Hyperscaler Partner Marketing: AWS, Azure & Google Cloud Strategy Guide
Master co-sell programs, marketplace strategies, and QBR reporting for AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud partnerships. The definitive guide to hyperscaler alliances that actually drive pipeline.
The Hyperscaler Reality: Why These Partnerships Are Different
If you're managing hyperscaler partnerships—AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud—you already know these aren't typical partner relationships.
Hyperscalers bring massive reach, co-sell programs, marketplace transactions, and MDF funding. But they also bring bureaucracy, complex approval processes, intense competition for attention, and quarterly business reviews where you're expected to prove pipeline impact with data you probably don't have.
Here's what makes hyperscaler partnerships fundamentally different:
Scale matters more than relationships: You're not dealing with a partner manager who controls everything. You're navigating a complex ecosystem with field teams, partner development managers, marketplace teams, and technical architects—all with different priorities and KPIs.
Co-sell is mandatory, not optional: If you want meaningful pipeline from hyperscalers, you need active co-sell engagement. That means documented deal registrations, joint sales plays, and proof that your solution enhances their cloud consumption.
QBRs are high-stakes: Quarterly Business Reviews aren't friendly check-ins. They're performance evaluations where you justify your existence with pipeline data, marketplace transactions, and mutual customer wins. Come unprepared and you lose visibility, MDF funding, and co-sell priority.
Marketplace is the future: Hyperscalers increasingly push transactions through their marketplaces (AWS Marketplace, Azure Marketplace, Google Cloud Marketplace). If you're not listed, or if customers can't transact easily, you're invisible to hyperscaler field teams.
Technical validation comes first: Hyperscaler field teams won't recommend your solution until it's validated. That means passing Well-Architected Reviews (AWS), achieving co-sell ready status (Azure), or completing technical validation programs (GCP).
Why this matters now:
Three forces are making hyperscaler partnerships more critical than ever:
Cloud consumption economics: Customers want to consolidate spending under their AWS, Azure, or GCP Enterprise Discount Programs (EDPs). If your solution doesn't help them consume cloud credits, you're fighting uphill.
Marketplace Private Offers: Procurement is increasingly buying through cloud marketplaces using Private Offers. This speeds up contracts, reduces friction, and gives customers budget flexibility. If you're not marketplace-ready, you lose deals.
Co-sell prioritization: Hyperscaler field teams are overwhelmed with partner requests. Only partners who prove consistent pipeline impact get prioritized for co-sell. If your QBR shows weak numbers, you disappear from their radar.
This guide will show you how to navigate these realities. We'll cover the specific strategies, frameworks, and execution tactics that separate hyperscaler partnerships that drive pipeline from those that waste MDF budgets and die in QBRs.
Understanding the Three Giants: AWS, Azure, GCP
Each hyperscaler operates differently. What works on AWS doesn't translate directly to Azure. Here's what you need to know about each platform.
Amazon Web Services
Market Leader
Largest ecosystem, most mature marketplace, complex partner tiers
Microsoft Azure
Enterprise Favorite
Deep Microsoft sales integration, strong ISV incentives
Google Cloud
Data & AI Focus
Smaller but growing, strong in data analytics and ML
AWS: The Complexity Champion
AWS has the most mature partner ecosystem—and the most complex. With over 100,000 partners, standing out requires strategic focus.
Key programs:
AWS Partner Network (APN): Multi-tier system (Select, Advanced, Premier) with validation paths for technology and consulting partners
AWS Marketplace: Most mature marketplace with Private Offers, CPPO (Channel Partner Private Offers), and SaaS contracts
Co-sell programs: ACE (AWS Co-Sell Engagement) tracks for deal registration and joint selling
Service-specific programs: Specialized tracks for ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) and Service Ready designations
What matters to AWS field teams:
Consumption impact: Does your solution drive AWS service usage?
Customer references: Proven deployments with measurable results
Well-Architected validation: Technical reviews proving your solution follows AWS best practices
Marketplace transactions: Revenue flowing through AWS Marketplace
Azure: The Enterprise Integrator
Azure's strength is deep integration with Microsoft's enterprise sales machine. If you sell into Microsoft accounts, Azure co-sell is your fastest path to pipeline.
Key programs:
Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program: New unified partner program (replaced older programs in 2022)
Azure Marketplace: Transact-enabled marketplace with Private Offers and Marketplace Rewards
Co-sell ready vs. Azure IP co-sell incentivized: Two tiers of co-sell status with different field team priorities
MACC (Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment): Customers commit to Azure spend; your solution helps them consume it
What matters to Azure field teams:
MACC alignment: Does your solution help customers meet their Azure consumption commitments?
ISV Success program participation: Active engagement in Microsoft's ISV-focused enablement
Marketplace Private Offers: Making it easy for customers to buy via Azure Marketplace
Co-sell pipeline: Documented opportunities where Azure field teams are engaged
Google Cloud: The Data & AI Specialist
Google Cloud is smaller than AWS and Azure, but growing fast—especially in data analytics, machine learning, and AI workloads. If your solution touches BigQuery, Vertex AI, or data pipelines, GCP is strategic.
Key programs:
Google Cloud Partner Advantage: Partner program with Build, Sell, and Service tracks
Google Cloud Marketplace: Simpler marketplace than AWS/Azure but growing fast
Co-sell program: Joint selling with GCP field teams, lighter-touch than AWS/Azure
Specializations: Industry and technology specializations that signal expertise
What matters to GCP field teams:
Data & AI use cases: Solutions that leverage GCP's strengths in analytics and ML
Customer proof points: Specific deployments showing business impact
Marketplace presence: Listed and transactable via Google Cloud Marketplace
Technical integration: Deep integration with GCP services (BigQuery, Vertex AI, etc.)
Platform Comparison: What You Need to Know
The Bottom Line:
You don't need to be equally strong on all three hyperscalers. Most successful ISVs pick 1-2 to prioritize based on where their customers are and where their solution fits best. Trying to execute equally across all three often results in mediocrity everywhere.
Choose your primary hyperscaler based on:
Where your customers are already spending (check your CRM for cloud consumption patterns)
Where your solution has natural technical fit (data solutions → GCP, enterprise → Azure, broad market → AWS)
Where you have existing relationships or can realistically get co-sell traction
Co-Sell Programs: Beyond the Basics
Every hyperscaler has a "co-sell program." But most partner marketers don't understand what co-sell actually means—or why most co-sell efforts fail.
Co-sell is NOT:
Running a webinar with the hyperscaler and calling it "co-marketing"
Getting on an approved vendor list and waiting for leads
Sending your partner manager a list of target accounts and hoping for intros
Co-sell IS:
Active collaboration on specific, named opportunities
Joint selling motions where both teams are engaged with the customer
Deal registration with documented business cases and customer context
Proof that your solution drives hyperscaler consumption (which is why they care)
The Co-Sell Framework That Actually Works
Advanced Co-Sell Tactics
Tactic #1: The "Lighthouse Customer" Strategy
Instead of trying to co-sell everywhere, pick 2-3 high-visibility accounts and go deep. Win those deals, document the impact, then use them as proof points to unlock broader field engagement.
Tactic #2: Co-Sell by Geography
Hyperscaler field teams are organized by region. Instead of trying to engage nationally, focus on 1-2 high-potential regions. Build relationships with local field teams, prove success, then expand.
Tactic #3: Vertical-Specific Plays
If you serve specific industries (healthcare, financial services, retail), create vertical-specific co-sell plays. Field teams covering those verticals will engage more readily if you speak their customers' language.
The Bottom Line on Co-Sell:
Co-sell is not a marketing program. It's a sales motion that requires tight collaboration between your sales team, partner team, and hyperscaler field reps. Partner marketing's role is to enable this motion—not run campaigns and hope for pipeline.
Marketplace Strategy: Transactions That Matter
Hyperscaler marketplaces aren't optional anymore. They're becoming the primary procurement vehicle for enterprise software—and if you're not listed and transactable, you're invisible to both customers and hyperscaler field teams.
Here's why: customers increasingly buy through cloud marketplaces because it lets them consume EDP (Enterprise Discount Program) credits, speeds up procurement, and consolidates vendor management. For field teams, marketplace transactions mean easier deal closure and consumption tracking.
The Three Marketplace Ecosystems
AWS Marketplace: The Most Mature
AWS Marketplace is the gold standard—most transactions, most mature buying experience, most field team adoption.
Key capabilities you should leverage:
Private Offers: Custom pricing and terms for specific customers. This is how you close enterprise deals through marketplace—no public list pricing required.
CPPO (Channel Partner Private Offers): Let resellers transact on your behalf through marketplace while you maintain pricing control.
SaaS Contracts: Subscription-based pricing that integrates with customer AWS billing.
Consulting Partner Private Offers: Bundle your software with SI/consulting services in a single marketplace transaction.
The AWS field team won't prioritize you unless customers can buy through marketplace. It's that simple.
Azure Marketplace: Rapidly Maturing
Azure Marketplace has caught up fast, especially for ISVs selling into Microsoft-centric enterprises.
What matters:
Private Offers: Like AWS, custom deals for specific customers.
Marketplace Rewards: Microsoft pays you back a percentage of marketplace transactions—essentially subsidizing your marketplace adoption.
MACC Alignment: If your solution helps customers consume their Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment, you become strategic to both the customer and Microsoft.
Azure's advantage: tighter integration with Microsoft's enterprise sales motion. If you're selling into existing Microsoft accounts, Azure Marketplace is your fastest path to procurement.
Google Cloud Marketplace: Simpler but Growing
Google Cloud Marketplace is less complex than AWS/Azure, which can be an advantage—easier to get listed, easier to transact.
What to know:
Lighter transaction volume than AWS/Azure, but growing fast
Strong in data/analytics/ML workloads (if your solution fits here, prioritize it)
Simpler listing process—good for testing marketplace strategy
Private Offers available but less frequently used than AWS/Azure
Why Marketplace Matters to Field Teams
Hyperscaler field teams are measured on cloud consumption. When you transact through marketplace:
It counts toward their consumption numbers (they get credit)
Procurement is faster (customers use existing cloud budgets)
Deal tracking is automatic (marketplace handles reporting)
It proves you're serious (not just looking for leads)
Translation: Marketplace-ready partners get prioritized in co-sell. Non-marketplace partners get deprioritized.
How to Build Your Marketplace Strategy
Common Marketplace Mistakes
Mistake #1: Listing but not transacting
Being listed means nothing if you never close deals through marketplace. Field teams track transactions, not listings.
Fix: Identify your next 3-5 closing opportunities and propose marketplace as the procurement path. Train sales on how to position it.
Mistake #2: Public pricing that kills enterprise deals
You list at $100K/year publicly, but you typically discount to $60K for enterprise. Now enterprise customers see the $100K price and negotiations get messy.
Fix: Use Private Offers from day one. Don't publish list pricing unless you actually sell at that price.
Mistake #3: Treating marketplace as a lead gen channel
Marketplace isn't for discovery—it's for transaction. Customers find you elsewhere, then buy through marketplace.
Fix: Position marketplace as "easier procurement" to customers who already want to buy, not as a way to find new customers.
The Bottom Line on Marketplace:
Marketplace isn't a nice-to-have anymore. It's table stakes for hyperscaler partnerships. Get listed, enable Private Offers, train your sales team, and start transacting. Every marketplace deal you close strengthens your hyperscaler relationship and proves you're serious about the partnership.
QBR Reporting: Proving Value When It Counts
Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with hyperscalers aren't status updates. They're performance evaluations that determine whether you get continued co-sell support, MDF funding, and field team prioritization—or get quietly deprioritized.
Most partner marketers show up to QBRs with activity metrics: "We ran 3 webinars, generated 500 leads, sent 12 co-marketing emails." Hyperscaler partner managers don't care. They care about pipeline, consumption, and marketplace transactions.
Here's how to show up prepared.
What Hyperscalers Actually Want to See
1. Pipeline Influence Data
Show opportunities where the hyperscaler field team engaged and advanced the deal:
Total pipeline influenced: "$2.5M in active opportunities where AWS field teams are engaged"
Deals closed via co-sell: "$800K closed this quarter with hyperscaler involvement"
Pipeline stage progression: "15 opportunities moved from discovery to proof-of-concept with field support"
Use deal registration data, CRM tags, or co-sell tracking systems to document hyperscaler contribution.
2. Marketplace Transactions
Revenue flowing through their marketplace proves commitment:
"$1.2M transacted through Azure Marketplace this quarter (up 40% QoQ)"
"8 new customers purchased via AWS Private Offers"
"Average deal size through marketplace: $150K (vs. $95K direct)"
Marketplace transactions matter more than total revenue because they're measurable, trackable, and directly benefit the hyperscaler.
3. Consumption Impact
Hyperscalers care about cloud consumption. Show how your solution drives it:
"Our customers consume an average of $400K/year in AWS services (compute, storage, data transfer)"
"New customer wins drive $2M in incremental GCP consumption annually"
"Our workload profile: 60% compute, 25% storage, 15% networking"
If you can't quantify consumption impact, you're not strategic to hyperscalers—you're just another partner asking for help.
4. Customer Wins with Business Impact
Bring 2-3 specific customer stories showing measurable outcomes:
"Acme Corp migrated 500 workloads to Azure using our platform—$3M in annual Azure consumption"
"Beta Industries cut time-to-market by 40% using our solution on GCP, now expanding to 5 additional divisions"
Field teams need proof points to sell you internally. Give them stories they can share.
What NOT to Show in QBRs
The QBR Structure That Works
Slide 1: Executive Summary (30 seconds)
Total pipeline influenced: $X
Deals closed: $Y
Marketplace transactions: $Z
Key wins: 2-3 customer names
Slide 2: Pipeline Review (2 minutes)
Active opportunities by stage
Deals where field team is engaged
Forecast for next quarter
Slide 3: Customer Wins (2 minutes)
2-3 specific customer stories
Business impact + consumption numbers
Proof that partnership drives results
Slide 4: Marketplace & Consumption (1 minute)
Transactions this quarter
Consumption profile
Growth trends
Slide 5: What We Need (1 minute)
Specific asks (field team intros, technical validation, co-marketing support)
Blockers you need help removing
Next quarter commitments
Total time: 6-7 minutes of content, 15-20 minutes with discussion.
How to Prepare for QBRs
2 weeks before:
Pull pipeline data from CRM (filter for hyperscaler-influenced deals)
Pull marketplace transaction reports
Identify 2-3 customer win stories with data
1 week before:
Build QBR deck
Share with internal stakeholders (sales, partnerships) for feedback
Prep your "asks" (be specific: "We need intro to AWS account team for Acme Corp")
Day before:
Rehearse (yes, actually practice)
Anticipate pushback questions
Confirm attendance with hyperscaler partner manager
The Bottom Line on QBRs:
QBR performance determines your next quarter's co-sell priority. Show up with real pipeline data, marketplace transactions, and customer proof points—not activity metrics. The partners who master QBRs are the ones who get continued field team support, MDF funding, and executive sponsorship. The ones who show up unprepared get quietly deprioritized.
Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
Hyperscaler partnerships fail in predictable ways. Here are the patterns we see repeatedly—and how to avoid them:
Pitfall #1: Treating Hyperscalers Like Small Partners
The mistake: You assume the same tactics that work with boutique partners will work with AWS, Azure, or GCP. You expect your partner manager to control everything, make introductions, and drive pipeline for you.
Why it fails: Hyperscalers are massive, decentralized organizations. Your partner manager can't force field teams to care about you. Field teams have their own priorities, quotas, and hundreds of partner requests.
How to fix it: Treat hyperscalers like enterprise sales—you need to sell yourself to field teams, prove value with data, and earn prioritization through results. Your partner manager is a guide, not a sales team.
Pitfall #2: No Consumption Story
The mistake: You tell field teams "We integrate with AWS" but can't quantify cloud spend impact. You expect them to care about your product features instead of consumption economics.
Why it fails: Field teams are measured on consumption. If your solution doesn't drive cloud usage, you're not strategic—you're noise.
How to fix it: Build a consumption model. "Our customers typically consume $X/month in compute, $Y/month in storage, $Z/month in data transfer." Use actual customer data. Make it easy for field teams to see the AWS/Azure/GCP revenue impact.
Pitfall #3: Expecting Hyperscalers to Prospect for You
The mistake: You ask your partner manager for "leads in financial services." You expect field teams to introduce you to net-new accounts where you have no existing relationship.
Why it fails: Field teams don't prospect for partners. They accelerate existing deals. They help YOU close opportunities in accounts where you're already working.
How to fix it: Bring named accounts where you have active opportunities. Ask for help accelerating those deals, not creating pipeline from scratch. "We're working with Acme Corp—can you connect us with the AWS account team?" is a request they'll act on.
Pitfall #4: Running Generic Partner Campaigns
The mistake: You create a "one size fits all" webinar or content syndication campaign. You measure success by lead volume. You don't customize for specific accounts or verticals.
Why it fails: Hyperscaler field teams care about account-specific outcomes, not generic campaigns. They won't promote your webinar unless it targets their accounts.
How to fix it: Build account-specific plays. "We're targeting 10 retail accounts with this campaign—here's the account list and our pitch." Field teams will engage with targeted plays, not spray-and-pray marketing.
Pitfall #5: Poor QBR Performance Leads to Deprioritization
The mistake: You show up to QBRs with activity metrics ("We ran 3 webinars!") instead of business outcomes. You don't track pipeline influence. You can't show marketplace transactions.
Why it fails: QBR performance determines next quarter's co-sell support. Poor QBRs signal you're not serious. Partner managers quietly shift resources to partners who show results.
How to fix it: Track everything. Pipeline influenced by hyperscaler field teams. Marketplace transactions. Consumption impact. Customer wins. Show up to QBRs with data, not stories.
Pitfall #6: Not Using Marketplace
The mistake: You're listed on AWS Marketplace but never transact through it. You treat marketplace as a "nice to have" instead of strategic priority.
Why it fails: Field teams prioritize partners who transact through marketplace. Marketplace deals are tracked, measurable, and count toward consumption targets. Non-marketplace partners get deprioritized.
How to fix it: Make marketplace your default procurement path. Train sales on Private Offers. Show marketplace transactions in every QBR. Every deal you close through marketplace strengthens your hyperscaler relationship.
The Bottom Line:
Hyperscaler partnerships reward rigor, data, and execution. The partners who treat these relationships strategically—with clear consumption stories, account-specific plays, marketplace transactions, and QBR discipline—get prioritized. Everyone else gets ignored.
Avoid the common pitfalls, master the mechanics, and you'll unlock the full value of hyperscaler partnerships.
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