2018 CRN Impact Awards: Alloys and Canon

Alloys smashed the targets that had been laid out by Canon by driving a major uplift in sales revenue and unit volume for the printing vendor's wide-format range.

The specialist printing distributor has been named as a finalist in the 'Distribution Performance' category in the 2018 CRN Impact Awards due to delivering tangible outcomes for its vendor partner, including quadrupling growth in one of Canon's large-format ranges.

The distie took a systematic approach that helped it achieve "all vendor targets".

It drove adoption of the Canon large-format printing (LFP) range through training programs across nine metro areas as well as taking "a Canon LFP to an additional 16 regional towns covering 20,669 kilometres to further demo and train channel partners on Canon LFP". The campaign was complemented by Skype-based training and demonstrations.

According to the distributor, "Alloys overcame geographical barriers by utilising existing events and technology like the Alloys roadshow and Skype to communicate with all resellers outside of metro areas."

Alloys even created an online comparison tool, dubbed the ‘LFP Sales Assistant’, to help resellers recommend and sell the right solution.

"This initiative was complex because it required collating and organising relevant data into an easy-to-access and intuitive web-based product comparison tool – the significance of which was that it delivered an easy-to-use single platform for channel partners to access all the knowledge and content they require to sell Canon LFP effectively," according to Alloys.

The campaign produced strong metrics of success, including growth of 322 percent in the A0 Canon devices, 93 percent growth in A1 and the addition of 37 new partners to the Canon channel.

Vishal Gohel, the distributor's account manager at Canon, said: "Alloys have shown continued dedication to Canon’s LFP product group over the years. This has led to the delivery of some exceptional growth in terms of numbers.

"It has created new strategies based on insights and listening to their channel partners and has focused its financial and non-financial investments to ensure they over deliver on the channel’s needs," Gohel added.

One of the resellers the benefitted from Alloys' work was Tyson Buechler, managing director of Total Image Supplies in Melbourne. He said: "As a result of the training, marketing, LFP Sales Assistant and other pre-sales support Alloys implemented last year, I have had 395 percent growth in the Canon LFP range.

"The support and service given by Alloys has gone above and beyond to help us to grow our business substantially," Buechler said.

Alloys is a finalist in the 'Distribution Performance' category in the 2018 CRN Impact Awards. For a list of all finalists and further details on the awards, please head to the CRN Impact Awards hub. The awards take place during the CRN Pipeline conference. You can get more information and purchase tickets here.