There's no doubt that brand partnerships are having a moment. By the looks of it, they aren't showing signs of slowing down, either. Brands have been finding long-term success in unlikely pairings, from national campaigns like the McDonald's x BTS meal to limited-time offerings like the Erewhon x Vacation Sunscreen Smoothie or even one-time collaborations for social media content like Graza x Spam.
Although some collaborations may seem random on the surface, they're anything but. Selecting partners that aren't immediately associated with your brand might be more beneficial than one would initially think. Choosing a seemingly unusual ally allows brands to break through stale audience perceptions, market to new segments, and differentiate themselves from competitors.
Brand Collaborations in Pop Culture
When considering collaborating with another brand, the possibilities feel endless. Whether it's a limited-time product that gets customers rushing to the door or a longstanding, aspirational staple like Smeg and Dolce & Gabbana's appliance line, a permanent association is created between the two brands. While looking for potential collaborators, it's important to consider who you're trying to attract, what your goal is, and how you'd like your brand to continue to be perceived for years to come.
The Ice Spice Chia Pet is an excellent example of two unlikely parties coming together to maximize impact. At first glance, this might have puzzled audiences — but when considering Chia Pets hail from 1977 and are iconic in their own right, teaming up with one of Gen Z's favorite rappers makes sense. The terracotta busts captured younger demographics and successfully refreshed their perception of the brand. Even if you didn't buy one of these, it likely got you thinking about Chia Pets more than you have in the past few years.
Making Collaborations Work for Your Business
Not a large brand? No problem — don't let it discourage you from tapping into the spirit of collaboration. Whether you're a local business or a regional brand, use your surroundings to your advantage and think about what your current customer base enjoys. For example, a medical spa could partner with a local juicery and promote an antioxidant-rich smoothie toting the medical spa's name, a la Erewhon and Hailey Bieber's Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie. Even if you don't have an enterprise budget, there are ways to make this work for virtually any brand.
In addition to opening up a new audience base and publicity, collaborations can benefit brands in other ways. We've all heard the saying, 'Two is better than one,' and the same applies here. Sharing marketing resources makes it a less expensive venture than the average solo promotion, doubles creativity, and inspires innovation. It might not be the most intuitive or traditional path, but brand collaborations get your name out there in a way that other advertising methods might not be able to.
Despite feeling relatively new, brand collaborations have the staying power to make companies consider them part of their marketing mix. No matter the industry, longevity, or product, these partnerships successfully get people talking and continue to change the marketing landscape as we know it. We love them here at Breef and feel they bring a refreshing, non-competitor-focused element back into marketing.
Are you interested in brand collaborations? We'll help you find the perfect agency partner. Start by booking a call with a Marketing Strategist.
As a bonus, we've compiled a list of our favorites (in no particular order):
