Today’s business leaders have shown us that success in an ever-changing world relies heavily on the ability to adapt. With the rapid pace of change within both marketing and technology, many are left asking what needs to change? To identify some timely and effective ways to drive impact, we’ve asked five partner marketing leaders to share their thoughts on change they hope to see industry-wide or effect within their own efforts for greater success this year.
Improve partner funding cycles.
“So much has changed in the world. Except for partner funding cycles. For many years I’ve seen these funding cycles and reporting requirements prevent marketing teams from planning long-term campaigns. It’s common to hear that in the last month of a funding cycle, a partner has money to spend within a marketing campaign. When this happens, marketing teams are only provided with a few weeks to plan, execute, and launch a campaign in market – and having to provide results within a short timeframe of launch. The way funding is spent within a campaign should always be looked at from a long-term perspective.” – Angela Cope, Director, Demand Generation, Softchoice
Upfront, and quality data.
“In 2022, the thing I would change is confirmation of the data provided by responders. In other words, I would want to confirm that the data provided is completely vetted without additional nurturing. The quality of end user nurturing on the front end of an ABM campaign determines the viability of the data received on the back end. If the data provided was good upfront, it would greatly reduce the time from end user insights to actual revenue.” – Walter G. Leverett, Global OEM Channel GTM Channel Manager, NVIDIA
Elevate partner marketing positions.
“Too many tech companies keep partner marketing in the periphery and this needs to change. My wish this year is to see more partner marketers elevated to executive leadership roles. At some companies, partner marketing is no longer the “fringe” of the organization, and the partner marketing strategy plays a pivotal role in overall growth. Partner marketers are poised to lead organizations to greater success with their keen focus on driving pipeline results and the ability to scale complex global initiatives. Some companies get it, and have put partner marketers into executive leadership roles, reporting directly to the CMO. This year, I hope we can see more companies let partner marketers take lead.” – Rick Currier, VP, US Sales & Partner Marketing, Foundry
Integrate technology to help drive results.
“B2B partner marketing is continuing to evolve. Technologies such as data intent, ABM, and social media competitor listening tools for demand generation are being deployed, and it has never been more critical for organizations to leverage these technologies in partner marketing with corporate alignment. For 2022 and beyond, partner marketing needs better integration into corporate demand generation programs for partner ecosystem market expansion.” – Nori De Jesus, Sr. Channel Marketing Manager, NA, Orca Security
Remove limiting barrier between partners.
“From my perspective, the removal of barriers that can hinder marketing collaboration. Partners are often seen as an afterthought and kept at arm’s reach within an organization’s strategic plans. To maximize impact, all partners need to be recognized as an extension of an organization’s direct sales and marketing functions, and in turn supported, equipped, and enabled as such. Companies who embrace their partners by integrating them into their strategies multiply their marketing force and reach, while also strengthening relationships.” – Tim Milton, Director, Channel Marketing, OpenText
Partner marketing is complex – and the larger the programs, the more complex it can get. Foundry, with a dedicated partner marketing practice designed to engage tech decision-makers, can help reduce complexity and scale programs. To learn more about how we can help improve your partner marketing impact, contact us today or download our partner marketing study.
