Partner Marketing
Channel and Manufacturer partners typically support business development efforts through joint marketing funds, sometimes called Joint Marketing Funds (JMF), Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), or Market Development Funds (MDF). We'll help you understand the channel community, teach you how to get and use the funds, and grow your partner marketing revenue stream.
Let's Find You More Money
Let MDCo help you find, manage, and execute the activities you need to get paid or reimbursed.
What’s Included
When You Work with MDCo, You'll Get:
Channel Connections
One of the perks of investing in marketing as a solution provider is that your manufacturer partners will support your efforts through joint marketing funds. To see a return on this “free money,” you have to be able to spin up campaigns quickly. We can help.
Funding Pipeline
The epitome of success is when you can use the money from your partners to cover initiatives that were already in your marketing plan.
Process Management
MarketDesign has worked with many of the top technology manufacturers to support partner marketing campaigns for the VAR/Reseller channel. Let us create and manage your campaigns and make sure you get your reimbursement.
Campaign Execution
We'll help you envision and execute your campaign, inclusive of any asset creation you need.
Proof of Performance (POP) Gets You Paid
Turning around partner marketing campaigns in a turnkey fashion takes an organized approach and step-by-step process. And at the end, no POP, no money. Let’s avoid that situation at all costs.
Process
A Turnkey Approach to Partner Marketing
Our perspective is backed by client experience, industry best practices, and proven processes.
Learn
Getting to know you -- your needs and your business -- capturing your brand and uncovering your unique value.
Create
Your word (choice) matters. Content and creative amplify your place in the world, and on Google. What you say is now equally as important to where and how you say it.
Execute
A good plan stems from a detailed strategy of tactics, platforms, promotion, and process to ensure you realize your results.
Analyze
Applying marketing principles and industry insights with your custom measurement plan ensures you have the data you need to drive your business decisions.
Optimize
With a test + learn approach, we couple real data with best practices to maximize performance through continual refinement.
Channel Marketing Experience
MarketDesign works with several IT software, hardware manufacturers, and distributors to create digital, event, and direct marketing campaigns promoting both the VAR/Reseller and their partner manufacturer.
If your partners are looking into joint marketing, and you don't have the marketing resources or strategy in-house, we can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
In most cases, the issue isn’t strategy. It’s execution. Funds often go unused due to delays in approvals, incomplete proof of performance (POP), missed deadlines, or campaigns that don’t fully meet partner requirements. On top of that, many teams are managing this alongside other priorities, and the administrative lift can slow things down.
Without a clear, repeatable process, it becomes difficult to move quickly and capture available funds.
The teams that see the most return typically have a structured approach—one that ensures approvals are secured early, campaigns are executed efficiently, and documentation is submitted accurately.
Partner marketing campaigns often fall short when they are built around deliverables instead of outcomes. Activity alone does not create pipeline.
To drive measurable revenue impact, campaigns need clear audience segmentation, solution-led messaging, funnel-stage alignment, and a defined handoff to sales. When those elements are in place, campaigns are far more likely to convert engagement into qualified opportunities.
The most effective partner marketing campaigns are those tied to a specific business objective. Whether the goal is lead generation, account expansion, or increasing solution awareness, clarity upfront makes a measurable difference.
For IT organizations, common high-performing tactics include:
- Targeted digital campaigns
- Webinars designed with conversion in mind
- Account-based outreach
- Event follow-up sequences
- Co-branded thought leadership
The key is ensuring each campaign is built with a clear connection to revenue outcomes.
A strong partner marketing strategy starts with revenue goals, target audiences, and aligned partner priorities. From there, campaigns should be mapped to funnel stages, supported by clear approval workflows, defined KPIs, and proof-of-performance processes. The goal is to create a repeatable engine that drives both reimbursement and pipeline.
Consistent approvals and reimbursement require a documented process that includes pre-approved campaign frameworks, compliance with partner guidelines, accurate proof of performance, and timely submission. When these elements are operationalized, teams are better positioned to secure approvals and maximize return on available funds.
Most IT teams struggle with speed, internal capacity, and process management—especially when it comes to Proof of Performance (POP) submissions. Teams are often balancing multiple priorities, which can make it difficult to secure approvals, align campaigns to partner requirements, execute quickly enough to use available funds, and collect and submit proof of performance for reimbursement.
With the right structure and support, these challenges become much more manageable—and partner marketing becomes a more consistent driver of results.
Outsourcing makes sense when your internal team doesn't have the time, expertise, or processes needed to consistently secure funds and execute compliant campaigns that drive revenue. A specialized, experienced, and connected partner can help accelerate campaign launch, improve reimbursement rates, and create a more scalable partner marketing engine.
Engage
Proof + Perspective
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