The PR Net Digital Event Recap: The Art of Brand Partnerships

While partnerships have always been powerful marketing tools, in today’s saturated consumer landscape, the right strategic collaboration can help brands both reach and resonate with wider audiences. In our masterclass on the art of brand partnerships, we heard from Eléonore Dethier, Global Head of Partnerships at Sotheby's, and Melanie Altarescu, partnership and integrated marketing consultant (formerly Chief Partnerships Officer at The Wing). They spoke on the ways they define a successful partnership, strategies for creating engaging collabs and much more. 

The takeaways:

• Start by defining the business goals, which could be to generate revenue, increase audience, engage your community, drive earned media, etc. 
• When deciding on your partnership tactics (sponsorships, sweepstakes, etc.), make sure they line up with your goals
• “Searchlight intelligence” - the ability to connect dots between people, ideas, brands, companies, etc. in ways that are not always obvious to others 
• Increase the frequency of serendipitous connections
• Pillars for a successful partnership: 
  • Brand alignment - identify the right partner to protect the brand’s equity 
  • Storytelling - brands curating content for their audiences, inviting them to become part of the culture. Could tie to a cultural moment 
  • Omnichannel - most brand partners are asking for this today. Digital marketing (editorial, social media, newsletters, video content, livestream…), experiential (VIP events, exhibitions) 
  • Global reach - particularly important for luxury sector
  • Shoppable - not a must, but a nice to have. I.e. limited product release, collaborations, merch, etc.
• Idea for KPIs outside of sales/earned metrics: testimonials from event guests or individuals that participated in a campaign
• If a project has political undertones, the brand must be willing to risk potentially isolating certain audience groups in order to stand behind their principles
• Tips for cold emailing:
  • Keep it very short, and include more below your key message so it’s there if they’re interested
  • Check the person/brand’s IG or Google them to make sure the timing is right (i.e. if they just launched something, congratulate them, or if they are mid launch, wait until they’re out of that phase )
  • Make it clear you are interested and invested in the success of the partnership or brand Lead time for partnerships: Three months to one year, on average about six months
• When bringing celebs in for partnerships, it’s smart to bring in someone who specializes in celebrity - someone who is an expert and can negotiate rates, terms, etc.
• When making a case for hiring a role in partnerships, use case studies to demonstrate the business value that these projects bring
• Theme: Make sure you work with a brand that makes sense. Create an organic partnership that doesn't feel commercial, avoiding brand dilution
• Every brand has something to offer another brand. Figure out what you can offer, and go to a potential partner with that - not with what they can do for you. Make sure you show interest in their goals, timing, etc. The partnership should be mutually beneficial