Guide
Why Don't Partners Use the Marketing You Give Them?
Partners skip a brand's marketing when using it costs them more than it seems worth at that moment: they can't find it, it doesn't fit their market, it takes too much work, it arrives too late, the funds are too hard to use, or they don't believe it works. It's rarely that they don't care. Find which reasons apply by following partners from sign-in to launch, then fix the biggest drop first.
By Eric Paradis, Founder and CEO of OnBrandify. Last updated .
Why don't partners use the marketing brands give them?
Because for a busy partner, every campaign is a small decision: is this worth my time right now? A dealer, franchisee or agent is running a business, and marketing competes with customers, staff and everything else. When the brand's marketing is hard to find, hard to use or not quite right, the answer is no, or "later", which usually means no.
The good news is that the reasons are specific and fixable. Below are the common ones, how to tell which apply to your program, and what fixes each.
Can partners find what they need?
How to tell: partners ask support or their rep where something is; they sign in, look around and leave; they use the same two or three pieces and nothing else.
What fixes it: one place for all of it, digital, print and funds, organized by what the partner wants to do ("promote the spring sale", "get ready for an event"), not by file type. Search that works. And a clear next step waiting at sign-in, so partners don't have to go looking.
Does the marketing fit their market and customers?
How to tell: partners ask for "a version for us"; they edit your PDFs themselves; they make their own instead; participation is lower in some regions or partner types than others.
What fixes it: templates with editable fields for the things that really vary (the offer, the photo, the local event), versions by partner type, region and season, and room for partners' own words. Lock what defines the brand and open the rest. More in brand control vs. local flexibility.
Is it too much work to use?
How to tell: partners start campaigns and don't finish them; downloads are high but launches and orders are low; the same questions about sizes, files and printers come up again and again.
What fixes it: partner details filled in automatically, so nobody types their own address; launching digital campaigns from the platform rather than downloading files; print, signage and merchandise ordered in the same place, with proofs; and fewer steps between "I want this" and "it's done". Every step you remove raises participation.
Does it arrive in time?
How to tell: requests spike the week before a season or event; partners say "we already did our own"; seasonal campaigns get used the following year.
What fixes it: a campaign calendar partners can see well ahead, campaigns ready before partners need to plan, and the option to schedule launches in advance. Lead time matters most for print, which has to be produced and shipped.
Can partners afford it, and are the funds easy to use?
How to tell: co-op and MDF go unspent; partners say they didn't know they had funds; claims are rejected or abandoned; participation tracks partners' cash flow.
What fixes it: show each partner their balance where they choose campaigns, apply the program's rules up front so pieces qualify by design, and make claims simple, or unnecessary when funds pay at the point of order. More in MDF vs. co-op advertising.
Do partners believe it works?
How to tell: your best partners participate and the middle of the network doesn't; partners ask "does this actually bring in business?"; participation drops after the first campaign.
What fixes it: show each partner their own results, in their terms (calls, leads, visits, sales), and share what's working for partners like them. Peer examples persuade partners more than anything the brand says about itself. Measurement comes first; see how to measure the ROI of partner marketing.
Do partners have the time and skills?
How to tell: small and single-location partners participate far less than larger ones; partners say "I'm not a marketer"; good campaigns go unused even when they're easy to find.
What fixes it: options for every level of effort. Partners who want control personalize and launch themselves. Partners with less time pick a campaign and let it run with their details. Partners with no time at all let the brand, an agency or an AI agent run it for them, with their say-so. More in how AI is changing through-channel marketing.
Do partners know the program exists and what's new?
How to tell: partners who've never signed in; newer partners who don't know the program; launches nobody notices.
What fixes it: make marketing part of onboarding, announce each campaign where partners already look (email, the partner portal, the rep's visit), and remind partners when something relevant to them is ready.
Do your channel managers and field reps back it?
How to tell: participation varies by rep or region more than by partner type; reps don't mention the program in partner reviews.
What fixes it: give reps a view of their partners' participation and results, put marketing on the agenda of every partner review, and make the program something reps can use to help partners grow, not one more system to push.
How do you find out which reasons apply to your program?
- Follow the funnel: partners who signed in, browsed a campaign, started one, launched or ordered it, and saw results. The biggest drop tells you where to look.
- Split it by partner type, size, region and rep. Most programs have one or two weak segments, not a general problem.
- Ask partners, especially the inactive ones, in a short call or a two-question survey: what stopped you, and what would you use?
- Read the support questions and rejected fund claims from the last few months.
Fix the biggest drop first, then measure again. Trying to fix everything at once usually fixes nothing.
How should you measure partner participation?
Define "active" once and keep it: for example, a partner who launched or ordered something in the last 90 days. Track the share of active partners monthly, by segment, alongside fund use and results. Watch the middle of the network: your best partners will participate anyway, and the movement that matters is in the partners who sometimes do.
Where does OnBrandify fit?
OnBrandify is the Marketing Hub for brands that sell through partner networks, built around getting more partners to take part. Partners get a guided workspace with campaigns for their market and their details filled in, launch digital and order print in one place, see their funds where they choose campaigns, and see their own results; the brand can run campaigns for partners who won't. Participation and results are reported by partner, region and campaign. See the Partner Marketing Hub, or request a demo.
Frequently asked questions
Should we require partners to participate?
Some programs do: many franchise agreements require local marketing, and some co-op programs tie funds to activity. Requirements get compliance, not enthusiasm. Make the program easy and worthwhile first, and requirements become a backstop rather than the engine.
Do incentives and contests raise participation?
For a while. Matching funds, launch bonuses and contests can get partners to try the program. Whether they stay depends on whether it was easy and whether it brought in business.
How many campaigns should we give partners?
Fewer, better and on time. A steady calendar of campaigns partners can rely on, each with versions for their market, beats a large library they have to search.
Want more of your partners marketing?
We'll show you how OnBrandify makes taking part the easy choice for partners.