TCMA And Channel Management Solution Vendors Partner With Incentive Technology Providers

Channel management technology vendors are partnering with incentive program and rebate/MDF management tool providers to offer clients holistic partner program support solutions.

Through-channel marketing automation technology (TCMA) vendor BrandMuscle, announced it has formalized a partnership with WorkStride, a sales incentives and rebate management company, to provide a seamless experience for managing the full range of channel incentive programs. The partnership will provide channel incentive program administrators with a holistic solution for managing co-op, MDF, SPIFFs, rebates and rewards programs.

Zift Solutions, an enterprise channel management technology vendor, has formed a strategic alliance with Vistex, a provider of software solutions for managing rebates, marketing funds, pricing, and other incentives solutions to help Zift customers better manage promotions, incentives, and discounts.

WorkStride’s strength in sales incentives, rebates, loyalty and rewards program administration is a perfect complement to BrandMuscle’s expertise in co-op and MDF fund management, said Richard Mendis, Chief Strategy Officer at BrandMuscle. “We’re excited to partner with WorkStride to offer customers a powerful way to manage all of their channel programs, performance reporting, and insights in one place.”

“By partnering with BrandMuscle, we’re able to leverage a leading through-channel marketing automation platform to strengthen our own solution, and further propel the success of countless incentive programs,” said Tom Silk, Chief Executive Officer at WorkStride. We’re ecstatic about this opportunity and the impact it will have on our customers’ ability to optimize channel program performance and revenue.”

“We are excited to form this partnership with Vistex,” said Gordon Rapkin, CEO of Zift Solutions. “Uniting ZiftONE and Vistex’s incentive management solutions enables us to offer a seamless experience for channel partners to easily leverage Market Development Funds for building awareness and generating a high-value pipeline.”

Vistex’s solutions enable the effective management of marketing spend and incentives including planning, approval tracking, auditing, accruals, payments and analysis. The ZiftONE platform promotes the available sales and marketing programs in a supplier branded marketplace where partners may spend their MDF.

“Zift will be an important partner for Vistex because our solutions complement each other. Together, vendors now have an end-to-end solution for optimizing both financial management and marketing execution,” said Sanjay Shah, Founder & CEO of Vistex. “Some of the industry’s most notable channel programs are already using our joint solution and seeing the benefits of providing an integrated solution that is driving better adoption and an easy to use experience for their partners.”

Vistex’s and WorkStride’s partnerships with Zift and BrandMuscle were made as a number of incentive management solutions providers are consolidating. In October, 360insights, a channel incentives management (CIM) provider, announced its acquisition of Perks WW, a channel incentives program provider, and the UK-based CR Worldwide.