Ever wonder how leading brands make a splash when resources are strapped? It is all in the company they keep. This year alone, Corona (yes, the beer brand) joined forces with Echelon Fitness (yes, the Peloton competitor), Bimbo Bakery partnered with Disney, and Puma collaborated with Peanuts while Adidas aligned itself with Lego.

There is reason for these strategic alliances, and it is not just financial savings. Partner-marketing, sometimes referred to as co-branding (when brands align to create a new product) or co-marketing (when brands team up and combine efforts to market each other’s products) is a way for like-minded, non-competing brands to pool and share assets (talent, clout, consumer audiences, reputation) in a way that can increase exposure, demand and, if necessary, can be done at a fraction of the cost.

Multi-brand collaborations can benefit business entities of all sizes, crossing industry and product categories. In 2015, BabbleBoxx recognized these advantages and decided to apply them to influencer marketing.

Our influencer co-promotions are theme-driven, feature 5-6 non-competing brands and go out to a controlled group of 20 micro-influencers. This offers brands an easy, productized approach that alleviates much of the work typically required for planning and executing influencer marketing campaigns i.e. influencer vetting + selection, theme development, product mailers/fulfillment etc.

According to feedback from BabbleBoxx brand partners, the advantages of co-marketing solutions we offer extend beyond the planning and implementation phases. Co-marketing is a highly underutilized, dependable strategy.   Highlighted below are just a few positive outcomes you should consider:

1. Superior Content: The content generated through co-promotions stands out and is less invasive. By nature, there is something uniquely appealing to readers about listicles – they are not a commitment, and they’re presented in a short, sweet and easy-to-read, snackable format that appeals to consumer desire for continued learning and improvement.
2. Targeted Growth: When like-minded, non-competing brands align, they may target the same customer vertical but rarely are their audiences exactly alike. Partnering thus allows companies to tap into audiences of similar, highly qualified consumers who are more likely to convert into customers.
3. Evens the Playing Field: Co-marketing allows small and emerging brands to gain credibility by aligning with companies that have been around longer and who have gained consumer trust. And on the flipside, larger brands that need a refresh or lift can benefit by positioning themselves alongside hip, trending new products and services.
4. It Fills Resource Gaps: Monetary savings is not the only resource to consider when evaluating the pros of co-marketing. Leveraging the skills and expertise from your partners also weighs in as a big plus. Finally, pooling ad dollars with other brands gives you more flexibility in the type of content you can create and allows you to work with more influencers, which in turn generates more placements, content and impressions for all parties involved.

To give you a better idea of what a co-marketing campaign looks like, let’s take a look at some recent BabbleBoxx co-promotions.

Resolutions featuring Physician’s Choice, Running Press Books, VEESTRO and Kerasal

Gifts for Kids featuring Candlewick Press, Kid Trax, Open the Joy, Beloved Bath, Baby Alive and Bay Area Children’s Theatre

Pets featuring Fruitables, Kids ‘n’ Pets, Eureka, Lemi Shine and iFetch

Gifts for Men featuring Black Dog and Leventhal, Tanon Goods, Zenni, Tekneksavr and Turtle Beach

Spring Pick Me Ups featuring Swig Life, Vita Liberata, Harper Collins, 4C Foods and Cindi Nails

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of co-marketing, the BabbleBoxx team is always here to share insights and learnings that may be helpful. And if you would like to consider partnering in one of our upcoming co-promotions, you can access our monthly calendar HERE.