Business-to-Business Internet Marketing, Fourth Edition - Lifecycle ...

Developing Internet Partnerships 251
and networking manufacturers have widely adopted this selling model
to reach diverse markets more effectively, often on a worldwide basis.
(For an in-depth look at this business, visit CMPnet’s ChannelWeb at
www.channelweb.com). Insurance companies have long distributed
their products and services through captive or independent agents.
Resellers are a special kind of partner. They especially like programs
that support their business but take very little effort on their part. If you
want to support reseller partners, it pays to design direct marketing
programs that are fast, low in cost, and easy to customize for resellers.
Consider doing VAR versions of your end user promotions, and get
larger VARs to sign on up front so you can simply tag them on to your
existing program. It will be easier, faster, and cheaper for everyone.
Consider adding incentive programs for the sales teams of larger
resellers—so they get excited about promoting your products over someone
else’s. Make sure the sales teams (yours as well as your partners’)
are informed of any direct marketing programs that you are executing
on their behalf.
Supporting Partners with Traditional Direct Marketing
Supporting partners with traditional direct marketing is a commonplace
practice. Companies working as partners may co-brand advertising or
direct mail promotions to take advantage of market conditions and benefit
from joint marketing. Alternatively, the sponsoring company may
execute a direct mail program and offer partners the opportunity of
participating by printing versions of the piece with each partner’s logo
and call to action information.
Some partnered direct marketing programs are comprehensive and
all-encompassing, but they need not be this elaborate to achieve results.
I have seen partner versions of self-mailers and postcards perform very
effectively. As with any direct marketing program, the keys are good list
selection, a strong offer, and audience-appropriate creative.
Today, there is another weapon—the Internet. Now traditional direct
marketing partner programs can be enhanced with the Internet in a
variety of ways:
1. Using a partner-specific URL, you can direct leads to a special
Web page that reinforces the benefits of the partnered program
and captures responder information.