In the hardware and software industries, partners are often the largest supporters, promoters, and frontline sellers of one another’s brands and services. Therefore, driving the success of your partners through marketing and advertising is undoubtedly one of the best strategies you can have.

The success of any one partner can have a profound impact on the partner community as a whole, so the health of the community depends on the establishment of authentic relationships between companies. To put this dependency into perspective, consider just how many people and companies are affected by any single product.

relationship owner, generally an OEM, first develops a new product. The product either travels directly to a distributor and then to a retailer, or it goes to a systems builder or solutions provider and is incorporated into another solution before traveling to the consumer. Even the hardware product itself may be comprised of components created by a group of partners.

Creating Balanced Collateral Out of Complex Relationships
When working with a large community of partners to create collateral that showcases their services, there is often an underlying push to balance the distinct needs of all involved parties. Balance, however, does not mean giving everyone the same page space; it means aligning their messages with the needs of potential customers in the most effective way possible.

A careful audience analysis can help define the focus of your collateral. To do so, ask yourself:

• What does my audience already know?
• What do they expect?
• What are their pain points?
• What aspects of the partner solution address their needs?

Even though there could be multiple companies involved in a solution, the answers to these questions can ultimately determine the most appropriate way to distribute focus across marketing campaigns. As a result, you can deliver collateral that benefits the entire partner community and forges meaningful relationships.

The Role of Third Parties
An effective communication strategy also depends on solid cross-company and intrapersonal communication. Because third-party communication firms do not compete with partners, they can play the critical role of intermediary. As a result, these firms often facilitate the development of meaningful content that weighs the needs of all involved parties.