Can Loyalty Platform Providers Fix Channel Gaps?

For businesses that rely on a network of channel (or retail) partners - distributors, dealers, retailers, agents – a strong and motivated channel is the secret sauce to their success. However, 73% of channel partners express dissatisfaction, primarily due to the loyalty programs integrated by the companies.

But is this a permanent condition? Or can modern loyalty platform providers—especially those focused specifically on channel loyalty like Channelplay—step in and fix the problem?

Why is Channel Loyalty Broken?

1. One-Size-Fits All Loyalty Programs are for the Bygone Era

We have to understand, as a business, that a high-volume regional distributor and a neighbourhood retailer operates in vastly different environments. So, treating them with the same loyalty programs and approach will result in dissatisfaction.

Majority of the traditional loyalty programs lack one major thing – real-time data and visibility. The reliance, in this case, is heavily on periodic manual updates. So, if a sales representative made a huge breakthrough today, it might take a week or month for the data to be updated, further delaying their incentive.

What’s missing: Real-time integration with sales data, automated validation, and transparent dashboards.

We briefly highlighted the importance of personalisation when it comes to channel loyalty. Long gone are the days of traditional loyalty programs and shelling out coupons as incentives. The concept of points and generic gifts have lost their charm, contributing to a condition called “reward fatigue.”

What’s missing: Personalisation, choice, and gamified engagement to keep the program exciting.

Channel partners aren’t always associated with one brand. Chances are that the retailer you are working with for selling your electronics is also selling another brand’s television besides yours. So, if your brand fails to foster an emotional connection with the channel partner, emphasising on their importance, you are already losing out on their sales.

What’s missing: Consistent engagement, communication, and recognition that fosters a relationship beyond incentives.

Research suggests that the success of a channel partner loyalty program can be increased by 1.4x with a simple claim process. However, multiple loyalty program solution providers make the process so convoluted, it pushes away the channel partners altogether.

What’s missing: Seamless digital experiences, mobile accessibility, and instant or near-instant rewards.

As cited before, a poorly constructed channel loyalty program is bound to take a toll on the business growth and productivity. However, working with the best loyalty platform providers can be a strategic differentiator.

• Improve market penetration
• Achieve faster new product adoption
• Drive consistent sales
• Reduce churn in distribution
• Build competitive advantage

If you want your channel partners to stick around and uplift your brand, you need to give back to them in a way that keeps them motivated and on track.

1. Partner Segmentation and Personalisation

With the help of advanced segmentation, it allows you to:

2. Real-Time Data Integration

A comprehensive channel loyalty solutions provider takes away that worry since they are designed to connect with your existing ERPs, CRMs, or sales data platforms to pull real-time data. This allows:

In the long run, access to an open, centralised hub with leaderboards and real-time data creates transparency. Transparency, in turn, creates trust.

In India alone, there are 650 million smartphone users. Chances are that majority of your channel partners are reliant on their mobile phones for communication, instead of having access to a laptop or computer.

• Track progress
• View rewards
• Submit claims
• Contact support
• Participate in campaigns

What Brands Need to Do Differently (Strategy Shift)?

• Move beyond just rewarding purchases. Engage in storytelling, recognition, and consistent communication. This includes celebrating birthdays, highlight success stories and creating brand advocates instead of simple salespeople.
• Loyalty should not operate in isolation. It must align with broader channel goals—training, certification, product knowledge, and service support. So, beyond the standard cash and non-cash rewards, consider offering training-based incentives, feedback loops and co-branded marketing too.
• A loyalty program is not a “set and forget” activity. Instead, if you want to be better than your competitor, you have to measure the progress regularly, adapt the loyalty programs based on the data and update the platform with new campaigns and creative formats.

The notion that "channel loyalty is broken" isn't a death sentence, but rather a wake-up call. It highlights the need for a paradigm shift from outdated, transactional approaches to more modern, personalised, and relationship-focused strategies.