Redington: From Friction to Flow. How Marketing is Redefining Enablement

Puneet Chadha
Global CMO Redington Limited

In the fast-paced world of technology, friction can be an invisible barrier that slows down progress, creates confusion, and hinders potential. But for Puneet Chadha, Global CMO of Redington, marketing is one of the important levers that removes that friction - transforming information into insight, effort into action, and clutter into clarity. Here’s how he describes Redington’s marketing transformation.

Redington has long been seen as a distribution powerhouse. But now the narrative seems to be shifting. What’s driving that transformation?

We’ve always been proud of our legacy as a distribution powerhouse, but in today’s tech world, being just a distributor wasn’t enough for us. Overtime we’ve evolved to a value-added distributor and, eventually, a true business enabler. Marketing plays a central role in this transformation. Our mission is clear: reduce friction for our partners, simplify access to technologies, and empower everyone to make smarter decisions faster.

Take Redington Mission 300 as an example. This is our ambitious initiative to digitally transform 300 towns and cities across India, empowering small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with the tools they need to succeed. In those towns, we’ve seen a wave of partners and businesses thriving because they’ve been given access to the right tools, education, and support. Redington Learning and Development programs are helping them develop the skills to unlock potential. It’s  all about removing the barriers that have historically kept them from growing.

And when we talk about our partner ecosystem, the Partner Advisory Board, Partner Round Tables and Echo Program are examples of how we create a direct line of communication with our partners, gathering insights and providing feedback in a meaningful way that shapes our strategy.

This shift is not just about a marketing campaign - it’s a whole cultural shift to become a true business enabler for our partners.

Growth, transformation, storytelling - these are common themes. But Redington has anchored its narrative around reducing friction. Why is that so central, and how is marketing contributing to it?
 
Friction, in many forms, has always been the silent blocker. Whether  it’s  the  complexity  of  new  technologies, the societal barriers  preventing  access  to  those  technologies, or the knowledge gap that many partners face, friction slows everything down.

At Redington, we've made it our purpose to reduce friction at every touchpoint. Marketing isn’t just about pushing a product - it’s about making the process smoother, more efficient, and more human. Take Redington Pitch Room, for example. It's where ISVs make their pitch to cloud partners, enabling them to scale each other’s businesses. Through initiatives like this, we are not only connecting the dots for our partners but also making them feel supported and empowered in their journey.

We also use our Redington Center  of  Excellence,  with demo centers for 2D and 3D digital printing, to showcase the latest technology to our partners, making it easier for them to visualize the potential of what they can offer. Instead of making them figure it out on their own, we guide them every step of the way. It’s this constant streamlining that makes marketing such a powerful force in reducing friction.

Ultimately, our work is grounded in the idea that we are here to enable success -whether through Marketing as a Service, Demand Generation, or ensuring that we create seamless digital campaigns that speak to the hearts of our partners.

Traditionally, marketing is seen as a layer at the end of the funnel. What changed at Redington?

This is one of the biggest shifts we’ve made. We no longer see marketing as just the “final step” in the process. Instead, we operate as the nerve center - strategically involved from the start, working closely with sales, product, and strategy teams to create campaigns that propel the entire business forward.

For example, we don’t just create digital campaigns; we integrate Account-Based Marketing (ABM) tactics that align directly with our sales motions, ensuring that every campaign is highly targeted and personalized. We’ve also introduced a video series of Red Talks and Con-fabs, informal conversation campaigns with partners that not only give them insight but make them feel like part of our extended Redington family to share their perspectives with other partners and build value to the entire Tech community. This ongoing dialogue helps us keep the pulse on their needs, challenges, and aspirations.

We’ve moved away from the traditional view of marketing as just a communication tool, and now see it as an integral driver of growth, helping everyone - from our OEM partners to the smallest of channel partners- create real value in the marketplace.

What are you most proud of during this transformation?

I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come. But if I had to pick one thing, it’s how we’ve redefined marketing’s role in the organization. We’ve gone from being a traditional distributor to a business enabler. The ability to connect with our partners, understand their challenges, and help them navigate the complexities of the tech landscape with ease - that’s the real transformation.

Our Redington Learning and Development programs, for instance, have helped thousands of partners unlock new levels of capability. We’ve seen firsthand how they’ve been able to upskill and provide better services to their own customers, creating a ripple effect of growth. That’s the kind of impact that makes me proud - knowing that our work is changing lives and businesses for the better.

Redington has consistently shown growth, and the last quarter has been one of the most successful yet. How do you attribute this success?

First and foremost, I must say that this success is a result of collective effort - our team, OEM partners, and channel partners. Without their collaboration, none of this would be possible. What we’ve done at Redington is nothing short of extraordinary. We’ve seen our campaigns deliver real pipeline value, particularly through our initiatives like Digital Platform, Digital marketing, ABM, Demand Generation engine, Mission 300 and Marketing as a Service. Our tech stack, the sophisticated tools we use, have helped us execute campaigns more effectively, making sure that the content resonates with the right audience at the right time. But these results are never just numbers for us - they represent relationships, trust, and shared vision.

The growth we’ve seen is directly tied to  the  partnership and alignment we have with our OEMs, and the willingness to learn, adapt, and grow together. Our internal teams have done an incredible job in optimizing operations and creating streamlined processes that allow for faster decision-making, reducing friction in every step. When everyone is aligned and pushing in the same direction, the results speak for themselves.

 
How is Redington’s marketing function reducing friction on the ground?

We’re continuously working to reduce friction at every point. Here are some of the initiatives that have been central to that:

HUMANIZING CONTENT:
•    We’ve moved from being product-centric to being problem- centric, focusing on the real-world challenges our partners face and offering them practical solutions. We bring in partner voices, real stories, and success cases, so our content feels more personal, relatable, and actionable.
UNIFIED MESSAGING:
•    We’ve embedded the idea of “One Redington” across our entire communication. Whether it’s digital campaigns, ABM, or partner onboarding, we ensure that our partners always experience us as a single, cohesive entity. This alignment ensures that our messages are clear and impactful.
DATA-LED OPTIMIZATION:
•    We are incredibly focused on velocity—how quickly interest turns into action. Our dashboards track not just reach, but how our partners are moving through the sales funnel, and we use that data to continually optimize our campaigns.

And what’s been the result of this ‘friction-to-flow’ approach?

The results are remarkable. We’ve  been  able  to  activate new markets faster, engage SMBs more effectively, and scale partner programs with ease. Our campaigns are no longer just about reach-they’re about relevance and creating real impact. Our partners have been vocal about how this unified approach has not only simplified their decision-making process but also accelerated their growth.

Through Partner Advisory Boards, we’ve ensured that the needs of our partners are always met and that we’re constantly evolving with the market.

We’ve moved from just promoting products to empowering our partners- helping them make smarter decisions, act faster, and ultimately build stronger businesses. That’s the power of turning friction into flow.

What’s next for marketing at Redington?

We’re not slowing down. Our focus is on continuing to innovate, making every interaction smarter and more intuitive. We will continue to refine our campaigns and integrate new technologies to create more impactful experiences.

But at the heart of everything is our desire to accelerate our partners' growth. If we can make their journey smoother, their decisions easier, and their results stronger, then we’ve done our job.

Every day, we’re looking for new ways to break down barriers and create opportunities.  That’s  how  we’ll  continue to move forward- turning friction into flow and empowering every single partner to reach their full potential.