Brand collaborations are widely considered the art of the perfect match. This book is a guide to understanding the process of brand collaborations and explains the key factors of success to build specific forms of collaborations between diverse partners. The Art of Successful Brand Collaborations gives tangible examples of partnerships between various kinds of internationally renowned artists, celebrities, brands and companies such as Coca-Cola, Louis Vuitton, Puma, David Beckham and Pharrell Williams.
In this vivid study, the academic and practitioner author team outline deep knowledge about the advantages and economic benefits of this marketing strategy. This includes additional meaning, improvement of the brand image, attracting new customers within different target groups and the development of the brand in new markets.
Filled with interviews from practitioners and vital academic and professional insights, this book is an essential guide for brand managers, professors and students to better understand and successfully implement the process of brand collaborations.
Today, brand collaborations take many different forms. They represent a new Eldorado for brands looking for innovation, renewal, more visibility, and attractiveness. In this first part, we will analyze the practices of brand collaboration, identifying the different partners and forms of collaboration. This will be very helpful for managers wanting to know who they can engage in a partnership with and what they can develop together.
1. Collaborations between consumer goods brands
1.1 When consumer goods brands create co-branded products together
1.2 When consumer goods brands claim a common message together
1.3 When consumer goods brands provide cross-sales promotions together
1.4 When consumer goods brands organize events together
1.5 When a retailer confers exclusive distribution to a brand
1.6 When brands collaborate to target employees
Interviews: H & M, LVR, Servaire & Co.
2. Brand collaborations with artists
2.1 When brands create products with artists
2.2 When brands offer experiences with artists
2.3 When brands and artists collaborate to target employees
Interviews: Louis XIII, Kenzo, Bel
3. Brand collaborations with celebrities
3.1 When brands create products with celebrities
3.2 When brands use celebrities to promote their products
Interviews: Puma, Lidl
4. Brand collaborations with cultural organizations
4.1 When brands create products with cultural organizations
4.2 When brands exhibit in museums, festivals, and operas
4.3 When brands and cultural organizations provide cross-sales promotions
Interview: MoMA
5. Brand collaborations with sports organizations
5.1 When brands support sports activities
5.2 When brands become a name for sports teams, places, competitions
5.3 When brands create products with an athlete or sports organization
Interviews: Peugeot, Sport agent
6. Brand collaborations with NGOs
6.1 When brands create products for the benefit of NGOs
6.2 When brands express their support for NGOs
Interviews: Kiehlâs, WWF, UNICEF
7. Brand collaborations with territories
7.1 When brands look for territory of origin
7.2 When territories look to attract more people
7.3 When brands conquer space
Interview: DS
Conclusion to Part I
CHAPTER 1
Collaborations between consumer goods brands
When managers decide to associate two brands for defining a brand collaboration, they can install six different kinds of partnership depending on what they want to create (see Table 1.1): a co-branded product, a co-branded communication, a cross-sales promotion, a co-branded experience, a co-branded distribution and a brand collaboration dedicated to employees.
Table 1.1 Collaborations between consumer goods brands
Kinds of collaboration
Definition
Examples
Co-branded products (co-branding)
Collaboration between two brands involving the co-creation and co-naming of a new product
- Apple & HermĂšs
- Huawei & Leica
- Louis Vuitton & Supreme
- Uniqlo & Disney
Co-branded communications
Collaboration between two brands involving the co-creation of a communication message
- Google & Oreo
Cross-sales promotions
Collaboration between two brands involving the creation of a common sales promotion
- Mc Donaldâs & Dragon Ball
- Burger King & Barbie
- BlablaCar & Total
Co-branded experiences
Collaboration between two brands involving the creation of a common experience, including events, common stores etc.
Collaboration between a retailer and a brand resulting, for the retailer, in exclusive distribution of the partnerâs products
- McDonaldâs & Coca-Cola
- Quick & Pepsi
- Starbucks & One water
Brand collaborations dedicated to employees
Collaboration between two companies involving a new product or service targeting employees
- DS & VanCleef and Arpel
- DS & the Richemont creative academy
- Air France & Christian Lacroix
1.1 WHEN CONSUMER GOODS BRANDS CREATE CO-BRANDED PRODUCTS TOGETHER
Among the different kinds of brand collaboration, the co-branding strategy is a collaboration between two or more brands based on the co-creation and co-naming of a new product. Both brands are thus visible on the co-branded product. This strategy involves the distinction between the âhost brandâ and the âguest brand.â For instance, in the co-branding between Philips and Nivea, the âhost brandâ was Philips since the brand already existed on the razor market at the launch of the co-branded razor. Nivea would then be the guest brand adding the cream to the electric razor. Philips and Nivea collaborated in order to launch a new product enlarging the target of the host brand Philips and extending the territory of the guest brand Nivea in the menâs shaving market.
The co-branded product strategy can take two main forms: either 1) the guest brand brings a tangible element related to its know-how, or 2) the guest brand transmits only its symbolic elements (Cegarra and Michel, 2001).
1) THE CO-BRANDED PRODUCT INCLUDES A TANGIBLE ELEMENT FROM THE GUEST BRAND
The co-branded product with a tangible element from the guest brand is based on the integration of an element from the guest brand into the new co-branded product, involving product innovation. In the food market, we can cite the example of Evian and Kusmi tea. Both brands collaborated to launch a new tea-based drink. The complementarity of ingredients brings an added value to consumers looking for new tastes.
In the household market, the collaboration between Huawei and Leica (a German brand of cameras and optics) allows consumers to make better pictures with their mobile phone. The Huawei P9 phones uses dual cameras â a 12-megapixel color and one â a 12-megapixel colour camera alongside a 12-megapixel black and white lens â which captures 200% more light and let owners refocus their photos after they have been taken. This innovation, the result of a collaboration between the Chinese tech firm and German camera-maker Leica, can help Huawei promote itself as a premium brand and expand its market share.