In a bid to gain valuable insights into the desired outcomes of brands concerning their channel programs, Channel Fusion recently embarked on a comprehensive research project. The study explored various dimensions of channel programs, shedding light on what’s important to brands and what they expect from their program providers. In the first of multiple articles, we delve into the findings of the research, focusing on the disparities brands see between important and expected channel program capabilities.
The Study
Channel Fusion recently commissioned a research project with the University of Iowa Marketing Institute aimed at understanding current trends in channel marketing. By exploring the preferences and expectations of brands, this study aimed to provide valuable insights for Channel Fusion to continue its charter of delivering desired outcomes for brands and their channel partners.
Important Capabilities: Meeting Brands' High Priorities
The research revealed crucial insights into the capabilities that brands considered most important for their channel programs. The following key capabilities stood out as high priorities for brands:
Strategic Planning and Counsel
Brands emphasized the paramount importance of strategic planning and counsel in their channel programs. This finding underscores the need for channel marketing companies to act as strategic partners, providing brands with expert guidance and personalized strategies to achieve their channel marketing objectives successfully. Channel Fusion uses its proprietary Outcomes Blueprint process to guide brands through a strategic planning process that helps ensure alignment among key stakeholders and establishes the key performance indicators to measure desired outcomes.
Ad and Marketing Material Creation
Another critical capability that resonated with brands was ad/marketing material creation. Brands recognized the significance of compelling and well-crafted marketing collateral using tools like the Channel Fusion Ad Builder to effectively promote their products and services through channel partners.
Digital Asset Management
In the digital era, efficient digital asset management emerged as a vital capability for brands’ channel programs. Brands sought streamlined access to digital assets through tools like the Channel Fusion Asset Library to empower their partners and enable them to execute marketing initiatives with ease and consistency.
Expected Capabilities: Aligning Importance and Anticipation
Interestingly, the capabilities that brands ranked as most important closely aligned with their expectations from their channel program providers. Once again, strategic planning and counsel, ad/marketing material creation, and digital asset management topped the list of expected capabilities. These capabilities align strongly with brand preferences, indicating a clear market demand for expert guidance and support in these areas.
In summary, the research conducted by Channel Fusion sheds light on the vital aspects that brands consider important and expect from their channel programs. Focusing on capabilities that are both important and anticipated by brands is critically important in the ever-evolving landscape of channel marketing. Strategic planning and counsel, ad/marketing material creation, and digital asset management are key areas of focus in delivering channel program outcomes.
About Channel Fusion
For more than 20 years, Channel Fusion has been delivering strategy, customer experience and return on investment outcomes for brands and their channel partners with a wide variety of solutions and industry expertise. We continue to invest in the overall ecosystem of our channel marketing offering to ensure our clients can provide their channel partners with an optimal customer experience to drive results. Our core technologies and connected platform are supported by a team of customer-centric “Fusers.” Let us know if you’d like to learn more about how we deliver desired outcomes for brands and their channel partners.