Panasonic Connect Europe, the European B2B arm of the Panasonic Group, sells through partners across four business units with very little in common.
The ask
Each division ran its own portals and systems, held together by fragmented applications. Central management was hard to apply, data was not integrated across groups and locations, and partners had to work across several tools with different workflows instead of one.
A global initiative in late 2019 set out to replace that with one platform. It had to offer:
- Integration with the CRM and the global PIM/DAM system.
- Partner journeys flexible enough for every European market.
- Onboarding simple enough that new users get through it.
The impact
- More than 1,300 registered partners, enabled, incentivized and supported from one portal.
- 16.4% average growth in new partner registrations.
- 44% more partner activity in its rugged-device program between 2023 and 2025.
- Nearly every activity measurable, so channel funds go where they produce results.
“With Unifyr as a PRM, we’ve also brought a high level of analytics to the business. Nearly all activities are measurable, making sure we are correctly investing funds into our channel.”
Frank Nijholt, European Manager Channel, Panasonic Connect
The solution
Each business unit uses the features its own program calls for, but a partner sees none of that division. There is one portal, and what appears inside it follows from which partner is looking. From one login, partners join promotions, receive marketing funds, get leads allocated, pull co-branded collateral and certify, while Panasonic controls what each can see and do.
The customer that became the implementer
After more than five years on Unifyr, Panasonic Connect Europe runs its own PRM Center of Excellence, implementing and managing partner portals for other Panasonic business units and external customers.
“With Unifyr, we believe we have found a partner that will go with us on this journey, not only with their offering and technologies, but also with their advisors and out-of-the-box thinking, and the level of support we can only find in long-lasting and trusting relationships.”
Frank Nijholt, European Manager Channel, Panasonic Connect
Frank Nijholt tells the story from the inside in our interview with Panasonic Connect Europe. The mechanics sit under partner management, channel marketing, and learning management.