MDF Marketing Funds: Turn Budget Into Brand-Approved Campaigns

Introduction

MDF marketing funds—market development funds—are designed to help partners run campaigns that grow your brand. But when those funds aren’t tied to a system of execution, they turn into unclaimed dollars, compliance risks or manual headaches.

Without structure:

• Partners can’t tell what qualifies
  
  
• Marketing can’t verify what was used
  
  
• Fulfillment is handled via email
  
  
• Co-branding turns into brand drift
  
  

GearBox® by IRIS Strategic Marketing Support (IRIS) is the tool that connects MDF marketing funds to field-ready campaign kits, compliant customization and traceable fulfillment.

What Are MDF Marketing Funds?

MDF marketing funds are dollars set aside by brands to support local or partner-level marketing activity. These funds are typically:

• Pre-approved or allocated by tier or volume
  
  
• Intended for specific campaign types
  
  
• Tied to usage of brand-approved assets
  
  
• Often co-branded with both partner and corporate visuals
  
  

But MDF only works if the program includes:

• Clear rules
  
  
• Controlled access
  
  
• Scalable templates
  
  
• Usage tracking
  
  
• Integrated fulfillment
  
  

Where MDF Programs Break Down

1. Partners Don’t Know What They’re Allowed to Do
They don’t know which assets are eligible, what vendors to use or where to start.

2. Templates Get Changed or Misused
Logos move, disclaimers get cut, local edits go beyond what’s allowed.

3. Fulfillment Happens Outside the System
Teams email PDFs, upload to separate vendor portals or manage shipping manually.

4. No Usage or ROI Data
There’s no visibility into what got used, when or by whom—making reimbursement and performance tracking guesswork.

How GearBox® by IRIS Powers MDF Marketing Execution

GearBox® brings logic, structure and automation to MDF fund activation:

• Assigns campaign kits by partner type, tier or region
  
  
• Locks down branding and compliance rules inside templates
  
  
• Allows partners to customize select fields only—safely
  
  
• Routes assets to fulfillment vendors automatically
  
  
• Tracks usage and campaign participation by partner
  
  
• Provides reporting to support MDF claims, audits and ROI
  
  

Instead of requesting creative via email or uploading PDFs, partners launch pre-approved campaigns that count—on time, on brand and with full visibility.

Use Case: Fiberon Activates MDF Campaigns Across Its Dealer Network

Fiberon supports a national dealer network with co-branded signage and campaigns. MDF funds are a key part of their partner strategy—but only when they can verify what’s used.

With GearBox® by IRIS, Fiberon:

• Assigned MDF-aligned kits by dealer type
  
  
• Locked logos and compliance into all templates
  
  
• Enabled safe local edits (like contact info or pricing)
  
  
• Routed materials directly to approved vendors
  
  
• Tracked usage to validate MDF reimbursement
  
  

Read the Fiberon Case Study

This gave Fiberon full control over brand execution—while dealers had access to easy, fund-eligible marketing tools.

Conclusion

If your MDF marketing funds aren’t tied to structured campaign rollout, they become just another budget line.

GearBox® by IRIS helps you align MDF programs with real execution: templated, compliant, localized and tracked—across every partner and campaign.

Talk to IRIS to see how MDF and co-op campaigns can run with less lift and more control.