Best of LinkedIn: Channel Marketing CW 19/ 20

Channel marketing discussions over the last two weeks point to a clear shift from broad partner recruitment toward disciplined partner activation. AI, hyperscaler marketplaces, PRM infrastructure, and co-sell operating models are becoming the core levers for scalable ecosystem growth.

Date

May 19, 2026

Channel Marketing

Methodology: Every two weeks we collect most relevant posts on LinkedIn for selected topics and create an overall summary only based on these posts. If you´re interested in the single posts behind, you can find them here: https://linktr.ee/thomasallgeyer. Have a great read!

‍

Listen to our podcast

If you prefer listening, check out our podcast summarizing the most relevant insights from Channel Marketing CW 19/ 20:

AI-Native Partner Ecosystems

AI is moving from an internal productivity tool to a structural layer for partner operations, enablement, delivery, and partner marketing
Agentic AI is accelerating expectations across distributors, resellers, MSPs, and SMB channels, making speed of execution a competitive requirement
Salesforce Partner Cloud is positioned as a concrete product signal, with always-on agents supporting enablement, incentives, product questions, and marketing needs
Innovative Solutions stands out as a partnership highlight, linking agentic delivery capability with a two-year AWS strategic collaboration agreement

‍

Hyperscaler Marketplaces

Cloud marketplaces are increasingly treated as strategic distribution infrastructure, not just transactional procurement channels
ServiceNow passing $1B in AWS Marketplace transactions and Salesforce crossing $5B on AWS Marketplace reinforce the scale potential of enterprise software distribution through hyperscalers
Marketplace fees are reframed as a commercial trade-off, especially when cloud commitment discounts and enterprise buyer economics remain protected
The strongest message is execution-focused: marketplace listings only create value when connected to systematic co-sell motions

‍

Microsoft Channel Reset

Microsoft partner content centers on a channel model rebuilt around co-sell, marketplace readiness, incentives, productized services, and outcome-based offers
The retirement of the Qualified Referral Program exposes partners that relied on workarounds instead of building a mature co-sell motion
Incentive payments are positioned as reinvestment capital for growth, not as passive margin relief
Partner of the Year nominations are framed as a strategic storytelling exercise requiring quantified impact, differentiation, and alignment with Microsoft priorities

‍

RevOps and Partner Ops Convergence

Revenue predictability is constrained by siloed RevOps and Partner Ops structures with disconnected CRM and PRM systems
Single source of truth architectures are positioned as mandatory to unlock co-sell transparency and influenced revenue tracking
Shared metrics such as co-sell win rates, partner-sourced pipeline velocity, and attributed revenue are emerging as executive KPIs
Cross-functional account ownership is reframed as a structural requirement, not a cultural aspiration

‍

PRM and Partner Infrastructure

PRM is shifting from partner registration infrastructure to a broader operating system for onboarding, activation, attribution, engagement, and revenue governance
Impartner being named Best Overall PRM reinforces the category’s move toward revenue-driving partner program capabilities
AppDirect’s acquisition of PartnerStack signals further consolidation across partner-led growth infrastructure
PRM pricing is challenged, with stronger preference for value-based models tied to partner revenue outcomes rather than partner seat volume

‍

Partner Activation

The posts clearly separate partner recruitment from partner activation, with pipeline tied to co-sell discipline, readiness, incentives, and operating cadence
Partner activation is presented as the real bottleneck, requiring trust, clear value exchange, partner segmentation, and repeatable execution systems
The strongest programs are described as simple, collaborative, and feedback-led rather than portal-heavy or incentive-only
Partner Success is positioned as a distinct operating model from Customer Success, with separate KPIs, motions, and enablement logic

‍

Ecosystem-Led Growth

Ecosystem-led growth is positioned as a primary GTM engine for B2B technology companies and startups, not a secondary channel experiment
Partner marketing is moving upstream into positioning and narrative, rather than staying limited to campaign execution or downstream enablement
Verticalized ecosystem stories are emphasized as a lever for stronger partner relevance, higher field adoption, and clearer buyer understanding
Certifications are criticized when focused on product facts instead of customer scenarios, use cases, and field-ready sales context

‍

Channel Leadership

The channel account manager role is evolving from relationship manager to revenue architect, with higher expectations around co-sell orchestration, signal interpretation, and AI-enabled execution
Channel leaders are expected to combine trust-building with operating rigor, attribution discipline, and marketplace fluency
Consultants and partner sellers face rising pressure to prove measurable contribution rather than relying on relationship credibility alone
Cisco is referenced as a benchmark for enterprise-grade partner management, reinforcing the executive value of mature partner discipline

‍

Partner Experience

Partner experience is increasingly treated as a product, with frictionless workflows, real-time access, and always-on support becoming core expectations
Salesforce’s agentified partner experience message reinforces the shift toward scalable digital support for enablement, incentives, product guidance, and marketing
Telco and vendor feedback loops are highlighted as strategic inputs for improving channel-led growth rather than as informal partner sentiment
Strong partner experience is linked to operational simplicity, open communication, and visible partner success ownership

‍

Subscribe to newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest blog posts to your inbox every week.