform. Read what our customers have to say on Gartner Peer Insights, Spiceworks, TechValidate, G2, and TrustRadius.

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Channel Partnerships

Grammarly Unveils New Global AI Writing Assistance Partner Program

Grammarly | September 22, 2023

Grammarly enables its partners to address market demand by providing distinctive AI product offerings and dependable, secure communication assistance. As per a Forrester Consulting study for Grammarly, 97% of companies intend to invest in generative AI for communication within 24 months, with the market projected to hit $1.3 trillion by 2032. Collaborating with Grammarly improves efficiency and quality, providing value to customers given the company's existing support for global partners. Grammarly has officially announced the launch of its new Global Channel Partner Program. This program is crafted to assist enterprises spanning various sectors in safeguarding the sustainability of their establishments and augmenting their profit margins through advanced artificial intelligence. Through collaboration with Grammarly, enterprises operating within channel-based structures can anticipate providing their clientele with a dependable and user-friendly business solution. Furthermore, this affiliation promises a heightened revenue stream and the potential to introduce supplementary offerings, such as Grammarly Business and Grammarly for Education, to their portfolio of services. Ty Rottare, Head of Global Channel Sales at Grammarly, expressed excitement about the current climate in which enterprises are realizing the transformative potential of AI in reshaping work processes. He emphasized that Grammarly's generative AI features enhance the productivity and creativity of teams, enabling businesses to achieve superior results at a faster pace. Furthermore, he added that the Global Channel Partner Program equips partners and sellers with the tools necessary to deliver enhanced customer value through Grammarly's trusted technology, facilitating streamlined business interactions. Partners face escalating demands to provide their clients with reliable AI solutions. The newly introduced program equips channel partners with the capability to seamlessly deliver Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistance to their clients wherever it is required, fostering confidence in their offerings. Dwight Moore, Chief Information Officer, SHI, said, "Grammarly fits perfectly with our Modern Workplace and Employee Experience solutions portfolio, helping users across the organization be more efficient and successful in their written communications. We have experienced the benefits Grammarly can deliver first-hand at SHI, as we roll it out to more than 5,000 of our colleagues in sales, customer success, marketing, and IT." [Source – Business Wire] Grammarly's Global Partner Portal offers a range of resources, including deal registration, quotation management, purchase order submissions, customer engagement materials, and swag redemption. Meanwhile, the enablement program empowers sales professionals with a deep understanding of Grammarly's competitive advantages and integrations, aiding them in effectively communicating the value of Grammarly's generative AI features to clients. This roadmap includes specialized badges, technical expertise, and vertical market specialization for a more efficient market introduction of our solutions. Dwight Moore remarked that SHI is committed to helping organizations harness technology to enhance business operations. He expressed enthusiasm about the partnership with Grammarly to offer their AI-powered writing assistant to SHI's customers. The Global Channel Partner Program extends diverse engagement opportunities to sales teams, featuring tailored solutions like Grammarly Business for enterprises and Grammarly for Education for academic institutions. These specialized offerings empower partners to deliver additional services with positive outcomes. Partners also benefit from turn-key marketing programs, expediting their market entry with appealing profit margins and incentives. Moreover, they can seamlessly integrate Grammarly's solution into their existing tech stacks, enhancing operational resilience.

Read More

Channel Partnerships

Nutanix-Cisco Partnership Unveils Promising Opportunities for Partners

Cisco | September 20, 2023

• Cisco Systems partnered with Nutanix to sell its hyper-converged systems but has discontinued its Hyperflex portfolio. • Christian Goffi underscores the commitment to customer choice, with partners recognizing the value of the HCI platform. • For Nutanix, which relies heavily on channel partners, the partner program highlights its strong commitment to a channel-centric approach. Nutanix and Cisco Systems have formed a global strategic partnership, which offers channel partners a remarkable opportunity to extend their footprint to a fresh customer demographic, harnessing their existing prowess in architecting hyper-converged platforms. Christian Goffi, Nutanix's North American Channel Chief, remarked, . For our partner community, the opportunity really comes from having another platform that they can lean on our solution for. We've always been about customer choice, and this is another one of those areas. Our partners have become very in-tune with the beauty of our HCI platform and what Nutanix does best. [Source – CRN] In response to the partnership announcement, he noted that channel partners displayed immediate and enthusiastic interest. Partners eagerly expressed their anticipation for further details, and the overall excitement surrounding the partnership was notably high. This strategic move opens up the possibility of reaching an untapped customer base. Interestingly, the partner community quickly recognized and embraced this excitement without the need for explicit communication. After the company's earnings announcement, Nutanix CEO Rajiv Ramaswami informed investors that Cisco is acquiring the entire cloud platform, including cloud infrastructure, management, and unified storage. Cisco will integrate this comprehensive portfolio with its Unified Computing System (UCS) and UCS management platform, Cisco Intersight. Subsequently, Cisco will market and sell the entirety of this portfolio. This strategic move will result in fully integrated solutions that combine the cloud and software offerings with Cisco's hardware, networking, and security, all offered by Cisco's sales teams. John Woodall, Vice President of Solutions Architecture West at General Datatech, a Dallas-based solution provider with a longstanding partnership with Cisco, stated that the hyper-converged infrastructure market has proven favorable. However, he believes Cisco can secure more victories through collaboration with Nutanix. This strategy represents a well-balanced approach toward establishing a prominent market presence alongside Nutanix. Christian Goffi further observed that various networking challenges persist in today's market, encompassing hybrid deployments and GenAI. Cisco's partnership brings numerous benefits to Nutanix channel partners. The collaboration with a global networking leader empowers them with the agility associated with the public cloud, a model many favor due to its pay-as-you-use approach despite its inherent complexities. Nutanix excels in extending this public cloud excellence into private cloud environments, aligning with its core strengths.

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Events