Retail & Consumer

Harnessing the power of brand collaborations

The increasingly competitive retail landscape is consistently changing. We spoke to 80 leading brands to highlight the best practice operational strategies (and the risks!) to succeed with brand collaborations.

When two become one

Established brands have power – often with a dedicated following. When brands collaborate, they open new doors for their trusted audiences. There has been a growing trend in high profile brand partnerships. So we’re equipped to support our clients in retails competitive and ever changing landscape, we dug deeper to understand this popular method of marketing and brand promotion.

We spoke to representatives of over 80 companies from across the sector ranging from micro entities to large companies: from eBay to Harrods, and from Marks & Spencer to Deliveroo.

Our research explores key collaboration approaches in the UK, taking particular interest in the drivers and risks associated with entering partnerships and how legal teams (both in-house and third-party) can mitigate complications.

Brands love partnerships

The brands surveyed demonstrated an almost unanimously positive view towards brand partnerships and collaborations. Of those surveyed, 93% of brands considered partnerships and collaborations successful.

Outweighing the risks

Despite such a positive outlook on brand partnerships, 69% of those surveyed said that they encountered legal barriers in partnerships. However, brand partnerships continue to dominate the marketing strategy landscape. Why? Ultimately, it comes down to the benefits outweighing the perceived risks.

Your reputation counts

Your brands reputation is everything. While collaborations can be hugely successful, if your values and goals don’t align – or a brand has hidden secrets, your own reputation could be at stake. This is something which top brands are already acutely aware of – and most will only work with brands whose values align.

The five steps to a successful brand collaboration

Authenticity, reputation, communication and fairness are the core four factors to consider when entering a partnership. But how can you implement these in practice? We’ve developed a five-step checklist to successfully plan for and implement a marketing partnership.

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