Channel Post speaks with Manish Bakshi, Managing Director at BenQ, Middle East & Turkey about the role that channel partners play in the company’s overall strategy.
How has customer response been to your latest DLP 4K HDR CineHome Projector, W1700?
The response to the DLP 4K CineHome Projector has certainly exceeded our expectations with people appreciating it both for its design and ingenuity. W1700 is amongst our star seller in other markets and even before the official launch in this region, we have already received pre-orders of more than 200 units.
What kind of potential do you see in Home Cinema Projector market and how is the overall projector market in the region shaping up?
There is tremendous potential in the Home Cinema segment with a large part of the consumer base looking for quality products both for their professional and personal use. The potential clientele includes not just families and AV professionals but also the younger generation. Whether it is to entertain their friends at home or take their outdoor camping experience to the next level or even to have a quiet movie night at home, there is a huge gap in the market to cater to this market. With the advent and acceptance of technology in classrooms, the education sector has been one of the biggest segments to contribute to the projector market in the region. With smart classrooms becoming a norm rather than a novelty, the trend does not seem to show any signs of slowing down in the coming times. The Home Cinema segment will follow a close second to be the second largest source of revenue for the projector market.
What drives the projector market for you in this region?
There are 2 P’s that drive our projector business in this region – Projectors & Partners. These are also the foremost reason for our impressive top market share and market position for so many years in this region and worldwide too.
The fact that BenQ has 70+ projector models to cater to varied customer requirements goes a long way in ensuring that we stay on top of the game. Whatever may be the customer requirement – from personal/portable to home entertainment to education to corporate to professional AV installation needs, BenQ has the right solution at the right value.
Secondly yet most importantly, our greatest strength is our channel partner base in ME region. We work at grass root level and involve ourselves very deeply wherever feasible with Tier 1 (Distributors), Tier 2 (Integrators, B2B & B2C Resellers, Dealers, Re-Exporters, Power Retailers, E-Commerce channels, Strategic Partners etc) & Tier 3 (End Users both B2B & B2C). Each of our channel partners complements the other’s strengths and fills all the gaps in value chain & market penetration so that finally we are able to do justice to our comprehensive range of offerings.
Which are the key industry verticals for your growth in Middle East?
Education, corporate and residential are the key verticals for our projector business growth in Middle East region.
In what ways do you differentiate yourself in the market and ensure that you stay ahead of the competition in terms of innovation and providing value to your customers?
We have always maintained that our only accountability is to our customers and everything we do stems from a singular belief to create a product the customer wants. Our designs are practical and encompass solutions to all the elementary problems an average user might have. Our target consumer is both the technologically aware and the technologically curious. Our products not only offer unmatched technology but also take into account its use in the user’s daily life and the problems that may arise therein. Our greatest strength comes from being able to customise our approach to deliver the best.
How important is channel for your business and how do you enable your channel to contribute to your success in the region?
Business cannot be done in isolation and our channel members are the very life force of our business and its expansion. Each and every member is essential to reaching our consumers in different parts of the region. We have created an environment of trust and mutual respect that enables the business to function as a well-oiled machine. Instead of treating the channel members as an auxiliary part of the business, we have made them responsible as self-sustaining units that are part of the greater mechanism.
Finally, what can channel expect from you in 2018?
In 2018, channel partners can expect increased cooperation, more hand-holding for new technology product launches, varied sales & marketing tools, customized support according to their unique customer needs, demo & meeting accompaniments to close business, fool proof protection for their cooked projects, etc. In short, we’ll offer whatever assistance is required and feasible to support our partners in order to ensure that doing business with BenQ is worthwhile, pleasurable and profitable. Our channel partners are our oxygen in this business and we take each and every one of them & their unique requests very seriously.
