Mike Dickerson on marketing in a crisis and the needs of Microsoft partners

When the full extent of the coronavirus pandemic finally became clear to businesses around the world, the falling stock markets, locked up supply chains, and panic buying were accompanied by a frenzy within marketing departments to re-calibrate both their messaging and their communication channels.   For marketing automation vendor ClickDimensions, one of the results was a massive jump in message volume from customers, says the company's CEO Mike Dickerson. He also observed that the crisis has put very different demands on the customers and the Microsoft partners with which his team works on a daily basis. Dickerson talks with us about these recent experiences and his observations on changes in the Microsoft channel since he last joined the podcast, including the evolution of digital marketing more generally, the need for special skills to accompany a marketing automation deployment, and the ISV Connect program.   Show Notes: 1:30 - Responding to the impact of coronavirus on customers and partners 6:30 - Modern B2B needs still reflect the digital consumer mindset 8:30 - What shutdowns did to customers' communication volume 9:30 - How the ClickDimensions services business has evolved, and the role it plays with Dynamics partners 17:00 - How marketing automation users have adapted - or failed to adapt - their engagement strategy in the midst of a crisis. 21:30 - Mike's perspective on how the pandemic is impacting the Microsoft channel more broadly 26:30 - ISV Connect and its progress from the partner perspective 31:00 - The risks of ISV Connect from the investor perspective and their influence with MIcrosoft 35:00 - How else can partners adjust for better outcomes