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March 10, 2007
On Building Reseller Brand Identity
For dealers, VARS or other independent channel partners, there is a nice article in the March 5, 2007 issue of VARBusiness titled, "Building the Perfect Brand." The article articulates the importance of building brand equity as a reseller.
I particularly liked their Top 10 DO's and DON'Ts for brand building...I don't agree with all the items, but the basic concepts are good. (e.g I agree that postcards are not a panacea, but properly used, they can be integrated into a communications campaign to make a cost-effective nurturing touch to select industries and audiences.)
Things to Do:
1. Do give customers face-time.
2. Do cold-call prospective customers.
3. Do read the trades for news and trends so you can engage existing and potential customers in meaningful conversation.
4. Do put together your own trade shows, conferences and seminars.
5. Do PR: It's the cheapest way to build brand awareness.
Things To Not Do:
1. Don't send postcards.
2. Don't limit yourself to attending only vendor trade shows.
3. Don't spend a lot of money on billboards; in the age of the Internet, they are minimally effective.
4. Don't bombard customers with e-mail; keep messages focused.
5. Don't lose sight of your mission.
I also liked the following fact: 41% of VAR survey respondents said they spend between 6-10% of revenue on marketing!
Good advice for all indpedendent channel partners.
Posted by jcioban at March 10, 2007 3:40 PM
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