Guide to Co Marketing
There are times when a brand’s marketing campaigns grow dull and predictable. People know what to expect since all their campaigns are tailored according to the same marketing goals and principles. In order to go above and beyond what competitors are already doing, many businesses team up with complementary brands to make a strong impression with consumers. This allows both parties to create a buzz in a new market and enhance brand integrity.
Why Do You Need Co-Marketing?
Running a business is all about taking risks. It’s about exploring new possibilities, taking advantage of opportunities, and trying something new. One way for a business to prosper is to partner with other businesses in order to build a fresh audience. Here, companies of either whether they belong to a different or a similar industry work hand in hand to create a new type of content for their target audiences. Co-marketing may be conducted in various ways such as through a commercial ad, guest blogging, joint webinars or co-sponsoring events, yet the projects developed must revolve around a shared purpose and goal that both parties have agreed upon. You may also see marketing report examples
Additionally, the relationship between the two businesses must be mutual, where they must both benefit from the project one way or another. For instance, if one partner wants leads but the other needs a drive in sales, then the parties involved must come to a mutual understanding that will satisfy both demands. But keep in mind that co-marketing can be pretty challenging as well, considering how you’re forced to work with a whole different entity on a shared campaign. You may also like marketing checklist examples & samples
Finding the Right Co-Marketing Partner
Working with another company on a new business venture isn’t as easy as it seems. While you may have the same vision in mind, the path towards your business goals isn’t quite the same. Some co-marketing campaigns fail to deliver their expected results due to conflicts between the two corporate entities involved. You might want to optimize on inbound marketing, while your partner may want to take the email marketing approach instead.
The thing is, ideas are going to clash, problems are bound to arise, and disagreements are likely to occur. All of these are normal, but what matters most is if you’re working with a company of great value. However, you need to refrain from being the underdog in the situation, or you’re likely to stay hidden in the shadows when the campaign finally comes through. In other words, it’s called co-marketing for a reason. You need to partner with a business that values your opinions and suggestions just as you value theirs. Respect, professionalism, and creativity must be of top priority when finding the right co-marketing partner. You may also see marketing plan examples & samples
Co-Marketing Campaigns Your Should Know About
There’s something brilliant about co-marketing campaigns. It’s almost like mixing your two favorite ice cream flavors together to create something painfully delicious. This distinctive approach to marketing has allowed businesses to explore new markets using out-of-the-box promotional stunts that are hard to miss. You may also like what is brand marketing?
In today’s age, co-marketing campaigns have become a common marketing strategy for many businesses where the success of one brand ultimately brings success to the other. It’s a win-win situation for the players involved, making it a recommendable marketing move for business that wish to step out of their comfort zone.
Below, we’ve curated a list of co-marketing campaign examples to guide you in the art of brand partnerships:
1. BuzzFeed & Best Friends Animal Society
Looking for a co-branding campaign that won’t cost you much? Then maybe you can learn a thing or two from BuzzFeed and Best Friends Animal Society’s campaign featuring the one and only Emma Watson. Given how BuzzFeed already has a strong fan base of over a million viewers and readers, the folks at Best Friends Animal Society certainly knew how to get the attention they needed for their cause with the help of a simple, low budget ad. You may also check out types of marketing styles
For this campaign, the two set up and published an article entitled We Interviewed Emma Watson While She Played With Kittens And It Was Absolutely Adorable which featured the Harry Potter and Beauty and the Beast actress answering fan questions while she played with some of her furry friends. By the end of the article, the campaign’s CTA simply stated that the kittens featured in the video were adoptable. You may also see define marketing plan and its purpose?
As if having Emma Watson wasn’t enough, adding a couple of cute kittens to the mix definitely was the cherry on top for this co-marketing campaign.
2. Nike & Apple
Working out with some music to hype you up is surely a match made in heaven. So it comes as no surprise why Nike and Apple’s notable partnership continues to break boundaries since its debut during the early 2000s.
This co-marketing campaign brings music to the fitness scene by allowing customers to listen to their favorite tunes while working out. The Nike+iPod campaign includes fitness trackers, sneakers, and clothing that tracks one’s daily activity while also connecting people to their personal tunes. With the popularity of fitness tracking technology slowly dominating the market, this collaboration between some of the biggest companies in the industry was a genius move for both entities. This made it easier for athletes to track their progress while listening to their favorite songs. You may also like marketing strategies for small businesses
3. Virgin America & Netflix
Enjoying some good movies while on a thirteen-hour flight is a definite lifesaver. But it gets even better with selected Virgin America flights where you can sit back and binge watch all of your favorite Netflix shows for the entire journey! You may also see successful marketing campaign examples
Virgin America has always been known for their fun and hip marketing campaigns similar to their VR marketing gimmick that helped increase sales by a significant amount. So to add to this awesome reputation, collaborating with Netflix allowed the brand to connect with fans of the popular streaming app. Although regular Netflix subscribers are required to pay for membership fees, passengers of certain Virgin America flights could enjoy the said service for free. This co-marketing campaign is perfect for developing brand exposure and enticing prospects.
4. Lyft & Taco Bell
This next co-marketing collaboration is a unique mix of witty and useful by no other than the ride-sharing app Lyft and the fast food restaurant Taco Bell.
In this campaign, passengers using the Lyft app could enter ‘Taco Mode’ to switch every car icon into tacos. Besides that, riders can even be driven to a nearby Taco Bell outlet to get their orders, and then be driven to their next location for the same rate. Customers who avail of these services are given the opportunity to ride in a custom taco-covered car and are eligible to receive a food coupon for a Doritos Locos Taco. This co-marketing partnership can even foster other marketing strategies of the business, especially for social marketing and other word-of-mouth campaigns.
5. Uber & Spotify
There’s nothing worse than being stuck in traffic and sitting in awkward silence with your Uber driver desperately trying to spark a conversation to pass time. So how better to break the ice than with good music? But, we’re not just talking about living in your own little bubble with your headphones glued to your ears; we mean dancing to the best tunes while they blast through the speakers of your Uber ride! You may also like marketing flow chart examples & samples
In this co-marketing campaign between Uber and Spotify, customers can enjoy music from their favorite playlists the moment they set foot inside their Uber ride. This is a great strategy for two companies that share a common goal — to gain more users. This smart marketing move encourages a better user experience for fans of the apps. Having Spotify to cheer you up amidst the L.A. traffic will surely help calm those nerves down! You may also check out marketing questionnaire examples & samples
6. Bonne Belle & Dr. Pepper
A cherry flavored lip balm is one thing, but have you ever imagined a Dr. Pepper-flavored lip balm?
Well, it’s peculiar, but it’s also clever.
Bon Belle, the brand that brought us the first-ever flavored lip balm with numerous flavors such as lemon, strawberry, and green apple, started their first flavor partnership with the timeless Dr. Pepper brand in 1975, just two years after they launched their first line of Lip Smackers. A soft drink-flavored lip balm may seem like a crazy idea, but considering how this partnership has made the product one of the most famous lip balm flavors among teenage girls for decades, maybe it isn’t so crazy after all. You may also see marketing research questionnaire examples & samples
7. GoPro & Red Bull
If there’s one way to describe GoPro and Red Bull as the wholesome brands they are, it’s that they don’t just sell certain products, but they’re lifestyle brands that have successfully established themselves to a specific market. Anything defined to be action-packed, fearless, and adventurous may be associated with these two brands. You may also like define market analysis?
Because the two companies have been recognized for their co-sponsorship efforts for many athletic events and projects, their co-marketing campaigns don’t come as a surprise. However, the biggest collaborative stunt that they have done has to be the most historical as well. You may also check out social media marketing examples
It all started when astronaut Felix Baumgartner jumped from a space pod with a GoPro strapped for operation ‘Stratos’. Apart from setting three world records, Baumgartner also embodied the values that define the two brands perfectly, making it one of the most unforgettable partnerships in marketing history. You may also see email marketing examples
8. Airbnb & Flipboard
Anyone looking for lodging or accommodation in a particular area could always seek for help with Airbnb. While those looking to stay updated on the latest happenings in the world would find Flipboard incredibly helpful.
But Airbnb needed to give more exposure to their new feature, ‘Trips’; and Flipboard simply needed to create meaningful content to keep their readers engaged. So together, the two companies created a total of four magazines with 36 storyboards, along with a microsite, push notifications, targeted emails, and ads on and off Flipboard as part of their co-marketing campaign. The campaign generated positive feedback from consumers, earning over 39 million impressions and 4.2 million page flips on the app. Airbnb even drew in an average of 38,000 visitors to their website. It’s clear that this unlikely partnership between two different brands surely was a risk worth taking. You may also like marketing email examples & samples
Co-marketing is ideal for all business types. It can add a sense of excitement to a brand that has been delivering the same old advertising mediums to its respective audience. This can help keep an audience engaged to your brand through creative content and memorable advertising strategies. As long as you’re co-marketing partner shares your brand’s values, then the endeavor will potentially impact your brand’s image positively. You may also check out marketing checklist examples and templates
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