CompTIA Study: Channel Companies Step Up Marketing, Branding
A new study reveals that channel companies are stepping up their branding, marketing and sales activities — and they’re doing it all on their own.
CompTIA‘s “Fourth Annual State of the Channel” report found that the majority of channel firms are becoming more self-reliant when it comes to marketing and branding. For instance, 40 percent of survey respondents say they are accelerating their social media efforts to reach current customers, welcome new prospects and promote themselves.
Channel firms are also shifting away from product-based reselling to a greater reliance on recurring services revenue, the report stated.
“Many channel firms have learned that they can’t run their business today the way they once did, even in the recent past,” said Carolyn April, a senior director of industry analysis at CompTIA.
According to the report, 47 percent of respondents said additional business models will increase the complexity of sales and marketing structures. When it comes to hiring, within the past 12 months, 74 percent said they added talent to their sales teams and 72 percent said they hired marketing talent.
“Many channel firms have embraced a hybrid model, selling some products and some services,” April said. “The structure of their sales teams may take on a similar look, with some reps excelling at product sales and others at service contracts.”
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