5 Mistakes Every Channel Marketer Should Avoid

Changing Trends in Channel Marketing

• Companies have begun to use big data to monitor, analyse and respond with various intervention techniques based on both empirical and historical data points.

• Use of an integrated approach with digital tools such as automated channel marketing, email marketing coupled with traditional tele-sales to move larger number of products down the channel.

• Driving this trend is the increased competitive nature of business, multiple channel points and an ever increasing choice availability to consumers.

Mistakes a channel marketer should avoid

1. Assuming Data Exists

Data will exist is disparate groups in multiple storage

points.

Business name and a business email id in the

billing system may not be what the channel partner is

actually using.

Duplicity of data points largely caused by the

legacy system of entering names in short.

Apart from the naming issue, there would exist the problem of lack of email id and phone number. Mostly

data is unverified.

Solution:As a Channel marketer assume that good

quality database simply does not exist and factor the necessity of creating a

comprehensive high quality database into your trade marketing program. Using a channel marketing automation tool will

help.

2. Letting your channel partners become your Marketers.

Channel partner view trade programs as

another backend support mechanism within their

right to utilize. This often results in channel

pilferage.

Worse still is the fact that you are then dependent on the channel partner as your

marketing partner to provide you with results of

your trade program effectiveness.

Channel partners are more in touch with the down tier and therefore it is easier to administer

the program through them.

It saves cost but channel marketers do not take into

account the work of compile reports from non-compliant partners or the opportunity cost loss t due

to pilferage.

3. Letting your sales team become your messenger

Keep in mind that the sales team does not report functionally to

marketing.

With multiple brands running multiple channel programs at the same time, the sales team

will often end up doing both his roles badly .

Trying to leverage the sales team to administer and communicate your trade scheme will result in

delayed scheme launches, miscommunication to some

sections of your trade channel.

4. Delaying Trade Rewards

Because of the way channel programs are usually executed-

via the up-tier, through the sales team, marketers often

find it difficult to release channel rewards for lack of

adequate information.

Channel loyalty program is to build trust so that future programs benefit from it.

dealer meets and non-receipt of trade scheme rewards is

likely to be a hot social topic among channel partners. An irate channel partner is more likely to shift his focus to the

brand that promises and delivers.

5. Not building a database build up loop

The more data points that you collect during and after your program and loop back into your system, the sharper and more effective will be your next marketing initiative.

Understanding trends, buying patterns, regional patterns, and channel patterns will allow you to create sharper, more precise trade programs for different constituents.

Most channel marketers make the fundamental mistake of treating each trade program as individual silo’s resulting in no future insights.

Conclusion

Trade Marketing can be one of the most challenging marketing

assignments a marketer can take up

given the dynamics of the industry. Making the mistakes shown, can lead

to frustration while implementing the solutions can give the channel marketer enough time to broaden

his responsibility by taking on other assignments.

For further information, check out our blog : http://triadmarketingservices.com/blogs/5-mistakes-every-channel-marketer-should-avoid/