Alliance Marketing Report 2014
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Transcript of Alliance Marketing Report 2014
Sponsored by
TechnologyMarketing
Group Partner
2014 survey results
ALLIANCEMARKETING REPORT
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 2
We would like to thank our sponsor for supporting the Alliance Marketing Report:
IDG Enterprise | www.idgenterprise.com
IDG Enterprise brings together the unique brands (Computerworld, InfoWorld, Network World, CIO, DEMO, CSO, CIO Executive Council, ITworld, CFOworld and CITEworld) to serve the information needs of our IT and security-focused audiences. By leveraging the strengths of each individual brand, while simultaneously harnessing their collective reach and audience affinity, we provide market leadership and media best practices for our marketing customers to engage their customers across our portfolio.
IDG Enterprise Alliance Marketing Services (AMS) provides leading-edge converged marketing solutions, enabling tech marketers to create, elevate and communicate the value of their partnerships. As a full consultative group, AMS offers a robust portfolio of turnkey solutions that can supplement ongoing alliance marketing initiatives including: research based programs, content development, brand messaging, social marketing services, lead generation and nurturing, custom executive events and more. By leveraging the combination of marketing services expertise with the full portfolio of the IDG Enterprise premium media brands, the AMS team creates valuable solutions to help our customers to succeed in their alliance marketing endeavors.
SPONSOR
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 3
Alliance Marketing is becoming more critical to the success of companies. To gain better insight into the state of Alliance Marketing in our industry, we conducted a brand-new survey to explore goals and challenges of alliance programs, how the success of alliance partnerships is evaluated, what marketing tactics are being used, and how funding occurs across alliance marketing programs.
The results are compiled in this easy to digest, information-rich report - providing you with fresh, valuable insight and metrics to benchmark your own alliance marketing efforts against.
Key findings include:
• Revenue, demand generation and joint sales engagement top the list of alliance program goals.
• Lack of partner commitment and resources are the biggest challenges faced by alliance marketers.
• The top alliance marketing tactics are demand generation, content development and lead nurturing.
• A majority of alliance professionals expect their number of partners to increase over the next 12 months.
For this report we leveraged the combined wisdom of more than 60,000 B2B marketers in our B2B Technology Marketing Community on LinkedIn. Please feel free to share this survey report with your friends and colleagues.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey!
Holger SchulzeB2B Technology Marketing [email protected]
Welcome to the Alliance MarketingReport 2014!
INtROductION
More B2B Marketing Reports
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 4
Revenue generation (87 percent), demand generation (72 percent) and joint sales engagement (66 percent) top the list of alliance marketing program goals
Lack of partner commitment is the greatest alliance marketing challenge (42 percent), followed by lack of resources (39 percent)
The top three alliance marketing tactics are demand generation (68 percent), followed by content development (50 percent) and lead nurturing (50 percent)
A majority of alliance professionals (62 percent) expect the number of partners they work with to increase over the next 12 months
Fifty percent of respondents expect alliance marketing budgets to increase over the next 24 months.
top-5 trends in Alliance Marketing
1
2
3
4
5
SuRVEY HIGHLIGHtS
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 5
Revenue generation tops the list of very important goals for alliance marketing and partner programs (87 percent). This is followed by demand generation (72 percent), and sales
engagement and joint selling with partners (66 percent).
Revenue generation
Demand generation
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very importantSomewhat importantNot important
87%
New channels/routes to market
Sales engagement andjoint selling
Thought leadership
Co-branding/co-marketing
Joint development of newproducts/offerings
Creating share of voice/conversation within social media
when structuring an alliance marketing or partner program? Q1 WHAt ARE tHE MOSt IMPORtANt GOALS
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 6
Lack of partner commitment is the greatest alliance marketing challenge (42 percent), followed by lack of resources (39 percent).
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
42%Lack of partner commitment
Lack of resources
Lack of strategyDifficult to focus resources/
program complexityInsufficient funds
Lack of commercial success
Not enough content that addressesthe partner solution
Too many partners withundifferentiated offerings
Process is too cumbersomeLack of products/offerings or
things to market and sellNot sure
Other
39%27%
26%22%
20%16%
14%10%9%
8%8%
with alliance marketing? Q2 WHAt ARE tHE GREAtESt cHALLENGES
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 7
A plurality of 44 percent of respondents manages less than 10 partners.
28 percent manage between 10 and 49 partners. 16 percent manage more than 100 partners.
8% | 50-99
28% | 10-49
44% | Less than 10
8% | 100-499
8% | More than 500
4% | Not sure
44%manage less
than 10 partners
16% managemore than100 partners
organization currently working with? Q3 HOW MANY PARtNERS IS YOuR
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 8
62 percent expect the number of partners they work with to increase over the next 12 months. Only 3 percent expect a decline.
8% | Not sure
27% | Remain the same
62% | Increase
3% | Decrease 62%expect increase
your organization is working with change over the next 12 months?Q4 HOW WILL tHE NuMbER Of PARtNERS
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 9
Hardware and software technology partners are the most important partner category
for 59 percent of organizations. Strategic sales partners follow with 46 percent.
0% 20% 40% 60%
59%Technology partners(hardware, software)
Strategic sales partners
Service providers
Not Sure
Other
Channel/resellers/VARs
46%
Consultants/system integrators
39%
40%
44%
3%
3%
Q5 partner categories? WHAt ARE tHE MOSt IMPORtANt
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 10
A third of organizations allocate 10 percent of overall marketing budget to alliance marketing activities (not including funds contributed by partners). About 60 percent of organizations
allocate 20 percent or more.
0 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 1000%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
10
8%
33%
22%
16%
8%6%
2% 1% 1% 1% 2%
35%
Share ofmarketingbudget [%]
Share ofresponses [%]
Q6 allocated to alliance marketing activities? HOW MucH MARkEtING budGEt IS
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 11
50 percent expect alliance marketing budgets to increase over the next 24 months.
Only 6 percent expect a decline. For a third of organizations budgets will stay flat.
12% | Not sure
33% | Remain the same
50% | Increase
6% | Decrease
50%expect budgets
to increase
Q7 change over the next 24 months? HOW WILL ALLIANcE MARkEtING budGEtS
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 12
In the next 12 months, 68 percent of alliance marketing organizations will spend alliance marketing budget on demand generation, followed by content development (50 percent) and lead
nurturing (50 percent).
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
68%Demand generation
Content development
Lead nurturing
Thought leadership
Branding
Social media presence
Not sure
Other
50%
50%
38%
32%
28%
6%
4%
Q8 tactics in the next 12 months?WHAt ARE tHE tOP 3 ALLIANcE MARkEtING
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 13
The majority of organizations measure alliance ROI by total recognized revenue (54 percent). 51 percent of organizations measure ROI by the number of qualified leads generated. However, more than one
third of respondents don’t, or have difficulty measuring ROI.
0% 20% 40% 60%
54%Total recognized revenue
Overall number of qualifiedleads generated
We have difficultymeasuring ROI
Feedback from thealliance sales team
Not sure
Other
51%
28%
29%
3%
7%
We don't measure ROI 7%
36% don't or have difficultymeasuring ROI
Q9 ROI measured? HOW IS ALLIANcE MARkEtING
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 14
The top 3 marketing tactics considered for outsourcing are video production (40 percent), event planning and execution (31 percent), and lead generation (29 percent), while 20 percent will keep all efforts in-house.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
40%Events-planning/execution
Lead generation
Social media services
Marketing campaign &program strategy
Development of messagingand creative
Creation of advertising units
Lead nurturing/scoring
None
Custom content creation for use onthird party sites/channels
Planning and management servicesfor search optimization (SEO/SEM)
Video production
29%31%
28%25%24%24%
23%17%
15%20%
Q10 marketing tactics is your organizationplanning to outsource in the next 12 months?
WHIcH Of tHE fOLLOWING ALLIANcE
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 15
Q11 alliance marketing budget be allocated in the next 12 months?
HOW WILL YOuR ORGANIzAtION’S
On average, 33 percent of alliance marketing budgets are applied to in-house created programs. 27 percent will be allocated to partners and 26 percent to agencies.
14% | Other
27% | Partner funds
33% | In-house
26% | Agency
33%budgets applied
in-house
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 16
For 42 percent of organizations, MDF funding varies depending on the partnership. 30 percent of organizations split or share MDF with partners. 28 percent of MDFs are funded by the company.
0% 10% 20% 40%30% 50%
42%Depends on the partnership
Split or shares withyour partners
Not sure
100% partner funded
Other
Funded by my company
30%
28%
9%
16%
3%
Q12 Funds (MDF) be funded in the next 12 months? HOW WILL MARkEtING dEVELOPMENt
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 17
The most common period of time before expiration of MDF funds is 6 to 12 months.
1-3 months0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
14%
11%12%
17%
45%50%
3-6 months 6-12months
12+ months They don’texpire
Q13 HOW fASt dO Mdf fuNdS ExPIRE?
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 18
49 percent of organizations did not let any MDF funds go unused. 39 percent of organizations lost up to 30 percent of their MDF funds.
00%
10%
20%
30%
40%
49%
14% 14%
50%
10 20
11%
30
3%
40
5%
50
1% 1% 1%
60 70 80 90 100
39%
Share of MDFbudget thatwent unused
Share ofresponses
Q14 went unused last year? HOW MucH Mdf fuNdS
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 19
The ability to understand an organization’s business goals and objectives is the biggest
factor to be considered a strategic partner for 48 percent of organizations.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
48%Ability to understand my businessgoals and objectives
Acts as my advocate withintheir company
Insight and expertise on technologytrends and directions
Knowledge of their competitors/competitive offerings
Post-sales support and service
Advanced notice on product/service changes
Knowledge of my vertical industry
Other
Knowledge of their product portfolio
Peer references
Customer service/response time
Not sure
35%44%
27%21%
19%
15%
15%13%
12%11%
10% Partner commitment was themost mentioned factor amongthe "Other" responses.
Q15 WHAt IS tHE dIffERENcE bEtWEEN a partner and a strategic partner?
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 20
Only 17 percent of respondents consider social media to be very or extremely effective in driving demand or leads. 33 percent consider social media somewhat effective, and 35 percent
characterize it as ineffective.
Extremelyeffective
0%
10%
20%
30%
25%
10%
15%
5%
12%
33%35%
25%
15%
5%
Veryeffective
Somewhateffective
Not veryeffective
Not at alleffective
Not sure
17% 35%
Q16 driving demand and leads for your organization’s alliance marketing programs?
HOW EffEctIVE IS SOcIAL MEdIA IN
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 21
Q17 budget is used for the following categories? WHAt PERcENtAGE Of YOuR ALLIANcE
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
MDF/BDF/Co-op Funds
SPIFF Rebates Other
29%26% 24%
21%
On average, alliance dollars are split somewhat evenlyacross the different types of funding categories.
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 22
The majority of survey responses are from technology vendors (44 percent), followed by consulting firms and system integrators (20 percent).
0% 20% 30%10% 40% 50%
44%Technology vendor
Consulting firm and/orsystems integrator
Marketing services/advertising agency
Other
Channel/reseller company
20%
18%
9%
9%
Q18 best describes your organization?WHIcH Of tHE fOLLOWING
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 23
The majority of survey respondents set marketing strategy or direction in their organizations (77 percent). 69 percent execute marketing campaigns, and 64 percent
of respondents evaluate and recommend media channels, programs and partners.
0% 40%20% 60% 80%
77%Setting marketingstrategy or direction
Executing marketingcampaigns
Evaluating/recommending mediachannels, programs, partners
Authorizing investments in mediachannels programs and partners
Setting budgets
Not involved
Other
69%
64%
43%
40%
5%
2%
Q19 marketing decisions for your organization? HOW ARE YOu INVOLVEd IN tHE
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 24
56 percent of respondents are part of marketing communications teams, followed by partner alliance marketing (49 percent) and product solutions marketing (also 49 percent).
0% 20% 40% 60%
56%Marketing communications
Product solutions marketing
Partner alliance marketing
Corporate marketing
Channel marketing
Sales
Field marketing
Product management
CEO/president/owner
Other
16%
26%
33%
41%
42%
47%
49%
49%
2%
Q20 are you aligned with? WHIcH fuNctIONAL AREA
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 25
61 percent of respondents are managing their company’s alliance marketing relationships and programs. 53 percent promote and 47 percent explore alliance marketing
relationships and programs.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
61%Manage
Promote
Explore
Establish
Not involved
Other
9%
43%
47%
53%
3%
Q21 alliance marketing relationships and programs? WHAt IS YOuR ROLE IN YOuR cOMPANY’S
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 26
The survey was conducted in January 2014. Here
is the detailed breakdown of the 327 respondents
demographics.
High Tech
Business Services
Other
Advertising/MarketingPR/Media
Telecommunications& Utilities
What industry is your company in?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
44%
17%
16%
5%
18%
CEO/President/Owner
Consultant
Other
What is your job title?
Director
Manager
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
35%
22%
16%
9%
18%
Where do you live?
33% | EMEA
47% | NORAM
19% | APAC
1% | Other
How many employees work at your company worldwide?
27% | 10-99
23% | Fewer than 10
19% | 100-999
7% | 1,000-4,999
7% | 5,000-9,999
6% | 10,000-49,999
9% | 50,000-99,999
5% | more than 100,000
SuRVEY dEMOGRAPHIcS
ALLIANCE MARKETING REPORT | Read the 2014 suRvey Results 27
tHANk YOu
Many thanks to everybody who participated in this survey.
If you are interested in co-sponsoring upcoming focus reports (or creating your own custom report) based on the wisdom of more than 60,000 members in our B2B Technology Marketing Community, please contact Holger Schulze at [email protected].
About the B2B Technology Marketing Community on LinkedIn
With more than 60,000 members, the B2B Technology Marketing Community is the single largest LinkedIn group exclusively focused on B2B technology marketing topics. This group is ideal for marketing professionals in B2B high-tech industries to enable networking, sharing of ideas, best practices and opportunities.
Click to join the B2B Technology MaRkeTing coMMuniTy on LinkedIn
TechnologyMarketing
Group Partner
ConTACT The AuThor
holger SchulzeB2B Technology Marketing Community
email: [email protected]