Sales vs. Marketing.
Such was the case with Bell+Howell, manufacturer and marketer of document imaging solutions. The perception of marketing within the sales force was "those are the people that update our price sheets." Whole Product Marketing was instrumental in building a bridge between Bell+Howell's marketing and sales teams.
Taking the form of cross-departmental working sessions designed to help the marketing group better understand what the actual needs were "where the rubber meets the road" according to sales. Adding this perspective to the mix, a number of channel related initiatives were developed, further integrating the two departments on more of a program level. Whole Product Marketing also helped develop and promote an integrated channel program called Team3.
The rational for the theme came from the fact that each of the three competency centers necessary to deliver a ‘whole product solution’ to the customer was represented: 1. Bell+Howell; 2. ISVs (Independent Software Vendors); 3. Resellers (VARs and Distributors). The Team3 program added substantial equity to the brand within the channel. Bell+Howell’s Scanner Division has since been acquired, however, the brand and the commitment to an integrated channel strategy remains in place today.
