Partnerships BluePrint

Our best practice guide to delivering powerful partnerships for your brand.

BACK TO BLUEPRINTS

8 Powerful Partnership Principles

A bite-sized summary of our (hard-earned) learnings gathered from a variety of brand partnerships across sectors from food and drink to software and security. 

1. Be aligned on audiences

Reflect and refine who you want to target in line with your business plan (micro environment) and emerging trends (macro environment).

From this, look for partners that have already forged solid connections with the desired audience, carefully researching what the audience’s perceptions and beliefs are about the potential partner. Partnering together opens up opportunities for you to develop an emotional and rational connection through the joined-up brand association, tapping into audiences you may not be currently engaging with. 

Plenty x Pixar

INCREASED PURCHASE VOLUME AMONGST A NEW AND PROFITABLE FAMILY AUDIENCE FOR THE PLENTY ‘STYLISH ONE’ PRODUCT

2. Deliver value-added experience

One of the main benefits of a partnership is that it allows you to offer something of real value to your consumers beyond just the product offering. This could be exclusive experiences / money can’t buy prizes, such as movie premier tickets or limited-edition merchandise.

It can also be in the form of lower value, simple to acquire merchandise and prizes that bring something engaging to the moment of purchase/use/consumption. Knowing what sort of value to add through partnerships comes from understanding brand/product perceptions, consumer behaviour insight and skilled negotiation.

McCain x Crayola​

DROVE WEIGHT OF PURCHASE BY PROMOTING WHOLESOME GOODNESS AMONGST MUMS WITH LONGSTANDING POOR PRODUCT PERCEPTIONS

3. Be a strong negotiator

Negotiation is critical to the success or failure of any partnership. Done successfully, it not only makes sense in the mind of the shopper, but compels the shopper to action, as well as achieving a balanced relationship where both parties involved benefit from working together (see Principle 4!)

Muller Light x Warner Bros

INCREASED PENETRATION IN A PRICE DRIVEN CATEGORY VIA A “MUST SEE” EVENT WHILST DRIVING PARTNER FOOTFALL  

4. Appreciate reciprocal value

Always remember that both parties in a partnership bring benefits to each other including the potential to open up incremental markets, customers and moments. Additional benefits also include lower costs and increased visibility for everyone involved. 

Kellogg's x Sky

DROVE RE-APPRAISAL OF CRUNCHY NUT AS AN ALL-DAY SNACK THROUGH A NIGHT-IN PROMOTION

5. Be cognisant of timings from all perspectives

Entertainment partnerships often come with a clear window of opportunity to maximise exposure: A premiere, launch, event etc. So, it is essential that timings align and work with everyone’s calendar of activity, from the customers you are targeting to the retailers where you are activating the partnership. Maximising timings in this way can help drive sales and positive brand association.

Kellogg's x Olympics

ALIGNED KELLOGG’S BRANDS WITH THE BIGGEST SPORTING EVENT OF THE YEAR TO REINFORCE THE IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY BREAKFAST OVER A FIVE MONTH PERIOD

6. Consider the context

With a partner onside, your ability to sell campaign ideas into key retail accounts becomes much more attractive, blending the interests of their target audience and retailer priorities with what you can offer and the experience you can bring to life in store. You are much more likely to secure secondary siting and support from which you can activate.

Batchelors x Warner Bros

UTILISED THE PARTNERSHIP TO ALIGN WITH RETAILERS AND SECURE SOUGHT AFTER SPACE IN-STORE AND ONLINE

7. Think longer term

Partnerships don’t have to be a short-term solution to engaging an audience. By establishing your relationship and building on the executions over time, you can cement the link in the mind of the shopper and unconsciously become a clear choice for consumers looking for solutions within those areas. Yes, there can be some immediate gains in sales and customer recruitment, but ingrained behaviours and patterns take time to shift.

Muller Little Stars x ELC/Ladybird/Crayola

BUILDING CREDIBILITY WITHIN EARLY YEARS DEVELOPMENT THROUGH A SERIES OF RELEVANT AND ENGAGING PARTNERSHIPS

8. Think beyond reappraisal

With the implicit endorsement of the right partner, it is possible to drive reappraisal or reconsideration of your brand and offering within a specific target audience. If reappraisal is a part of your core objectives, then having a plan of action in place following your partnership work is essential to keep customers aligned and interested.

Muller x National Trust​

REIGNITING RELEVANCE WITHIN AN OLDER AUDIENCE

O2 x Monzo​

SHIFTING PERCEPTIONS AMONGST STUDENTS

Hartley's x Weight Watchers

ALIGNING WITH WEIGHT CONSCIOUS ADULTS

BACK TO BLUEPRINTS

Find us

Department XYZ, 2 Hardman Boulevard, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3AQ

BLUE CHIP INTERACTIVE LIMITED 2024

BLUE CHIP INTERACTIVE LIMITED 2024