The Channel Surfers - Episode 57 - "Partner Co-Marketing, A Better Bang for Your Buck "

The Channel Surfers: Why Co-Marketing is the Best Bang for Your Buck In this episode of "The Channel Surfers," co-hosts John McCabe and Jeff Lennon dive deep into the strategic importance and practical execution of co-marketing with channel partners. In a conversational and collaborative style, they argue that co-marketing is a more effective and cost-efficient strategy for brand awareness and lead generation than traditional social media or Google ads. The hosts position a well-executed co-marketing plan as a critical precursor to successful co-selling, laying the groundwork for sales by building brand awareness and validating the joint value proposition. Jeff describes a previous episode with Will Taylor as a "watershed moment" that re-contextualized his understanding of go-to-market strategies with partners. He realized that many successful past activities—like creating joint solution briefs and co-mingling at events—were all forms of co-marketing. Key Discussion Points - Co-Marketing vs. Traditional Ads: John opens by questioning the ROI of spending marketing budgets on LinkedIn or Google ads. He posits that the "best bang for your buck" for any channel program is a robust co-marketing plan with strategic partners, as it allows for direct promotion within a partner's ecosystem, tapping into an established and relevant audience. - The Bridge to Co-Selling: The hosts emphasize that co-marketing is the most important first step in a partnership. It is a vital intermediate step that helps validate messaging, build joint assets, and align with a target audience before ever engaging in a formal co-selling motion. It paves the road for better conversations by preventing co-selling efforts from falling on deaf ears. - The Joint Value Proposition: Effective co-marketing is built on the "better together" concept—the idea that two companies' combined solutions are greater than the sum of their parts. Jeff describes co-marketing as a "litmus test" for this joint value proposition, citing the example of Impartner's integration with Salesforce and HubSpot to solve specific market problems without competing directly. - A Structured Strategy: Jeff stresses that co-marketing isn't just a series of random activities; it must be a deliberate, thought-out strategy designed to drive meaningful business outcomes. He uses the real estate mantra "location, location, location" as an analogy for the importance of "plan, plan, and execute" in co-marketing. - Planning and Rules of Engagement: John emphasizes the need for clear rules of engagement, especially ensuring partner reps are involved from the beginning of an account interaction. This plan should span a minimum of 90 to 120 days and include pre-planning, execution, and crucial post-activity follow-up to analyze results. Bi-weekly touchpoints are recommended to stay on track. - Organizational Alignment: While a dedicated partner marketing team is ideal, it's not a deal-breaker. Channel managers should work closely with the general marketing department, as their goals are aligned: generating leads and getting "eyeballs on the product." The goal is to provide partners with lead-gen materials to make selling easier. - The Role of Events: Events are highlighted as perfect "co-marketing anchors." The work, however, spans a full timeline: - Pre-Event (30-60+ days): A "pre-gaming" phase for planning, creating joint assets, and initiating campaigns to build momentum. - During the Event: A period of active co-marketing and execution, including tracking interactions and leads. - Post-Event (60-120+ days): The effort continues with a structured follow-up plan to "breathe and push" the joint solution message and convert interest into opportunities. An immediate post-event debrief is crucial. - Capturing Partner Mindshare: Gaining partner mindshare is critical. John shares a personal anecdote from his time with CDW, where he created simple mouse pads with logos and a specific deal registration code.