Cisco adds RewardStream to encourage VAR channel
The rewards-based direct marketing services provider RewardStream has been appointed by network hardware supplier Cisco Systems to install a Lifecycle Marketing system to power Cisco's Partner Reward programme that encourages VARs (value-added resellers) to promote the company's products to SMEs.
RewardStream specialises in the design, deployment, and operation of rewards-based direct marketing programmes that align and motivate customer and channel behaviour with specific business objectives - increased sales and partner activity, in Cisco's case. The company's LifeCycle Marketing Platform for rewards management was designed to aid the management and optimisation of customer acquisition, growth, and loyalty marketing.
Partner loyalty Cisco is working with both RewardStream and Cascade Promotion Corporation to offer its channel partners an array of rewards for sustained and increased activity, including brand name merchandise, experiential travel rewards, and stored-value debit cards.
According to Michael Hopfinger, marketing programme manager for Cisco Systems, the company chose the platform for its ability to quickly set up complex reward logic that quantifies the uplift in sales from the partner programme, and to streamline the VAR claims process.
End-user loyalty Back in June 2005, Cisco also linked loyalty and customer satisfaction to help its VAR partners made additional sales. The company added a loyalty methodology to the customer satisfaction tool for its Partner Access onLine (PAL) system. That loyalty model brought together customer satisfaction with a focus on customer retention and business growth, by providing customer loyalty-based segmentation data alongside financial statistics.
According to one channel partner's CEO, who commented at the time, being able to assess in real-time the loyalty of customers, as well as which customers are at risk of defection, enables the VARs to make better and more timely decisions about how to approach them.
For additional information: · Visit Cisco Systems at http://www.cisco.com · Visit RewardStream at http://www.rewardstream.com · Visit Cascade at http://www.cascadecorp.com