Marketing: The Biggest Challenge for Channel Partners in 2025

While channel partners across India and APAC have successfully adapted to the fast-evolving technology landscape — mastering cloud, cybersecurity, AI, and digital transformation — one critical challenge continues to hold them back: marketing.

Despite deep technical know-how and robust solution stacks, most partners struggle when it comes to building a predictable sales pipeline. In a market where customer acquisition is becoming more digital and data-driven, marketing is no longer optional — it’s essential.

Technology Skills vs. Marketing Muscle

Most channel partners are founded and led by tech-savvy professionals who excel in pre-sales, deployment, and customer support. However, very few have dedicated marketing teams or the expertise to drive consistent demand generation. As a result, their growth remains dependent on referrals, OEM support, or legacy accounts — all of which are becoming unreliable in today’s hypercompetitive market.

“Partners know how to implement world-class technology, but struggle to create awareness, build brand visibility, or run focused campaigns,” says a senior executive at a leading global distributor.

The New Reality: Marketing = Pipeline

Modern marketing is no longer about glossy brochures or events alone. Today’s successful partners are those who invest in:

Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
Social media presence & content marketing
Webinars and digital events
SEO, SEM, and inbound campaigns
CRM-integrated lead nurturing systems

The partners that understand pipeline creation is a marketing function are the ones scaling faster, closing bigger deals, and winning new logos.

OEMs Need to Step In

While many OEMs and distributors provide MDF (Marketing Development Funds), the execution gap remains huge. MDF often goes underutilized due to lack of marketing talent or clarity on ROI-driven strategies.

It’s time for OEMs to: