How to Influence Brand-to-Local Marketing with Co-Op Marketing Funds
To have a meaningful impact on consumer buying decisions in local markets, enterprise companies know they need to influence brand-to-local marketing. And that can be challenging, especially when many brands rely on distributors to manage Co-Op Marketing funds for dealers and retailers. Achieving the right balance between giving brands more control and preserving distributor/dealer and distributor/retailer relationships can be tough to navigate without expert distributed marketing solutions and support.
“With a third party vendor specialist, like the SproutLoud Distributed Marketing Platform, enterprise companies have the ability to start building relationships with channel partners, even if the channel partners are not buying products directly from them,” said Michael Torcasso, Vice President of Sales at SproutLoud.
Advanced Co-Op Marketing programs make it easy for enterprise companies to incentivize retailers and dealers to use more of their available Co-Op Marketing funds on leading digital marketing tactics; brand-compliant messaging, ads and campaigns; as well as seasonal and promotional products. To accomplish this, enterprise companies need comprehensive Co-Op funds management capabilities to:
- Track funding options offered to distributor partners, as well as dealers and retailers
- Offer both claims-and-reimbursement and instant co-pay models with a Change Management System to mitigate risk
- See the results of brand-to-local marketing spend with customizable marketing analytics dashboards
“While other distributed marketing software providers may offer similar options, when you kick the tires, what you find is a piece-meal approach, with multiple ‘single-point solutions’ cobbled together from various acquisitions and disparate systems that aren’t necessarily compatible,” Torcasso said. “SproutLoud’s marketing technology brings everything together — ad building, digital asset management, using Co-Op funds to subsidize local marketing, local marketing execution and marketing analytics — in a single seamless controlled environment. And it even allows for the kind of sophisticated permissioned functionality that major enterprise companies require when they have to meet unique needs of brand marketing teams, distributors and channel partner networks.”
When you’re deciding between various distributed marketing technology providers, it’s important to take a good hard look at what you’re getting for the price.
“Some providers are selling software, without funds management, support or service,” Torcasso said. “SproutLoud offers leading distributed marketing software solutions, advanced funds management, expert support and unparalleled service — not only for enterprise companies and distributors — but also for their channel partner networks. SproutLoud local marketing experts proactively reach out to local channel partners on a regular basis, on behalf of the brand, with guidance and one-on-one consultation as needed, because we know engagement is critical to the success of channel marketing programs.”
“With SproutLoud, channel partner networks get better consultation, broader knowledge and practical support to make more effective local marketing decisions,” Torcasso said. “We have perhaps the strongest record in the industry in client loyalty. We do what we say we’re going to do. Our technology performs as promised, and we deliver marketing analytics with verifiable and measurable results, so brands, distributors and channel partners can continually evaluate the success of their programs.”