HubSpot : 21 Examples of Profitable Co-Branding Partnerships (And Why They’re So Efficient)

Everybody has loyalties to their favourite manufacturers, however there is a good likelihood your favourite merchandise end result from two separate manufacturers working collectively.

Certainly one of my very own beloved childhood reminiscences was a product of co-branding: Betty Crocker partnered with Hershey’s to incorporate chocolate syrup in its signature brownie recipe.

There’s one thing good about that co-branded product: It is a enjoyable method to marry two basic manufacturers into one scrumptious expertise for followers of baking and chocolate alike. In actual fact, these manufacturers nonetheless createnew co-branded merchandise to this present day.

Co-branding will be an efficient method to construct enterprise, increase consciousness, and break into new markets, and for a partnership to actually work, it needs to be a win-win for all gamers within the recreation. Each audiences want to search out worth – like chocolate-loving followers of Betty Crocker and Hershey’s.

There are a ton of nice examples of co-branding partnerships on the market. To point out you what makes them so profitable, we have curated a listing of examples of nice co-branding partnerships to encourage you.

Featured Useful resource:Free Co-Advertising Templates

Trying to ramp up your co-branding program?Obtain HubSpot’s Co-Advertising Package + Templates to be taught extra about co-branding finest practices and construct out your course of with common, customizable templates.

1. GoPro & Crimson Bull


Co-Branding Marketing campaign: Stratos

GoPro does not simply promote transportable cameras, and Crimson Bull does not simply promote power drinks. As an alternative, each have established themselves as way of life manufacturers – particularly, a way of life that is action-packed, adventurous, fearless, and normally fairly excessive. These shared values make them an ideal pairing for co-branding campaigns, particularly these surrounding motion sports activities.

To make the partnership work, GoPro equips athletes and adventurers from all over the world with the instruments and funding to seize issues like races, stunts, and motion sport occasions on video – from the athlete’s perspective. On the identical time, Crimson Bull makes use of its expertise and fame to run and sponsor these occasions.

“GoPro digicam know-how is permitting us to enrich the programming by delivering new athlete views which have by no means been seen earlier than,”mentioned Sean Eggert, Crimson Bull’s director of sports activities advertising. The collaboration permits unique GoPro content material to boost each firms’ development.

Why the Stratos Co-Branding Marketing campaign Works

Whereas GoPro and Crimson Bull have collaborated on many occasions and initiatives collectively, maybe the largest collaboration stunt they’ve completed was “Stratos,” during which Felix Baumgartner jumped from an area pod greater than 24 miles above Earth’s floor with a GoPro strapped to his particular person. Not solely did Baumgartner set three world data that day, however he additionally embodied the worth of reimagining human potential that outline each GoPro and Crimson Bull.

2. Rachel Comey, Victor Glemaud, Sandy Liang, Nili Lotan & Goal


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Excessive-Finish Trend

Anybody who’s designer-conscious is aware of excessive vogue and Goal aren’t precisely the identical caliber concerning high quality. Clothes by designers like Sandy Liang go for round $600, whereas clothes bought by Goal go for extra like $35 a pair. See what I imply?

However that discrepancy in pricing is precisely why these designers and Goal model determined to associate with each other. To assist its model positioning as stylish and trendy, Goal has paired with high-end vogue designers Rachel Comey, Victor Glemaud, Sandy Liang, and Nili Lotan to supply unique branded gadgets for a restricted time.

Picture Supply

Why Goal Co-Branding Marketing campaign Works

On this change, the high-end designers can expose their identify to a brand new era of potential shoppers, who will more and more aspire to personal extra items from these high-end collections whereas furthering the concept that Goal could be a retailer to search out fashion-forward clothes.

3. Joybird & Sherwin-Williams


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Being Boldly Unique

The Joybird residence way of life model and paint firm Sherwin-Williams did a co-branding marketing campaign once they partnered collectively to curate an eclectic assortment of residence furnishings and colour palettes.

Collectively, the 2 manufacturers created an unique product line of paints and room design inspiration that helped clients simply choose paint colours to enrich their furnishings selections.

Picture Supply

Why the Sherwin-Williams Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

These two companies noticed the chance to run a marketing campaign that uncovered their product and copywriting to model new audiences. This intersection of goal demographics might have introduced in new enterprise for one another and will have paved the best way for future co-branding collaborations if confirmed mutually useful.

4. Casper & West Elm


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Check a Casper Mattress

You’ll have already heard of Casper – a web based mattress and bedding model promoting mattresses in a field.

Enter West Elm, a high-end furnishings firm. Casper and West Elm partnered so buyers might check out the comfortable mattress earlier than buying – and so West Elm might promote its stylish bed room furnishings.

Picture Supply

Why the West Elm Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

That is one other instance of a mutually useful co-branding partnership. It helps each manufacturers attraction to a broader group of buyers – in spite of everything, Casper does not promote furnishings, and West Elm does not promote mattresses. It additionally offers buyers with choices – to attempt a mattress earlier than shopping for or to really feel what it might be like sleeping in a mattress body.

5. Kanye & Adidas


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Yeezy

Kanye West, finest identified for his Grammy-winning rap albums, partnered with Adidas to develop a high-end footwear line known as Yeezy. The mix of Kanye’s private model and Adidas’ rising streetwear section has made for strong firm earnings and model development because it was launched.

Picture Supply

Why the West Elm Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

Kanye’s celeb attraction advantages Adidas by creating buzz round its attire, and the athletic-wear model provides Kanye a well-established platform to construct his high-end clothes line. One of many strongest attracts of Yeezy – and most notably its sneakers – is its exclusivity: Kanye’s celeb standing, extraordinarily scarce roll-outs, and the excessive price ticket make the fortunate few to personal Yeezy sneakers really feel a little bit well-known by affiliation.

Adidas’ co-branding relationship with Kanye and the ensuing cult-like Yeezy following led to a stellar yr for the corporate: in 2019, Adidas’web revenue climbed 19.5% to $1.9 billion.

6. BMW & Louis Vuitton


Co-branding Marketing campaign: The Artwork of Journey

Automotive producer BMW and designer Louis Vuitton will not be the obvious pairings. But when you concentrate on it, they’ve a couple of necessary issues in widespread. In the event you deal with Louis Vuitton’s signature baggage traces, they’re each within the enterprise of journey. They each worth luxurious. And eventually, they’re each well-known, conventional manufacturers which are identified for high-quality craftsmanship.

Picture Supply

These shared values are precisely why this co-branding marketing campaign makes a lot sense. Of their partnership, BMW created a sports activities automobile mannequin known as the BMW i8, whereas Louis Vuitton designed an unique, four-piece set of suitcases and luggage that match completely into the automobile’s rear parcel shelf.

Though the four-piece baggage set goes for a whopping $20,000, the worth is true for the goal buyer, because the BMW i8begins at $135,700. A worth like that sort of makes that baggage set appear to be a drop within the bucket.

Not solely does the bags match completely size-wise, however its design and lookmatch completely with BMW’s picture: smooth, masculine, and high-quality. Seems each the bags and a few components of the automobile’s inside use carbon fiber, strong-yet-light composite materials.

Why the Louis Vuitton Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

Each manufacturers knew their goal market desired luxurious and meticulous craftsmanship. By promoting complimentary high-quality merchandise, the manufacturers efficiently garnered consideration from respective loyal clients.

7. Starbucks & Spotify


Co-branding Marketing campaign: First-of-Its-Variety Music Ecosystem

Starbucks scaled up a premium espresso store expertise into an enormous world model, utilizing music to create an ambiance round its espresso. Spotify, a music streaming platform, has powered virtually 25 billion hours of listening worldwide.Starbucks and Spotify cast an revolutionary co-branding partnership to construct a “music ecosystem”, providing artists higher entry to Starbucks shoppers and giving Starbuck entry to Spotify’s expansive discography.

Picture Supply

Why the Spotify Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

Via the initiative, Starbucks staff get a Spotify premium subscription, with which they will curate playlists (that patrons can entry by way of the Starbucks Cellular App) to play all through the day within the store. This music ecosystem is designed to develop the coffeehouse setting that Starbucks is thought for whereas giving artists higher publicity to Starbucks clients.

The “musical-ecosystem” partnership is mutually useful, permitting the businesses to achieve the opposite’s viewers with out sacrificing their model.

8. Apple & MasterCard


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Apple Pay

Generally, co-branding partnerships aren’t simply cool initiatives between two firms – they really have sensible worth when the businesses work collectively.

Picture Supply

When Apple launched the Apple Pay app, the model successfully modified how folks carry out transactions. This app permits folks to retailer their credit score or debit card knowledge on their cellphone, to allow them to use them with out bodily having the cardboard with them. However for this app to succeed, it wants bank card firms to combine with this know-how. By the identical token, bank card firms additionally face extra competitors themselves if they are not appropriate with the newest shopper buying device.

Why the Mastercard Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

To get out forward of its competitors, MasterCard grew to become the primary bank card firm to permit its customers to retailer their credit score and debit playing cards on Apple Pay. MasterCard not solely confirmed assist of a significant shopper tech developer on this partnership – it developed together with its personal clients in how they select to make purchases on the counter.

9. Airbnb & Flipboard


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Experiences

You’ve got in all probability heard of Airbnb, the room-sharing software that means that you can discover handy lodging hosted by actual folks. However its latest associate, Flipboard, may not have been in your radar till now.

Flipboard is a information aggregator that collects information and topical content material that customers are sharing on social media, and means that you can “flip” by way of the fabric very similar to a social media feed. Nicely, Airbnb just lately teamed up with Flipboard to create Experiences, which serve Airbnb customers with way of life content material tailor-made to their pursuits and shared by folks with related pursuits because the reader.

Picture Supply

Why the Flipboard Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

The continuing marketing campaign just lately led to a different co-created product known as Journeys, which permits Airbnb customers to attach with hosts with widespread pursuits and really ebook these experiences when touring. This partnership is a powerful instance of how companies can join their clients with data that caters to their particular person pursuits and drive product utilization in consequence.

10. Uber & Spotify


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Soundtrack for Your Trip

Music-streaming app Spotify partnered with ride-hailing appUber to create “a soundtrack on your trip.” It is a nice instance of a co-branding partnership between two very totally different merchandise with related goals- to earn extra customers.

Picture Supply

When riders are ready for an Uber trip, they’re prompted to attach with Spotify and develop into the DJ of their journey. Customers can select from their very own playlists to find out what they will hearken to.

Why the Spotify Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

This sensible co-branding partnership helps followers of Uber and Spotify alike get pleasure from higher experiences because of the app. And so they is perhaps extra occupied with choosing Uber and Spotify over rivals figuring out they will get pleasure from their subsequent trip listening to their favourite tunes.

11. Levi’s & Pinterest


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Styled by Levi’s

Levi Strauss & Co. – one of many world’s oldest and most acknowledged jean manufacturers – just lately joined forces with Pinterest, a social platform the place customers pin posts they wish to their person profiles.

Picture Supply

Individuals typically flip to Pinterest for vogue inspiration, making a co-branding partnership with Levi’s a pure partnership.Styled by Levi’s is a brand new initiative between Pinterest and Levi’s affords a “customized styling expertise,” or type insights tailor-made to every person’s tastes and preferences.

Why the Pinterest Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

The partnership affords an genuine and individualized model relationship, which is troublesome to return by in an more and more digital setting. Pinterest affords Levi’s a number one social platform with thousands and thousands of customers occupied with visible choices, and Levi’s meets these wants with digital personalization and visual-focused boards.

12. BuzzFeed & Finest Associates Animal Society


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Emma Watson + Kittens

Some co-branding campaigns are extra sophisticated than others. This instance from BuzzFeed and Finest Associates Animal Society is likely one of the easiest ones-and it exhibits that an amazing co-branding effort does not must take months of planning or thousands and thousands of {dollars}.

For this marketing campaign, Finest Associates Animal Society wished to leverage BuzzFeed’s readership ofover 200 million folks.

To do that, they partnered with the parents at BuzzFeed to arrange and publish an article known as, “We Interviewed Emma Watson Whereas She Performed With Kittens And It Was Completely Cute,” whichyou possibly can learn right here.

The article is precisely what it appears like: Harry Potter and Magnificence and the Beast star Emma Watson answered followers’ questions whereas she performed with cute kittens.

Picture Supply

Why the Finest Associates Animal Society Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

The article ends with a CTA promoting that the kittens featured within the video are, in reality, adoptable – a win-win for each companions through the use of celeb to garner consideration for clicks whereas offering extra publicity for animals in want of latest houses and donations.

13. CoverGirl & Lucasfilm


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Mild Facet and Darkish Facet Make-up

Every time a brand new installment of the beloved “Star Wars” collection is launched in theaters, it causes world pandemonium. The discharge of “Star Wars: Episode VII The Pressure Awakens” in 2015 was no exception. The collection’ mother or father firm, Lucasfilm, partnered with CoverGirl to seize a broader viewers to get new and previous followers excited concerning the film’s launch.

Picture Supply

You is perhaps questioning, “What do “Star Wars” and make-up have in widespread?” And the cleverness of this partnership is obvious within the reply.

Up to now, space-age motion films had been virtually completely marketed and focused towards males and boys. However at the present time, that is nonsense – as a result of folks of all genders will be occupied with house exploration and make-up contouring alike.

The road was designed by famed make-up artist Pat McGrath, and it options two kinds: the Mild Facet and the Darkish Facet, which loyal “Star Wars” followers will acknowledge as the edges of fine and evil within the films.

Why the Lucasfilm Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

This co-branding partnership was a win for each manufacturers. Lucasfilm captured extra consideration and acquired CoverGirl buyers (a lot of whom are younger girls) excited concerning the movie’s launch. And CoverGirl hopped on the “Star Wars” promoting bandwagon that took over the web, shops, and TV main as much as the movie’s launch.

14. Amazon & American Categorical


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Amazon Enterprise American Categorical Card

Ecommerce large Amazon is aworld enterprise with thousands and thousands of customers and virtually two million companies that promote on their platform. Amazon is trying to enhance the best way small companies promote on their platform, so that they’ve partnered with American Categorical on aco-branded bank card.

Picture Supply

Why the American Categorical Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

The cardboard helped customers purchase items and providers and supply enhanced knowledge insights on their buying exercise. American Categorical and Amazon share a dedication to assist small companies develop within the U.S. and by combining their efforts, the 2 firms had the chance to boost their efficiency whereas constructing model belief.

15. UNICEF & Goal


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Child Energy

If in case you have the possibility to associate for a not-for-profit trigger, it may repay in a number of methods.

Goal partnered with UNICEF on a marketing campaign known asChild Energy, which dedicated Goal to considered one of UNICEF’s sustainable growth targets (SDGs). The retailer bought kid-friendly health trackers encouraging the wearer to finish numerous health actions, which finally helped ship meals packets to underprivileged youngsters worldwide.

Picture Supply

Why the Goal Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

By promoting this enjoyable, cheap health product, Goal encourages youngsters to embrace a wholesome way of life and makes use of children’ successes to produce underserved communities with the mandatory assets. It is an ongoing partnership that generates consciousness of world malnutrition, helps UNICEF meet its demanding SDGs, and opens up Goal to a demographic of households they could in any other case have had entry to.

16. Nike & Apple


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Nike+

Athletic model Nike and know-how large Apple have been working collectivelyfor the reason that early 2000s, when the primary line of iPods was launched.

The co-branding partnership began as a method to convey music from Apple to Nike clients’ exercises utilizing the facility of know-how: Nike+iPod created health trackers, sneakers, and clothes that tracked exercise whereas connecting folks to their tunes.

Picture Supply

The partnership has since developed to develop intoNike+ – which makes use of exercise monitoring know-how constructed into athletic clothes and kit to sync with Apple iPhone apps to trace and file exercise knowledge. Monitoring transmitters will be constructed into sneakers, armbands, and even basketballs to measure time, distance, coronary heart charge, and energy burned.

Why the Apple Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

It is a genius co-branding transfer that helps each events present a greater expertise to clients – and with the recognition of health monitoring know-how, Nike+ is forward of the curve by making it straightforward for athletes to trace whereas they play.

17. Bonne Belle & Dr. Pepper


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Flavored Lip Balm

Dr. Pepper-flavored lip balm. I imply, it is genius.

Picture Supply

Bonne Belle first debuted Lip Smacker, the world’s first flavored lip balm, in 1973, beginning with flavors like strawberry, lemon, and inexperienced apple. Simply two years later in 1975, the model cast its first taste partnership with the timeless Dr. Pepper model. The end result? A lip balm taste that is been well-known for many years amongst teenage women.

In the event you assume the connection between lip balm and Dr. Pepper is a little bit skinny, take into account the copy on considered one of their classic adverts: “It is the tremendous shiny lip gloss with lip-smacking taste… similar to the world’s most unique gentle drink.” And later, “From Bonne Belle after all: the cosmetics firm that understands your style.”

Why the Dr. Pepper Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

When you do not consider taste and cosmetics, this marketing campaign works as a result of overlapping goal demographic shoppers can get excited to attempt an inexpensive and enjoyable product like Dr. Pepper lip gloss with ease.

Most Stunning Model Partnerships

On occasion, we hear a couple of model partnership that we expect does not make any sense – nevertheless it leads to a couple extremely memorable, sudden campaigns. If you wish to broaden your horizons of who it’s best to associate with, try these stunning co-marketing successes.

18. Burger King & McDonald’s


Co-branding Marketing campaign: A Day And not using a Whopper

Sure. You learn that proper: Burger King and McDonald’s – two of the fiercest fast-food business opponents- joined collectively for a co-marketing marketing campaign in 2019. And, whereas we do not encourage competing manufacturers to do that – the marketing campaign was for a tremendous trigger.

On the time, McDonald’s was donating $2 to childhood most cancers charities for each Huge Mac bought. So, Burger King labored with the competing fast-food chain to host “A Day And not using a Whopper.”

For someday, Burger Kings throughout Argentina and different international locations took the Whopper off their menu in an effort to encourage folks to purchase a Huge Mac from McDonald’s as a substitute.

Picture Supply

Why the McDonald’s Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

Though there have beensome criticisms of the marketing campaign, as a result of it confused Burger King clients, it was a tremendous instance of two competing manufacturers that labored collectively to assist a charity. Due to how they partnered up for a superb trigger, audiences cherished the marketing campaign and buzzed about it everywhere in the internet.

19. Warby Parker & Arby’s


Co-branding Marketing campaign: The WArby Assortment

Warby Parker is thought for promoting inexpensive glasses at shops throughout the U.S. and thru almost absolutely digital becoming platforms. Arby’s is a restaurant chain identified for its slogan, “We now have the meat!”

Wanting on the two firms, there’s not a lot that they’ve in widespread. However, this did not cease them from making a co-brandedApril Fools Day marketing campaign in 2018.

For the marketing campaign, the 2 manufacturers performed up the one main factor they’d in widespread –the truth that the phrase “Arby” was a part of each their names.

On April Idiot’s Day, Warby Parker guests might purchase Arby’s themed vogue gadgets, which had been a part of the cleverly-namedWArby Assortment.

In response toNylon, gadgets guests might purchase included a WArby’s T-shirt, baseball cap, and tote bag (which additionally mentioned, “Good To Meat You” on it). They might additionally purchase a pack of sandwich-themed microfiber cloths and glasses with a uncooked beef sample.

Picture Supply

In the meantime, Arby’s supplied meals with bins that had the WArby’s emblem on it in addition to onion rings with a field that learn “Onion Ring Monocle.”

Picture Supply

Why the Arby’s Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

This marketing campaign exhibits that you do not essentially want an identical viewers demographic or a associate in an identical business to create a marketing campaign that catches a big viewers’s consideration. Generally all you want is a humorousness and creativity.

20. Taco Bell & Doritos


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Doritos Locos Tacos

When the Doritos Locos Taco was first launched, it shortly grew to become one of many quick meals business’s hottest and widely known gadgets. Frito-Lay took Taco Bell’s crunchy taco recipe and gave the Locos Taco its particular, signature twist: a Doritos shell. The 2 firms wished to maintain the shell as near the unique tacky chips as attainable, utilizing the unique corn masa recipe and coating it in that particular nacho cheese mud.

Picture Supply

The taco was an instantaneous and explosive success:Taco Bell bought an estimated 1 billion items the primary yr it was launched.

Why the Doritos Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

Taco Bell and Frito Lay marketed the Doritos Locos Taco by wrapping the taco in a basic Doritos bag, reflecting the co-branding partnership and interesting to each manufacturers’ audiences. The Doritos Locos Taco’s extraordinary success is one more instance of why co-branding can increase attain and gross sales for each manufacturers.

21. Tim and Eric & Purple


Co-branding Marketing campaign: Purple Boys

Tim and Eric (a.okay.a.Tim Heidecker andEric Wareheim) are the comedic duo behindGrownup Swim exhibits like Tim and Eric Superior Present, Nice Job!, Verify It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, Tim & Eric’s Bedtime Tales, and Beef Home.

In the meantime,Purple, the corporate and HubSpot buyer identified for the favoredPurple Mattress, typically launches distinctive promoting campaigns which have caught the attention of millennial and Gen-Z demographics.

It is sensible for a corporation to staff up with celebrities who can promote their product, Tim and Eric’s comedic type is extremely random and distinctive. Though they’re fairly hilarious, as a marketer, you would possibly surprise how the sort of comedy type interprets right into a mattress advertising marketing campaign that truly generates income.

When you would possibly assume Tim and Eric had uninteresting down their iconic routine to promote Purple merchandise, that is really fairly removed from the reality. In a video collection known as The Purple Boys, they really amped up their weird antics.

The storyline of Purple Boys episodes typically relate to a sleep-related ache level, such because the “Sunday Scaries.” Though the script and particular results are extremely random, the episodes virtually all the time finish with the Purple Boys supplying a sleep-deprived character with a Purple mattress.

To offer you a visible of what this off-the-wall comedy collection appears like, try this episode that facilities round a sleepy character named Joe Dunder:

Why the Purple Co-branding Marketing campaign Works

Though hiring actors is technically extra of a sponsorship than a partnership, this large-scale marketing campaign advantages each events. Whereas Tim and Eric might unfold consciousness of their comedy to Purple audiences, Tim and Eric followers would possibly watch these movies for leisure and study Purple’s merchandise alongside the best way.

Making a Nice Co-Advertising Marketing campaign

Though you may not have the funds of the manufacturers famous above, you possibly can be aware of them concerning their creativity, stage of storytelling, and the way they pooled their assets to attach their separate manufacturers in a mutually useful manner.

As you seek for the very best co-marketing associate on your model and construct a successful marketing campaign, we hope you discover some inspiration on your subsequent stellar launch.

Editor’s Notice: This text was initially revealed in September 2020 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.

Initially revealed Aug 18, 2022 7:00:00 AM, up to date August 18 2022

Remember to share this submit!