Canon gets up-close with channel partners

Canon is extensively focusing on C and D-class cities. It has come up with a
scheme called 'Festember' to enhance the profitability of channel partners this
festive season. Canon empowered partners can avail this scheme till the end of
November this year.

Canon has already organized its meetings, free service camps and channel
dialogues in upcountry regions of Rajasthan (Bhilwara, Ajmer, Bikaner, Alwar,
etc), South Gujarat (Vapi, Navsari, Valsad, etc), Maharashtra and Kolkata. The
company is presently focusing extensively on the western region, by conducting
regional meets in small cities.

Sharing about the same, VP Sajeevan, Asst Director-CPS, Canon informed, "We
conduct three rounds of meetings in all regions with our partners. Our sessions
start with 'Launch Meeting', in which information is disseminated between us and
around 100 channel partners. Our second round of meetings is called 'Milap',
which consists of a smaller group, between 10-20 partners. Lastly, we conduct
'Fireside Meeting', in which we conduct a discussion between six to seven
partners and three to four Canon officials. These meetings are basically
relationship-building exercises between us and our channel."In another
development, Canon has recently imposed a hike on the prices of its products.
Speaking on the same, Sajeevan said, "The US financial crisis has become a pain
in the neck of almost all sectors. All Canon products are imported, which
imposes upon us a 12 percent increase on their landing costs. Hence, as part of
business dynamics, we are forced to increase the cost of our products as well.
We have made an 18 percent hike on our products, from which consumers have to
bear only eight percent. But we will make sure this hike proves to be value for
money for them."

Speaking on the reaction of channel partners to the price hike, he informed,
"The financial crisis has rattled the whole world, and everyone is aware of
this, including partners. This price hike was expected, and hence they showed
negligible resistance towards this change."