Intelligently Reinvent Your Co-Op Advertising Strategy: SproutLoud Media Networks, LLC

“The Next Evolution of Channel Marketing”

SproutLoud, founded in 2006, has a one mission: “Make Channel Marketing work better.” From this singular mission, SproutLoud has grown into a major force that is disrupting conventional Channel Marketing strategy. The company helps major Brands be more successful selling their products through Local Channels with a comprehensive platform that includes software, services and support.

In conversation with SproutLoud CEO Jared Shusterman:

Why was the company set up? How did you select the vertical and decide to be a part of the global platform?
No segment of our economy has taken more of a hit in the past 30 years than Small Business. Small Businesses were once the primary driver of our economy and the center of our communities. As digital advertising really took off, we recognized that Small Businesses were really struggling with the complexity of modern marketing campaigns. Clearly, there was a need to build a single platform that let Brands and Local Businesses build, fund and execute campaigns.

What learnings helped you to set this company up?
Brands really struggle with launching multi-tactic, Brand-compliant campaigns through Local Partners. Local Partners really want to focus on sales, and traditional Channel Marketing is very time consuming. But most importantly, Co-Op or MDF funds are the engine that drives local marketing success. But unfortunately the process of accessing these funds is so broken that Partners would rather throw away free money instead of going through the painful claims and reimbursement process. Channel Marketing is broken, and it has to be fixed.

Tell us about your first product that was launched?
We first created a marketing program for Small Businesses to communicate to customers around life events — new movers, new parents, birthdays, anniversaries — with ease.

How successful was your first project roll on? Share the experience?
It was difficult calling on prospects six months after starting a company. Our product was not mature, and no one knew who we were. A manufacturer approached us and said they could use our help helping their Retailers advertise for the upcoming holiday season.That program was very successful because we were able to create the exact type of campaign that Retailers were demanding. In addition,our solution managed the Co-Op funds on behalf of the Brand so well that we were able to greatly improve Retailer engagement.

What kind of mixed responses have you received from your consumers over the years?
Our product is unique because we serve two masters — Brands and their Local Partners. We have set up an intensive feedback process to make sure that our product is helping both parties simplify campaign execution, get more for every dollar they spend and accelerate local sales. Because marketing has to be so responsive to changing market conditions, we are constantly developing new features and capabilities that benefit all our customers.

Do you have any new products ready to be rolled out into the market?
We are re-launching our Brand this month — mostly to re-align our messaging to our product-market fit. We are about to launch the industry’s first seamless Co-Op advertising platform that gives enormous flexibility and targeting power to Brands in how they get money and messaging into market through their Partners. In essence, we will be unifying national marketing and promotional strategy with the advertising that gets placed through Channel Partners. Making this work seamlessly, with speed and precision, has been our core development focus for this year.

Where do you see you and your company a couple of years from now?
The fact of the matter is that Channel Marketing has been a significant challenge for Brands and Partners for decades. Our focus is to reinvent the entire process. With our disruptive new models for ad creation, campaign distribution and funding, we believe SproutLoud will lead a massive increase in the adoption of Partner marketing programs that will both drive greater sales for Brands and put Small Businesses back at the center of our economy.

Get in touch: www.sproutloud.com

“We are shaking up the Channel Marketing world! Our past. Our present. Our future.”