VARs boast marketing as extra string to bow

Tough times: falling hardware revenues have seen some VARs branch into marketing

As resale and maintenance sales come under increasing pressure, some VARs are diversifying by offering firms help with marketing.

Local PC retailers, repairers and assemblers have been hit by the falling cost of PCs and their widespread availability. Wembley-based IT firm Support Lounge has branched into marketing.

Managing director Simon Aronowitz said he knew of a similar company that had done likewise. He added that PC assembly and repair revenues were harder to come by. “It is not dead in the water, but it is a difficult market,” he said.

Aronowitz claimed IT skills were useful in exploiting the marketing opportunities of the internet and social networking.

But he cautioned: “You can build a web shop, but you need to know where your customers will come from. There are still people who do not know what social networking is.”

Damien Harold, joint managing director of Xact Marketing claimed he had encountered one VAR helping a customer with marketing but that many did not have the skills.

“Most resellers have quite a long way to go in marketing their own business, let alone someone else’s,” he said. “But once you have the
skills in place, they are transferable to any industry.”