BrandMuscle Publishes First Channel Marketing Report for the Manufacturing Industry - BrandMuscle

BrandMuscle Publishes First Channel Marketing Report for the Manufacturing Industry

CHICAGO, Ill., January 14, 2019 – BrandMuscle has published new research to help manufacturing industry brands, dealers, and channel partners gauge their local marketing maturity. The State of Local Marketing in Manufacturing Report is the first-ever channel marketing research for the manufacturing industry, published as an extension of BrandMuscle’s annual The State of Local Marketing Report. This new industry companion guide examines investment and knowledge in local marketing, corporate and dealer commitment, and the quality and relevance of brand-provided content and support.

Dealers and channel partners in the manufacturing industry exhibit a much lower level of marketing maturity when compared to local business partners in other verticals (e.g. insurance, technology and telecommunications, retail, and restaurants). Two factors drive this lower level of marketing maturity:

  • Channel partners and dealers are spending substantially less on marketing
  • Channel partners and dealers lack confidence that their corporate sponsor is properly committed to the marketing program they provide
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    “BrandMuscle has found that channel partners with the highest year-over-year revenue growth invest their own dollars on marketing at a level that is on par with the small business industry average, and have access to a corporate provided program that offers co-op funds,” says Lori Alba, BrandMuscle’s Vice President of Marketing. “Partners that have access to a corporate provided marketing program, but no co-op funds, achieve a lot less regardless of their spending level. Both channel partners and brands should have skin in the game.”

    A considerable number of channel partners say that the marketing programs manufacturers provide them are missing core components and tactics. Furthermore, they feel marketing programs are scattered and rarely integrated.

    “Whether perception or reality, our findings indicate a reduction in partner spend due to inadequate corporate provided marketing programs,” states Jason Tabeling, EVP of Product Strategy at BrandMuscle. “Only one-third of channel partners invest more than 1% of their revenue on marketing, compared to the cross-industry average of 2% to 4%. This anemic spend negatively impacts their ability to properly create awareness and represent your brand at the local point of sale.”

    Key Findings From the State of Local Marketing in Manufacturing Report

  • Only one-third of channel partners invest more than 1% of their revenue on marketing, compared to a cross-industry average of 2% to 4%
  • Channel partners and dealers put significant emphasis on websites and landing pages and less on direct mail as compared to other industries
  • Channel partners and dealers use traditional media more often than the benchmark with TV and radio ranking as a top three priorities. Yet, on average, they tend to use digital channels slightly more than other industries
  • 60% have claimed their online business listing on Google, slightly higher than other industries, but they put far less emphasis on Yelp than the benchmark

    • Learn more at a live webcast, January 22, 2020

    Join BrandMuscle on Wednesday, January 22, 2020, for a live webcast covering this research. Jason Tabeling, EVP, Product Marketing, and James Morse, Senior Director, Solutions Consultant at BrandMuscle, will discuss the findings from the State of Local Marketing in Manufacturing Report, as well as the trends they are seeing in co-op incentive management. Learn how to make your program more attractive and easier to execute by adding variety, and why appropriate marketing investment from both the corporate brands and their channel partners is so essential to success.

    About BrandMuscle

    BrandMuscle is the leader in integrated local and channel marketing, serving over 300 of the world’s top brands, with 1,000 professionals in seven offices globally. The BrandMuscle Integrated Local Marketing Platform enables brands and their local marketing partners to deliver the greatest marketing impact to each individual customer. BrandMuscle simplifies and scales digital and physical marketing execution, enabling brands to acquire and retain the best customers, build loyalty, enhance lifetime customer value, and maximize ROI.