Brand values. Maria Dowling explores the importance of building partnerships

Partnering with relevant brands is key to attracting new clients.

Few weeks ago, we did a brand collaboration for the very first time. Mother’s Day was coming up and we wanted to offer something a bit more than classic grooming products as gifts. So, we decided to partner up with a new online floristry brand where we could offer a bouquet of flowers alongside mariadowling goodies. What we learned from this is that collaborations do work; we instantly saw more followers on social media, more engagement and new clients through the door.

Research has shown that 80 per cent of businesses recognise that finding new clients is one of their biggest challenges. The majority of us are on limited budgets, and this is what drives savvy brands to explore marketing collaborations as a cost-effective way to boost business.

Here are my top tips on how to make these collaborations work:

Work out the strategy

What do you want to achieve? Like with all effective marketing campaigns, knowing your objectives will allow you to be clear about what activities you want to do with a potential partnership. 

Fit with the brand philosophy If you’re looking at specific brands, ask yourself, “do they fit with our brand identity?” The best collaborations are when brands genuinely work well together – they have a common identity, brand values or tone of voice. 

Put yourself in your client’s shoes It’s vital to think like a client when you’re making any marketing decision. Identifying all the brands that your client interacts with will give you a long list of brands that you can collaborate with. Which brands does your client base buy and interact with? Which brands do they aspire to? Which ones complement your brand? These questions have to be asked if you want to ultimately meet more clients like the ones you already have. 

Cash isn’t always the best

An exchange of cash isn’t always the best practice. Even if you’re small, you might have something of value that you can offer potential partners. While there’s always space for paid-for sponsorship deals, once you know who you want to reach, it’s better to build a relationship on mutual benefit rather than cash exchanges. 

Nurture the relationship

Building a strong relationship with your partners isn’t just about a one-time collaboration. You should be looking at the bigger picture. Be prepared to invest time in creating a strong relationship with your brand partner, and be open and honest about your objectives upfront. Spreading your campaign across email, ads, print and social media will give you a much better return on investment.

Maria Dowling is creative director at mariadowling salon and has been a colourist for more than 20 years. For more information call: +971 4 345 4225