An Increased Value Exchange

The rise in online marketplace activity will see an increased value exchange between vendors and the channel. That’s according to Adam Wilson, strategic partner director at cloud communications vendor Vonage.

“While vendors may be getting closer to the customer and the consumer segments, they cannot be everywhere and satisfy a business’ every need,” he says. “As long as the channel adapts and the vendor remains willing to trade with the channel, the technology will get in the hands of joint customers on a far broader scale and will be adopted far sooner.”

Wilson also says the rise of online marketplaces has “hammered home the importance of consistency where brand and communications across all customer touchpoints are concerned. He adds that advancements in AI can help bridge this gap.

“To stay ahead of the curve in 2022 and beyond, channel partners will need to get to grips with helping customers effectively deploy ‘conversational commerce’. [This is] a term used to describe the growing convergence of shopping and conversations on social media platforms.”