What Makes a Good Brand Partnership?
“What do Lewis and Clark, Bonnie and Clyde, and Ben and Jerry have in common? They all formed partnerships – co-operative relationships where they worked as a team to reach a goal, whether it was robbing banks or inventing Cherry Garcia.”
This is a pretty good definition of a partnership (gratefully borrowed from Vocabulary.com), with relationship being the key word. Brand partnerships, in my opinion, are the most human of all marketing disciplines. They’re built on relationships – formed, nurtured, and ultimately defined by people. Like any good relationship, they require strong communication, respect and trust. The more you invest in them, the more rewarding they become. (And, of course, it helps if you have some fun along the way😊)
Good brand partnerships come in many shapes and sizes – short-term collaborations, product tie-ups, celebrity endorsements and long-term strategic partnerships or sponsorships. Regardless of the type, the best ones follow a few key principles.
Define Your “Why”
The first step is to be clear on your why. There are many reasons to form a partnership – brand awareness, media reach, fame, association, repositioning, commercial goals, customer experience or loyalty. These objectives can evolve over time.
Take O2, for example. When they launched, they sponsored Arsenal Football Club. This gave them massive visibility – logos on shirts, branding in the stadium, extensive media reach (and free phones for the team!). But when the deal came up for renewal, their business needs had changed. They no longer needed awareness; they needed differentiation. Their subsequent naming rights deal with The O2 provided an opportunity to enhance customer experience and drive loyalty. It became a long-term strategic partnership that remains strong to this day.
On the flip side, failed partnerships often stem from misaligned values, unclear goals or one-sided benefits. A partnership should be a two-way street, where both brands gain something valuable.
The “How” Matters
A successful partnership must be authentic, true to your brand’s vision and values – as well as aligned to your partner’s. However, that doesn’t mean both brands need to be the same. Sometimes, unexpected collaborations create the most impact. If you want to reach a new audience or shift perceptions, be open to a partner whose brand can complement, rather than mirror your own, even if doesn’t immediately seem obvious
For example, some brand partnerships feel natural – like Primark and Greggs. Both are beloved high-street giants known for accessibility and relatability. Their collaboration resulted in a fun clothing collection and pop-up snack vans.
Others might seem unlikely at first – like Greggs and Fenwick’s Champagne Bar. These two brands couldn’t be more different, but they share a common heritage, united by their Geordie birthplace. By coming together in their hometown they created lovely grub and buzzworthy experience. Greggs’ Steak Bake served with creamy peppercorn aioli and a glass of champagne? What’s not to love?
Long-Term Brand Partnerships
At the other end of the spectrum are long-term brand partnerships. Returning to the example of The O2 – this is a great example of an initially misaligned partnership that almost didn’t happen.
The U.S. owners of the then-Millennium Dome had never heard of O2, a recently rebranded company operating in only four European countries. They were looking for the global guys, the big brands – Vodafone, Coca-Cola, Nokia. O2 wasn’t even on their radar.
They half-heartedly took a meeting with the O2 ‘nobodies’ (only admitted to way into the relationship, they were very polite at the time!), offering O2 a lower-tier sponsorship opportunity. But the O2 team had bigger ambitions. Instead of settling, they saw the potential for something greater – a full naming rights partnership.
What made this partnership work? A shared vision. Both companies prioritised delivering an exceptional customer experience. The U.S. team excelled in entertainment, O2 had the technology and customer base to enhance that experience. And together they created an even better (‘Priority’) experience exclusively for O2 customers. This was more than a ‘sponsor deal’, a transactional exchange of money and assets between Brand owner and rights holder. It was a true collaboration that created something more powerful than either brand could have achieved alone. Nearly 20 years later, the partnership is still going strong.
Final Thoughts
Good partnerships make sense. Great partnerships start conversations and stand the test of time. Be bold, open-minded, flexible and creative – you never know where a partnership might take you. So who could you Brand partner with to create something bigger, better and more impactful than you could achieve alone?
And most importantly, enjoy the journey, whether it leads to creating a new ice cream flavour (highly recommended) or robbing banks (not so much).
Written by Susie Moore, Director at Brandrock
Do you need help with an existing partnership or sponsorship, or do want to know how to get started? Contact us. Brand partnership is just one service we can help you strategise on as part of our Full Service Marketing Agency offering, see more of our services here.
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