Why Supporting Channel Partners During the COVID-19 Pandemic is a Solid Long-Term Strategy

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In the first week of April, OneAffiniti wrapped up a survey with responses from more than 160 IT channel partners, to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their current and future business.

We knew there was a surge of activity for certain products and industries but wanted to understand if this was consistent globally, or if there were specific regions or specialties that are seeing this change.

You can read the full report: Pulse Check: The Impact of COVID-19 on Channel Partners here.

Key findings

The key findings from the report are:

  • 81% are experiencing product availability impact

  • 55% of partners are experiencing a downward shift in overall client demand

  • 68% of partners reported a negative impact on their revenue

  • Device demand, such as mobility devices, laptops and desktops, has, however, increased 

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Partners are requesting 3 things from vendors

Based on the partners’ responses, here are the three opportunities for brands to help support their channel partners:

Real-time product availability updates

Since 81% of the channel partners are reporting problems with product availability, they are looking for overviews that show product availability in real-time. If that isn’t possible, they are looking for suitable replacement/similar product offerings to sell as viable substitutes.

Offer flexible payment options

Partners are struggling with a decrease in revenue and are asking for flexible payment terms and forgiving credit solutions so they don’t have to pay all at once. This enables them to utilize that short-term cash flow for other necessary payments, such as rent or employee salaries.

Continue supporting partners’ marketing campaigns

Many channel partners are asking the vendors to continue their marketing campaigns. It’s evident that channel partners are understanding the value of consistent messaging to their audience, and do not want that continuity to break as they want to remain top-of-mind with their clients and prospects.

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Why marketing is important in economic uncertainty

In a recent blog post, OneAffiniti’s CEO, Joel Montgomery, shared examples of how brands can support their channel partners during difficult times.

In general, investing in marketing now will prepare a company for the rebound. AdAge’s director of data analytics compares the necessity of marketing in a post-9/11 climate to our current situation.

“Marketing helps drive commerce,” he writes. “Marketers have an opportunity to give consumers a reason to spend – deals, products, services – even when we are bunkered up and hunkered down.”

According to Forbes, there are a number of other good reasons to keep up with marketing during economic uncertainty:

  • Fewer customer distractions from competitors who are cutting back on their own ad spend

  • Continued marketing projects is an image of brand stability

  • Remaining top-of-mind with customers who may not be able to spend now, but will down the line

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We are in this together – for the long haul

We believe that the support from brands during these trying times will be remembered. With such support, brands will solidify their partners’ loyalty, and ensure their products will be the go-to solutions for the partners’ customers.

Brands and channel partners need to be ready for the inevitable economic rebound. We are all facing a true crisis right now, but by keeping a focus on future goals, you can keep your business progressing – and possibly even thriving – through it all.

Stay safe. And be prepared for what’s next.