01732 759725 30 TRENDS Sustainability, everything-as-a-service (XaaS) and a more collaborative ecosystem strategy, will be the top trends in the tech channel this year, according to the founder members of the not-for-profit organisation the Coterie Community Top trends in the tech channel good intentions or strategy with no substance. Businesses must align their strategy to sustainability and be actively pursuing ESG targets if they want to generate value.” James Houselander, Senior Manager, EMEA Channel Marketing, HPE Aruba agrees that it’s something partners will have to address in 2023. “There isn’t a single ‘right’ solution to addressing sustainability and ESG issues, so as well as being a key trend, this is also going to be a challenge in 2023. For channel marketers, getting to grips with compliance, and then using that to help drive competitive advantage could make a real difference.” According to Jon Collins, VP of Research at independent analyst firm GiGaOm, sustainability and broader ESG don’t have to be seen as a cost, there’s value to be had in how a business addresses the needs of its stakeholders, and how that translates into benefits across the board, from brand equity to bottom-line impact. “Key is measurability, so it’s important that channel organisations see a role for impactful sustainability, rather than in marketing alone,” he said. Acceleration of XaaS The second major trend highlighted by founder members of the Coterie Community is the acceleration of XaaS. Lily Lazarevski, Senior Global Channel Marketing Manager at Infoblox, said the pressure is on. “With the ongoing industry shift to XaaS and revenue spread over a longer period, more subscription deals are needed to equal the pre-XaaS revenue and mitigate churn. For channel marketers, this means more marketing is needed to fill the funnel faster as we look to greater collaboration with our partners to help increase awareness, reach, and drive pipeline velocity in a noisy marketplace. “This year there will need to be greater ecosystem collaboration to create coverage and scale for complex solutions. As XaaS grows, partners are increasingly challenged to master the variety of technologies required by their customers. Success will require the entire partner ecosystem to work in a matrixed model to create, sell and market comprehensive solutions that deliver customer value,” she added. Resilience is key The Coterie Community said resilience is key for channel marketers next year. “As the economy tightens there will be more requirements than ever to continually justify our roles, demonstrate ROI and make sure we invest in the right things,” said Barnaby Wood, EMEA Product Management, Veritas Technologies. “This will in turn make us think more creatively and be innovative about where and how we spend our budgets. Technology that alleviates multiple challenges will play a part in this, as well as having a multi-talented team around us.” Reynolds said this will encourage channel marketers to prioritise and be agile. “As channel and partner marketers, we have to make sure we have everything prioritised – that means our team focused on the right partners, our budget focused on the right strategy to drive value and our own time doing the things that will help us grow personally and as a business.” In conclusion Curtis said: “It looks like channel marketers are in for yet another roller-coaster ride next year. It will also present a huge opportunity for partner marketers to shake things up, think differently and get channel marketing the recognition, funding and resourcing it needs. Having the community means we can share ideas, connect with peers and learn how to thrive in 2023 and beyond.” https://coteriecommunity.global/ The Coterie Community has its sights firmly set on raising the bar in channel marketing in 2023 by understanding the trends and challenges likely to manifest this year, according to Founder Helen Curtis. “One of the main reasons for starting the community was to provide independent support for our members. We get together and discuss the challenges – and solutions – we’re going through as channel and partner marketers. There isn’t another place for us to do this. Channel marketers will face some unique circumstances in 2023, and by coming together and talking about it and planning for it we can take advantage of every trend and work to overcome the challenges,” she said. Sustainability One such trend is sustainability which is already near the top of many corporate agendas and will only become a higher priority in 2023. Rob Reynolds, Head of Field Marketing EMEA & GSI, International Marketing, Verizon Business Group, said: “We’re now at an action stage – it’s got to be about more than just Helen Curtis
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