How To Forge A Successful Brand Collaboration

There’s no “I” in team, but, increasingly, there’s indie. As influencer sponsorships lose luster and Instagram algorithm changes make it tougher to break into people’s feeds, entrepreneurs are realizing cooperation is one of the most powerful tools they can wield to realize business goals. They’re exploring insights, growing customer bases, spreading messages and creating …

Rachel Brown·October 3, 2019·2 min read

The 30-second read

There’s no “I” in team, but, increasingly, there’s indie. As influencer sponsorships lose luster and Instagram algorithm changes make it tougher to break into people’s feeds, entrepreneurs are realizing cooperation is one of the most powerful tools they can wield to realize business goals. They’re exploring insights, growing customer bases, spreading messages and creating products together. “Today, brands are not isolated, depersonalized entities. They are living, breathing, soulful organizations that interact with the world around them, which is why partnerships have become so natural in the marketing conversation,” says Amanda Baldwin, president of Supergoop, an SPF brand that has joined forces with the fashion labels Milly and Rebecca Taylor on products. “What better way to reach a new, like-minded audience and express who you are than by doing it through a new friend.”

Certainly, befriending a fellow brand isn’t a novel tactic. The first Eddie Bauer edition Ford vehicle debuted 35 years ago, and Target marked two decades of designer collaborations this year. However, executing a successful tie-up in the current noisy consumer goods environment and uncertain social media landscape is harder than it was when people lined up for hours to snag pieces from Target’s high-low collections with the likes of Alexander McQueen, Rodarte and Missoni. To figure out how fruitful alliances are struck, Beauty Independent chatted with beauty brand founders and consultants about the best mutually-beneficial steps to take in a collaboration process.