Canon creates new channel role

Vendor appoints head of channel marketing to promote indirect sales model to customers

To help promote both its direct and indirect sales models to end-users, Canon UK has appointed Adam Poole to the newly created role of head of channel marketing.

Poole worked for a number of resellers in different roles before joining Canon in March 1998 as a direct channel marketing executive. Since then he has held the role of marketing communications manager and more recently the position of head of professional marketing at Canon.

Poole told CRN: "Previously the channel marketing role sat under my old role and my colleague Glen Mason's role as head of office marketing. I will be looking to bring together all channel marketing operations and jointly communicate our strength in office and professional print to all markets in my new role."

Poole will manage a nine-strong channel marketing team, based at Canon UK’s headquarters in Surrey, and will promote Canon’s three routes to market: the Canon Partner channel, Canon Business Centres (CBCs) and the Corporate & International direct sales teams.

CBCs were introduced in January 2005 to serve customers who prefer to buy products and services directly from the manufacturer. Canon has 14 CBCs serving 13 different regions of the UK and Ireland.

"Canon UK has very strong direct sales and a very strong indirect model and I have to promote all routes to end-users. My knowledge from time spent heading up professional marketing combined with my understanding of office solutions and the reseller community ensures that I have the right level of knowledge to support all these areas," said Poole.

Mark Goodwin, managing director of VAR CBC Computer Systems, said: "We don’t sell that much Canon product any more; the communication seems to have fallen a bit flat – 1996 was the last time a Canon rep visited us. Maybe now they're coming back a bit."