The questions are coming – are you ready to answer?

Almost as soon as I had posted a piece on why the channel media will have to start looking at the implications of the Ukraine crisis (see below), CRN UK ran an excellent article on how nine vendors have so-far responded to the invasion.

This will be a developing situation, of course, and the position of vendors is likely to change, so we should expect more reports. We can also quite quickly expect end-user customers and channel partners themselves to start asking questions about the involvement of Russian companies within the supply chain.

They may even start asking about materials and other elements used in the production process that were sourced in Russia – although there will be little or nothing that vendors or anyone else can do about product that has already been made or production that is already in progress.

And if customers and partners are asking questions, it won’t be long before the media starts asking them too. All channel businesses need to be ready to provide answers or at least give an indication of the position both they and their key suppliers are taking with respect to the crisis and the supply chain.

You can easily keep track of the latest media coverage by clicking onto our home page – top left of the page.

Why the channel media will need to start talking about the Ukraine crisis at some point

It is quite difficult at the moment to concentrate on channel news. The everyday news is too much of a distraction and while business continues here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, it puts everything into perspective.

There has not been that many references to the Ukraine crisis in the channel media as yet, but there are concerns about the potential for increased cyber-attacks. In a report on CRN’s UK site, Channelweb, Ian Brown of Irish security specialist Integrity360, warned that increased cyberwarfare activity will have a ripple effect and we’ll see more cybercrime.

As long ago as 14 February, a report on MicroScope / TechTarget said that the US The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a “shields up” advisory. The site has also been covering work done by Slovak security vendor ESET to identify new threats being used in the conflict.

Comms Dealer has run a story on how major European telcos are rolling out measures to try and help Ukrainians. It has also covered a statement made by Steve Osler, CEO of VoIP provider Wildix, in support of its teams based in Odessa.

Outside the channel media sphere there have been reports that the conflict could have an impact on technology product manufacturing and prices. There is a story on how the supply chain might be affected on ComputerWorld, and another on Wired. You don’t have to search too far to find more.

It’s understandable that most channel news sites are, for now, steering away from the subject. And channel companies are rightly being hyper-sensitive about the position they take publicly. But if the conflict does trigger more cyber-attacks, product supply constraints and price increases, it is hard to see how the channel media can avoid it. While these effects are nothing compared to what those directly involved in the conflict are experiencing – and any coverage must always be set within that context – they will potentially affect us all.

Why it’s still important to put a real face to a name with channel media

The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic has been much the same for channel media as it has for everyone else. It’s meant staying away from the office and the close contract with colleagues, which can be a real drawback for journalists, as they are constantly exchanging information and contacts across the desk and listening in on other interviews and conversations.

On the other hand, it’s meant that, like most office-based workers, they have not had to endure the toil of commuting in and out of the office each day. Their work-life balance will have improved, and they won’t want to give that up.

Picking up on the vibe
Like other businesses, publishers are also likely to now adopt a hybrid approach to working practices, allowing reporters and editors to work at home much of the time. But they will still want two or three days in the office to benefit from that cross-talk and the vibe that you get when you are part of a news gathering team.

Another upside that media has shared with industry in general is the increased use of simple video conferencing. They have done more interviews on Zoom and Teams, and that’s likely to continue. This is a good thing for everyone. The conversation can be much more personable on a video conference. You can get to know each other a little better. It’s more relaxed and considered and you can see how the other person is responding to what you are saying.

Building relationships is important
That said, meeting them in person will continue to be something that you should do when you get the chance. In the end, it is all about relationships and to maximise your chances of coverage, you need to build positive and mutually respectful relationships with journalists.

Media have missed face-to-face interaction as much as everyone else in the industry and can’t wait to get back to live events. For this reason, we’d advise you to participate in as many industry – and media-backed events as you can – and while you are there, take the trouble to seek out members of the channel media that you’ve engaged with over the last 18 months, even if it is just to say ‘hello’ and put a real face to a name. It can make all the difference.

If you are going jump on the bandwagon, do it with a bit of style and creativity

There was a piece by Nick Booth in MicroScope this week taking a slightly askance perspective of ‘zero trust’ and what it really means.

It’s good to see a piece that takes a different approach and walks a line between being entertaining and informative. Let’s face it, at times, our subject matter can be pretty dry. And while cybersecurity is a serious matter, if we can do anything to make it more interesting for everyone, that’s got to be good.

‘Zero trust’ is one of those terms that has been jumped on by everyone and quickly become almost meaningless. That’s why – if you do use it – you have to be a little bit more creative and interesting. That’s what Nick has done here. He cleverly gets the people he interviews to come up with their own interpretation.

One uses a Laurel and Hardy metaphor; another describes it as ‘a bad day on the tennis court’. There is a hotel check-in analogy and one that compares security to the construction of a ship. Others re-cast the term as ‘minimum trust’, as ‘never trust, always verify’, and as ‘rational trust’.

This keeps it interesting and, hopefully, keeps the reader scrolling. Nick’s done a great job and I can imagine everyone who contributed is pleased with the result. It deserves to get plenty of views and shares.

It is great to see a bit of creativity in channel coverage. While Nick has done the hard work here, it’s always worth thinking of how you can approach a subject from a different and more interesting angle.

Why you will need to be as good as your word on sustainability this year

A recent article in CRN warned IT resellers that they will face exile from public sector deals unless they make a net zero plan. It’s a good piece and it echoes a recurring theme in discussions amongst channel companies at the moment.

The view within the channel now is it that if you don’t have a net zero and/or decarbonisation plan, you won’t get a look-in on commercial contracts either. And you may have to have a more ambitious date by which you intend to achieve net zero carbon than 2050 – which is the notional deadline that companies bidding for government contracts are supposed to have set.

The problem here might be that it is all very well stating that you have such a goal, but who is going to monitor your progress towards it? Saying it is one thing; doing it is another.

‘Sustainability’ is a term we are going to hear a lot over the next year. But while channel journalists will pick up on anything that looks like genuine and meaningful progress in terms of advancing sustainability and net zero goals by partners, distributors and vendors, they are likely to become quite thick-skinned on the subject fairly quickly.

Everyone will be adopting ‘sustainability’ as one of their PR themes for the year. But to be convincing, they will need really solid, hard-baked evidence that they are doing something meaningful and have a clear and public commitment to making a genuine difference.

Whether you are believed will come down to the sincerity with which you communicate your actions on the subject and the amount of detail and evidence of progress you can provide.

At the same time, channel journalists won’t have time to make in-depth checks on what you tell them (most UK websites have only two or three journalists), so it may come down to whether they really believe you or not. That may depend on how much of a track record you have and how well they know and trust you and your PR people.

Keep up to date with what’s being said in the channel media – visit and bookmark our page at channelstar.co.uk/.

Why it’s advisable NOT to be too windswept and interesting

I have just read Billy Connolly’s autobiography, Windswept and Interesting. It’s an enjoyable read and I’d certainly recommend it if you’re a fan. One of the devices The Big Yin uses in the book is to ‘bullet-point’ his rules for life. In one such list, he advises readers to: ‘Say the first thing that comes into your mind and don’t worry about what might happen to you as a result.’

We certainly could NOT advise anyone working with the media to heed such advice. On the contrary, it’s advisable to think carefully about what you are going to say to the media (it will ostensibly but for publication and public consumption), and how they and other people are likely to react to your comments. What further questions it is likely to prompt and where that conversation might lead you?

This is not to say that ‘the first thing that comes into your head’ will be wrong. It may be exactly the right position to take, but it is important to have thought it through first. This is only common sense really. Part of a journalist’s job is to challenge your views. If you express an opinion, you need to understand and be able to articulate why you are taking that position. You need to show that you have thought about it and reached a conclusion that is both logical and rational.

In practical terms, if you are going to be talking to channel press, we’d always advise you to set time aside in advance to prepare. You should consider which topics you think are important right now, and the messages you want to get across. You should also think about the areas the journalist might want to cover, the questions they might ask and how you would respond. What those responses will look like in print – and what kind of reaction you ae likely to get. Being ‘windswept and interesting’ may have worked for Billy Connolly. It’s not appropriate for senior channel execs.

New Channelstar Media website launches today

Today we are unveiling our new-look website – see http://channelstar.co.uk/. When you go to this page, you’ll be able to scroll down and see a summary of and links to the six top stories from key channel media websites, such as CRN, Technology Reseller, MicroScope, UC Today, PCR and more.

The idea is that you’ll be able to go to this site to get a quick update on everything that is making headlines in the UK channel media – and bounce in and out of those sites easily as well. You don’t have to register, and we are not asking you for any information. It’s just there for your convenience.

By the way, it will work just as well on your smartphone as it does on your laptop, PC or tablet.

We hope you ‘ll find it useful and will bookmark it – or at least come back regularly. If there is a site that is not aggregated that you’d like to see us picking up, please let us know. If it’s appropriate, we’ll certainly try to add it onto the home page.

And if you have any questions at all about the UK channel media or engaging with them, just let us know.

Make sure you keep up to date with what’s being said in the channel media – visit and bookmark our home page at http://channelstar.co.uk/

It should have been me!

It’s happened quite a few times to me over the years. A client will email me with a link to a story about one of their rivals and words to the effect of: ‘Why are they getting all this publicity when we are doing a much better job than they are?’

The simple answer: ‘Because we are not telling them. You are busy and have not briefed us about the great work you are doing. That means we don’t have the raw material. We can’t create a story and pitch it out to the channel media.’

If you are going to get coverage, senior people have to dedicate time to briefing stories. We Dedicate some time to briefing, brainstorming, reading and approving copy, and talking to journalists, and you will get some positive results.

We always do our best to make sure customers understand this and can give us the time we need to create good stories that will be of genuine interest to the media.

What you don’t want is to see stories that talk up your rivals when you know that you have a better product or service. If that happens, yes, you can respond, but you can’t just go to the publication and say ‘we are better’ – that’s just not a story. You have to get on the front foot and get there first.

Even then, you won’t always get the results you want straight away or every time. You need to be persistent and keep working at it, just as you would if you were trying to get into a new and strategic account.

Should you ever find yourself seeing a story about a competitor that should really have been about you, maybe you should be doing more to get your profile up in channel media. But be aware, you will need to put some of your own time into making it happen.

Why it’s still important to put a real face to a name with channel media

On the other hand, it’s meant that, like most office-based workers, they have not had to endure the daily toil of commuting in and out of the office each day. Their work-life balance will have improved, and they won’t want to give that up.

Like other businesses, publishers are also likely to now adopt a hybrid approach to working practices, allowing reporters and editors to work at home much of the time. But they will still want two or three days in the office to benefit from that cross-talk and the vibe that you get when you are part of a news gathering team.

That said, meeting them in person will continue to be something that you should do when you get the chance. In the end, it is all about relationships and to maximise your chances of coverage, you need to build positive and mutually respectful relationships with journalists.

Media have missed face-to-face interaction as much as everyone else in the industry and can’t wait to get back to live events.
For this reason, we’d advise you to participate in as many industry- and media-backed events as you can – and while you are there, take the trouble to seek out members of the channel media that you’ve engaged with over the last 18 months, even if it is just to say ‘hello’ and put a real face to a name. It can make all the difference.