Ian Thompson - SMB Channel Marketing Done Right

What does it take to drive real demand in the channel and empower partners for long-term success?

This week on Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Ian Thompson, Head of America's SMB Marketing at Cisco, to dive deep into the strategies that fuel partner engagement, demand generation, and sustainable growth. With over a decade of experience spanning distribution, partner marketing, and SMB strategy, Ian shares his unique perspective on what truly moves the needle in channel marketing.

In this episode, we explore: How Ian’s background in distribution shaped his approach to channel strategy

- The 96% success rate of Cisco’s MDF investments—and the best practices that make it work

- Why in-person events still deliver high-impact partner engagement (when done right) 

- How Cisco helps partners move beyond one-off lead generation to build long-term demand engines

- The future of cloud adoption in the SMB space and the biggest barriers holding partners back

If you’re looking for proven strategies to maximize MDF, engage partners, and drive lasting growth, this episode is packed with insights you don’t want to miss.

Connect with Ian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ithompson1/

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