Manufacturer Brand Erosion: Protecting Brand Identity Through Channel Partners

By John Meilahn

APG Cash Drawer, like many other manufacturers, relies on the indirect sales channel to get our products and solutions into the hands of our end user customers. This involves working with distributors, POS resellers, OEMs and software developers to ensure our products and services deliver maximum value.

At APG we understand the important role our channel partners play by extending our reach and giving us the opportunity to build a recognizable, respected brand. Our partners pave the path to the end customer, and it is our channel partners that deliver our solutions quickly to the marketplace. That’s why we work closely with them to ensure customers’ needs are being met, answer pre-sales questions and tackle any post-sales issues that might arise. Supporting our channel partners allows us to build our brand loyalty within the point of sale community.

The indirect channel ecosystem is made up of many players and these players have a different role in each of the verticals and tiers. Though our products often remain the same, it is our support and services that add the necessary value to the brand. Our OEM partners give us reach into the tier 1 and tier 2 marketplace, Distributors give us reach into the SMB channel marketplace, while their reseller community gives us additional feet on the street. The ISV community develops applications that get the most out of our IP enabled products.