Área Exponencial, the company that represents i3-Technologies throughout the region -from México to Argentina- offers their interactive turnkey video colaboration solutions, which consist of hardware, software and complemetary accessories.
The company, that is turning 6 years old, started as an interactive technology distributor, to then choose to focus on the technological proposal of the Belgian company i3-Technologies throughout Latin America, including Central America and the English Caribbean.
“I3 Technologies saw in us the human value that was going to bring what maybe to the company would take up to 10 years instead of achieving it in 3. That’s why there is opportunity for this alliance, there is a mutual trust between both companies”
“At this point, brand and strategic ally merge and the greys become well diffused because we talk as if we were the brand. We are not a wholesaler, nor a distributor, we are in charge of all the distribution and bringing the brand to Latam, but adding value. Our marketing area leads all i3 marketing in the region, as well as content plans,” said Alejandro Gutiérrez.
Área Exponencial is managed with an indirect business model in Latin America, so it has specialized distributors for each country. In its 5 main territories, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Argentina, where its headquarters is located, have their own staff, to which this year will be added Central America and in 2024, Brazil.
“In Área Exponencial we are achieving an annual growth of between 35% and 40% at the level of sales year after year”.
“If a reseller wants to buy, it will necessarily do so to the distributors, who are supplied from the logistics of Exponential Area centralized in Panama, although if it is an operation of a certain magnitude they can send products from Belgium, or even from Asia, straight from the factory”.
“We work in partnership with local distributors who have good offers and pre-sales to reach specialized resellers with our value proposition. We do not manage direct accounts without the accompaniment of our best partners”.
Focus on the committed resellers
Manuel Rodríguez, Brand Content Manager in Area Exponential, highlighted the importance of the commitment of resellers to the brand. “It’s not just a commitment to doing business, but to understanding the product, engaging with them, being close, understanding the value they offer as a team. This relationship with the reseller is key for the positioning of the brand in the region,” he emphasized.
“About partners, we are searching quality, big partnership with end costumer, that they want and know how to deliver value, and have real commitment with the brand”
That is why i3 Champions program was launched, which recognizes and rewards the main i3 Technologies vendors belonging to the associated resellers. In addition to giving them benefits, it allows them to be part of the new versions that will be presented each calendar year, without needing to re-register.
“The concept of i3 Champions is inspired by the committed attitude shown by many resellers. This can be seen in the relationship they are showing, for example, at events, helping to load screens, etc. Their commitment gives us the feeling of working as a family, in an enterprise as if it were our own, that is what we point as a brand,” said Rodriguez.
Marketing as a key tool
Área Exponencial also works hard in their marketing strategy, working together with distributors, resellers and PMs, as they see brand positioning as a key factor in their business strategy, according to Maite López, Marketing Manager for the region.
“Events and actions with end customers are greatly boosted. We continue to do a few virtual events, such as webinars, because when managing Latin America it is difficult to be everywhere at the same time, and also because people cannot leave the office so easily. But they try to replicate in person, or even with a visit to the main resellers and distributors in order to resolve any doubts that may arise,” said Lopez.
“We work a lot with brands, oriented to distributor and reseller. All in order to provide more tools and help to generate more education, advice and support”.
Volturno Corpwork
Among the initiatives that seek to promote the relationship with resellers, Área Exponencial presented its new Corpwork in Buenos Aires, which works as a center of experiences.
“There was a post-pandemic trend of not returning to the office as before, and the Cowork spaces were redesigned to return to a certain presence. Technology Express, one of our partners, offered us the possibility of partnering with Volturno, a company that is launching its own coffee and opening spaces where artisan barista coffee is served. They decided to open one in Las Lomitas Street, a shopping center in that town, and put up a Corpwork, and they looked to us for their collaborative solutions,” Gutiérrez said.
Six rooms and collaborative workspaces were assembled with i3 solutions, with screens, cameras and meeting rooms. “An executive from a large company living in the south can go to Volturno, where he will find i3-Technologies solutions available all day. The model we offer is that people from outside come and give them the rooms without any training, press 2 buttons and are talking to any country in videoconference and doing co-creative work,” he said.
“We tell resellers that i3-Technologies is the solution their portfolio is missing to deliver all the value your customer really needs. If they already have a solution for the competition, let them come looking for us because we can overcome them”.
“One of the services we provide to our partners that make a breakfast with customers in our Corpwork: we offer them the best coffee from Volturno, the best interactive technology to which we add strategic allies, such as Jabra and Logitech, the presentation, content and the best gift merchandising for attendees. All they are asked to do is take care of the call, bringing their best customers,” Gutiérrez invited.
By the way, this April 26 Área Exponencial celebrated its 6th anniversary as a company with i3 Technologies in its brand new Corpwork in Buenos Aires.
