Brother hits corporate market

George Nawa, executive director at Brother said the company is positioning itself as an alternative to the branded players – the likes of HP and Kyocera – and claimed that the channel doesn't have many printer choices at the moment and everyone is selling the same brand. “It's difficult to differentiate yourself if [you're selling] the same product [as other resellers],” he said.

Nawa agreed that Brother “has a perception matter to overcome” in the corporate and government markets. “We've done our research into the corporate and government market and found end-users aren't happy with their current supplier(s) but aren't aware of any credible alternatives,” he said. He also claimed that Brother was not as widely distributed as other printer vendors such as HP, the margins on Brother products are much better and the reseller doesn't have to cut their prices on any order.

Brother will aim for a “double digit” share in the corporate and government markets over the next few years, he said.

Nawa said that Brother would appoint some direct resellers as well as resellers that prefer to buy through distribution channels. The company distributes through IT Wholesale in QLD, Pioneer in NSW, Mega Electronics in NSW, Leader in South Australia, Printcom in Western Australia and BTA in Tasmania.

The company has also launched an incentive program for resellers whereby they can accumulate points for selling laser printers that can be converted in shopping dollars. An end-user cash back scheme is also being offered until the end of June. For example, if a customer buys a laser printer worth $600, they would receive $100 cash back.