By Shannon Hughes, Director of Digital & Media Strategy, Lessing-Flynn --
Not every sales channel partner has a marketing department — or even a single person who sits in a marketing-exclusive role. For many dealers and distributors in the construction industry, marketing is one of many responsibilities handled between sales calls, equipment quotes and customer site visits. The result? Execution and impact often fall short, even with great brand-provided assets.
The good news: There are practical ways to bridge this gap. By building marketing systems that are simple, supported, and scalable, brands can help even the smallest partners market effectively — no expertise required.
Creative Assets Option One: Make Campaigns Plug-and-Play
For dealers without marketing teams, simplicity wins every time. Rather than providing toolkits or templates that require customization, brands can develop turnkey campaigns that are ready to launch with minimal effort.
For example, a construction equipment manufacturer could provide dealers with prebuilt social posts featuring new product walkarounds or seasonal financing offers. No graphic design or copywriting necessary. Dealers would only need to add their contact info.
This type of ready-to-run structure eliminates the guesswork, allowing partners to activate quickly while maintaining consistent branding and messaging.
Creative Assets Option Two: Provide Flexible Templates
For partners who prefer a hands-on role, modular creative assets can provide flexibility without risk. Templates built in platforms like Canva or Adobe Express allow local teams to add their logo, custom message or local inventory updates while preserving design integrity.
For instance, a skid steer manufacturer might supply layouts that include interchangeable attachments or financing details, giving local teams options without going off-brand.
The key is limiting the number of variables. Too much freedom leads to inconsistent messaging and off-brand visuals. A small set of flexible tools — like prewritten ad copy, approved photography, and editable dealer contact fields — keeps execution quick and consistent.
Offer Local Media Guidance
Even the best creative won’t drive results if it never reaches the right audience. For dealers without marketing experience, local media planning can be daunting.
Brands can help by providing simplified recommendations like:
- Best-performing channels (radio, trade print, social, or search) in similar markets
- Suggested monthly spend levels
- Audience targeting parameters.
Better yet, brands can partner with agencies or media teams that handle placement and optimization on behalf of the dealers. This approach turns “local marketing” into a managed service rather than a guessing game. And by taking the burden off your sales team and dealers, you achieve more consistent results.
Create a Central Support System
A centralized marketing hub gives partners a place to access all assets, campaign updates, and reporting in one location. Adding a help desk or dedicated marketing contact makes it even easier for non-marketers to ask questions and receive guidance in real time.
For example, a heavy equipment manufacturer might create a dealer marketing portal that houses co-branded social ads, print templates, and event kits. Dealers could log in, select an ad package, and request execution support from a shared marketing team — saving hours of setup time.
Brands can even tier the level of support for larger networks, from full-service campaign management for smaller partners to self-serve access for more marketing-savvy ones. That way, everyone gets the tools they need to succeed.
Measure and Celebrate Success
Reporting doesn’t just validate spend. It reinforces the importance of local marketing and provides motivation to continue. Performance dashboards — even simple ones showing reach, clicks or leads — help sales teams see the impact of their participation.
Sharing dealer success stories helps build positive peer pressure and encourages broader adoption across the network. When less experienced dealers see their peers getting results, it builds both confidence and momentum.
The Takeaway: Meet Partners Where They Are
Supporting sales channel partners without marketing experience isn’t about teaching them to be marketers. It’s about building systems that make participation easy, impactful, and rewarding.
When brands invest in structured yet flexible programs — combining turnkey campaigns, hands-on support, and transparent reporting — they empower every dealer to market like a pro. And that means stronger visibility, better alignment, and real results at every level of the channel.
Shannon Hughes is Director of Digital & Media Strategy at AEM member company Lessing-Flynn, the longest-standing independently owned advertising agency in America. Committed to innovation, she ensures clients stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital, media and sales channel marketing landscapes.
