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STORAGE, SECURITY, AND SERVER CONSOLIDATION SOLUTIONS TOP THE LIST OF VAR MARKETING REQUESTS
More than 250 VARs, SIs, and OEMs have reviewed solutions-focused campaigns targeted at todays hottest IT segments at www.channelagency.com
Resellers visiting www.channelagency.com to review customizable, solutions-focused campaigns have viewed the sites storage, security, and server consolidation solutions more than any other campaigns. The campaigns are part of a portfolio of vendoragnostic, customizable campaigns available to Value Added Resellers (VARs) and Solutions Integrators (SIs). More than 250 VARs, SIs, and OEM vendors have visited the site in the past three months to investigate marketing strategies.
It seems clear that VARs and Solutions Integrators are hoping to leverage the headlines and market awareness of business continuity and security issues," explained Eric Nitschke, managing director of Launch International. Storage and security solutions address those challenges perfectly, and were seeing a lot of interest in demand generation campaigns in these areas."
In addition, Nitschke explained why VARs are interested in server consolidation campaigns. Large companies recognize the enormous cost savings and other advantages that come with centralizing management and processing on a smaller number of more powerful servers," he noted. Many VARs we work with like server consolidation solutions because they come with relatively faster sale cycles and
higher price tags."
ChannelAgency provides pre-built, solutions-focused demand generation campaigns ready for customization by VARs and SIs with their own unique messaging, identity, and value proposition. VARs and SIs can select which campaign they like from the site (www.ChannelAgency.com) and Launch International will provide all customization, printing, and fulfillment services.
The ChannelAgency site was demonstrated to IBM Business Partners at the Avnet Computer Marketing Partner Conference in San Antonio, TX, in August 2002, and the site will officially launch in December 2002. VARs and SIs who are planning their 2003 marketing budgets can truly benefit from the ChannelAgency campaigns,"
Nitschke said. In addition, demand generation campaigns like those at ChannelAgency are covered by most marketing and business development funds provided by vendors and distributors.
Every ChannelAgency campaign includes an executive prospectus, which is mailed into the VARs geographic market. The prospectus is comprised of a high-impact business letter and a prospectus package that presents the campaigns messages, and positions the VAR as having the perfect product and service solution to that challenge. Each campaign also offers an executive brief as a fulfillment piece -- a strategic element that is often missing from most demand generation campaigns.
ChannelAgency executive briefs are 4-6 page overviews of a market challenge, and offer some suggestions how companies can overcome those challenges by calling the VAR," Nitschke explained. By offering a unique, customized brief as a fulfillment piece, we give the VAR something of value to entice the customer to call for more information"
Active ChannelAgency campaigns include:
• Business Intelligence
• Information Management
• Security management
• Server Consolidation
• Storage management
• Web Services
Additional campaigns will be added on a monthly basis, and will include more topics of strategic importance to VARs and SIs. Future campaigns will also offer vertical industry solutions, allowing VARs to target areas with tremendous revenue potential, such as finance, manufacturing, life sciences, and retail/wholesale.
In addition to the publicly available site, ChannelAgency also offers a private label" program for OEM vendors and distributors to offer custom campaigns to their own channel partners. The private label sites would be exclusive to subscribing vendors and distributors, and would include new, exclusive campaigns only available to that companys partner channel," Nitschke noted. This is a tremendous opportunity for hardware and software companies to add value to their partner relationships without dedicating marketing headcount or resources."
About Launch International
Launch International, Inc., founded in 1992 and based in Doylestown, Pa., provides strategic marketing and communications to high-tech companies worldwide, including practically every hardware and software provider in the Fortune 50, including IBM, HP, Compaq, EMC, Avnet, and more. Launch delivers a rare blend of technology-, business-, and communications expertise to give high-tech companies better focused marketing, positioning and sales tools -- all within an accelerated timeframe.
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