Partner power: Brand collabs and promotional prize ideas to get noticed

By Jayne Schneider

In today’s crowded digital landscape, brands are always on the lookout for ways to capture attention. One powerful approach? Strategic digital brand collaborations. These partnerships opens in new window between two or more companies or brands leverage one another’s unique strengths, resources and creativity, offering something new and valuable for their audiences. Let’s explore four brand collaboration possibilities and promotional prize ideas to help your digital marketing stand out.

Influencers

Influencer marketing has become a go-to strategy for brands looking to get in front of new and larger audiences. Research influencers who might be right for your brand. The best partnerships feel authentic opens in new window, are aligned in values and goals, and drive real engagement.

Have an influencer run your Instagram^® account for a day, sharing lifestyle content with occasional mentions of your products or services. They can host a live Q&A or trivia game as the grand finale. Provide them with a branded hoodie or a bucket hat to wear, and send along some extras to give to those who engage. Or create promotional gift boxes—filled with fun branded items like sunglasses and slap bracelets—for lucky winners.

Brand ambassadors

While an influencer collaboration is typically short term, brand ambassadors are often existing customers who become long-term advocates. It’s a more authentic relationship, given their passion for the brand existed before the collaboration. Give your ambassador early access to new products or sales and share their reactions. Promote the product’s release date and offer social media giveaways, like tech bags or can coolers, with every advance order.

Invite your ambassador to guest blog on your website. Ask them to rank five favorite products, review a shopping experience or interview employees. Each post should end with a call to action, encouraging readers to submit questions, post ideas or submit their own stories. When readers engage, show appreciation by sending them product samples, phone wallets or bandanas.

Charities or causes

A collaboration with a local charity or cause could benefit your organization and the greater good. Choosing a cause that resonates with your audience can attract attention for both parties. And with many nonprofits running on tight budgets, this attention could be of great help to a partner’s mission.

Start a buy-one, give-one campaign where, for every product or service purchased, your business donates to a cause. A restaurant might partner with a food pantry, or an outdoors retailer may collaborate with an environmental organization. Promote the campaign on your social channels and let friends and followers know for every purchase of a specific product, an online retailer, for instance, might send a plush blanket to a local shelter. Or that with every order over a certain dollar amount comes a co-branded tote bag or apron. When shipping each product, include a stress reliever as a thank-you.

Other companies or brands

Any like-minded organizations can collaborate. Together the brands create an opportunity opens in new window to increase visibility and expand market reach through the cross-pollination of audiences, extra media attention and social media amplification. And by harnessing creative digital marketing giveaway ideas, the sky is the limit.

Two partners can create a limited edition co-branded product—anything from a dish or beverage to a bundle of services. For example, a coffee shop and health food store might team up to create a nutritional smoothie. Both brands could promote the offering through email blasts, social media and signage. At launch, customers who share a post about the smoothie could receive a ceramic mug or acrylic cup and an exclusive discount. Each business could invite customers to sign up for emails to hear about future collaborations—and when they give one a try, they score swag like stickers or magnet clips.

Collaboration can take digital marketing to the next level

An authentic partnership can get real results. Whether your brand teams with an influencer, ambassador, charity or other like-minded organization, new audiences and great opportunities await. And with a few creative promotional prize ideas sprinkled in, the possibilities are endless.

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