Introduction
In an indirect market, companies rely on third-party partners—such as resellers, distributors, agents, or other intermediaries—to reach their end customers, rather than selling directly. This type of go-to-market strategy is often used to expand market reach and capitalise on partners’ existing customer relationships, local knowledge, and distribution networks. The indirect route to market is especially common in industries like technology and consumer goods, where companies benefit from the logistical, sales, and service expertise of third-party partners.
Because companies have limited direct contact with end customers in this model, they must communicate and incentivise their channel partners effectively to ensure alignment on brand messaging, product knowledge, and customer satisfaction. Here an effective channel of communication can be critical for success, as often companies with large-scale operations seeking to penetrate regions or industries that would otherwise be challenging, have limited internal marketing resources.
Our team of experienced communication experts work with technology and electronics companies to help increase partner engagement and growth across regions with strategic marketing communications.
Limited Sales Resources in High-Volume Markets
In the case of a global electronics client, we were presented with a scenario where they knew where they wanted to get to but needed help to define the “how to” get there. Our consultative approach enabled us to speak to key internal stakeholders to understand how their small sales team struggled to engage with their large audience of potential buyers, making direct engagement with each buyer impractical.
The impact of this limitation was significant. If indirect partners didn’t keep the brand front of mind, they would sell competitor products instead. If product marketing materials were too complicated or not readily available, they would recommend other brands and miss the sales opportunity. This was an obvious opportunity for direct influence. The company needed to ascertain “how to communicate one-to-many” to enable their global sales plans. After all, people sell what they know.
Adopting a ‘One-to-Many’ Communication Model
The principles of a ‘One-to-Many’ communications model are quite simple: create an identity and a digital tool through which to push all channel communications. This digital destination should become “the place to go” for indirect partners to receive, read and download any and all relevant company and product information that will support their sales process.
This channel partner communication will form an essential part of a channel partner engagement programme which can include partner training, content distribution, and incentive structures. Typical content may include product specifications, data sheets, advertising campaigns, online gamification, partner nurturing campaigns and digital rewards.
Building a Channel Partner Engagement Program
Designing, building and implementing an effective channel partner engagement program takes time and investment, however the return can be significant.
Create an actionable plan that includes:
- An overall brand identity and ethos from which to communicate to partners. Be consistent and accurate with its use to maximise effectiveness.
- Create ‘tone of voice’ and develop clear messaging that partners can easily communicate onto their customers.
- The goal is to have partners repeatedly visit your program, therefore focus on providing consistent, high-quality content for partners to utilise and share.
- Assessing the information that partners digest will be key to measuring the program success, provide insightful and engaging training for partners on brand and product specifics.
- Demonstrate its success by incentivising engagement with rewards and performance metrics to ensure active participation.
Channel Engagement From FMI
As channel engagement experts, FMI can help you to discover, design, engage and assess your channel engagement program. With carefully created strategic marketing communications, coupled with cutting edge technology led programs, we can help your business achieve its goals.
We will work as an extension of your sales and marketing team and set out discovering how to address your business objectives. This may take time, and require stakeholder buy-in and investment, but at the end we will support you to implement an effective partner program from which to drive business growth and brand reputation.
Our account teams can provide ongoing program management to ensure consistent, accurate and up to date communications are maintained and professionally executed. We actively design for engagement and will act as brand guardians, helping to deliver content in local and international languages. With limited internal resource, we can provide the “extra hands” to turn you program into a success by being highly responsive, reassuringly proactive and fun to work with.
“This particular communications project has been on my ‘to do’ list for 2-3 years now but we have never been able to find a creative agency to help make it actually happen. FMI have brought a fresh approach and working in collaboration with a cross-functional team, we have now achieved a set of partner solutions which are being actively used across the global business on a daily basis!”
