If you are a VAR or systems integrator do you take your PR and marketing messaging seriously?
I’ve come across VARs who say they are closely aligned to a specific vendor so don’t need to bother too much with PR and creating a strong separate brand identity. So I was interested to see this post from a US technology marketing agency which tells how US VARs are starting to work harder to differentiate themselves from their big vendor partners.
It isn’t enough for VARs to simply focus on the message that they are a certified Platinum, Gold or Silver VAR for a big vendor, the post emphasises. What technology buyers want to see in a VAR’s PR content is an indication of the unique value add it provides beyond that of its vendor affiliations. Does it have relevant vertical expertise? Or experience in working with specific challenges or size of organisation?
PR needs to help VARs demonstrate why customers should choose them ahead of the other ‘vanilla’ VAR partners who work with the same vendor.