Setting permissions has business benefits.

One of the key features of the Distributed Marketing Platform is permissions. The platform is entirely permission based. There is a key administrator or administrators depending upon the size of the organization using the platform. Administrators can set business rules as they see fit with regard to content, assets, approval flows, etc. They have control over the look, feel and capabilities of the user environment.

Why is this done? It is done because it creates benefits at both the corporate and local levels.

At the corporate level, there is increased centralized marketing control. Centralized marketing control and maintaining a strong brand image that is consistent can be a significant issue in distributed marketing organizations. Gleanster research indicates that 89% of large companies with regional or global brands indicated that they struggle to maintain a consistent customer experience due to a misalignment between corporate marketing directives and local marketing efforts. I’ve often said that marketing works best when various elements of the marketing mix are working harmoniously together, and a misalignment between corporate and local entities is the antithesis of harmony. Having a consistent look, feel and themes in messaging is the ideal for corporate marketers. An additional element that comes into play in distributed organizations that are highly regulated is the potential for fines from a regulatory body. According to Distribion‘s own customer analysis data, companies using our platform reduce marketing compliance costs by 15%.

At the same time, local marketing entities have their own needs, and the needs of local marketing entities are crucial to an organization achieving its financial statement objectives. Gleanster observed that 93% of distributed marketing organizations cited the conflicting needs of local marketers and corporate marketing as a primary challenge. Recent data from the CMO Council indicates 61% of marketers surveyed felt that local customization of content would be a high priority during 2013. When there is a product category that lends itself to high local level sales involvement, the implementation of customization becomes more appealing. However, when are there customization needs, sometimes the marketing process lends to inefficient practices. According to the CMO Council, over 40% of a sales rep’s is spent creating presentation and customizing messages. This translates into lost productivity, estimated at 5.2 months of lost time in a given year. Distribion’s own customer analysis data has shown that companies using our platform reduce time customizing messages by 25%, adding 3.25 months of time to a local sales agent’s calendar. This time can be used in a variety of productive ways that can enhance revenue.

The benefits of permissioning that create centralized marketing control while allowing for local customization enable marketers to more effectively manage their brands & sales agents to increase qualified sales leads. These are desirable outcomes, and ones that can often be seen on financial statements.