Why Your Channel Strategy Fails Without Retailer Incentive Alignment
Great GTM Plans Mean Nothing Without Retailer Execution
You’ve nailed the go-to-market strategy. The decks are sharp. The pricing is right. The SKUs are ready.
But in-store? The product isn’t on the primary shelf. The signage is missing. The staff isn’t even aware of the promo.
What happened?
The strategy made it to the boardroom—but not to the front counter.
Because your channel strategy only works if retail execution is aligned—and incentivised.
Where Most GTM Plans Break Down
Even the best strategies fall apart between planning and execution.
Here’s why:
- No retailer incentives tied to GTM goals
- Field teams lack clarity on priorities
- Retail staff are unaware or uninterested
- Payouts are generic, not tied to new campaigns
According to McKinsey, brands that align channel incentives to GTM priorities see up to 26% higher execution accuracy in their launch plans.
If execution isn’t incentivised, it’s optional.
From Strategy to Shelf: The Alignment Gap
A leading snacks brand tied its GTM campaign to shelf-facing streaks and store-specific visibility bonuses. Within 4 weeks, their new product reached 78% distribution in priority outlets—2.4x faster than their last launch.
The Creative Brief: Aligning Incentives to GTM Goals
To build execution into your strategy:
- What’s the campaign goal? (Awareness? Velocity? Placement?)
- Who can make that goal real? (Distributors? Promoters? Retailers?)
- What actions should be incentivised? (Shelf display? Pitching? Reordering?)
- How quickly can we reward that behaviour? (Same day? Weekly?)
GTM doesn’t stop at the distributor. It starts at the shelf. And incentives are your signal to execute.
How Hubble Aligns Retailer Incentives With Channel Strategy
Hubble turns GTM campaigns into actionable, trackable incentives:
✅ Launch campaign-specific rules tied to sell-through and display
✅ Reward reps, retailers, and partners for prioritised SKUs
✅ Track activity in real-time with geo check-ins and visual proof
✅ Trigger nudges and bonuses based on daily execution feedback
✅ Align payouts with campaign milestones—not just volume
“With Hubble, our GTM doesn’t just go live—it goes deep. Retailers actually engage.” — VP Sales Strategy, Beverages Portfolio
Takeaway
The best GTM strategy isn’t the one with the best plan. It’s the one with the clearest path to in-store action.
And when incentives mirror strategy, execution becomes inevitable.
Because the shelf doesn’t care about your roadmap. It cares about your activation.
Want your channel plans to convert beyond the pitch deck?
Talk to Hubble. Align incentives. Drive execution.
