X Marks The Rot
Over the last few months I’ve been reflecting on collaborations - those brand or personality tie-ups which deliver ‘synergy’ and ‘unleash new value’ and access to customers and, I’ve come to the conclusion that they are ultimately damaging. Sometimes to both parties but nearly always to one.
There was a time when news of a brand collaboration was exciting especially when it was a creative force collaborating with a brand on a collection. They worked because of a genuine desire on behalf of the creative to work with an entity they had long admired - and vice versa.
But then it all went wrong. It became too transactional and the forced fit between “Old X New”, “Trad X Digital”, “Couture X Streetwear”, “Lux X Economy” became derivative.
You can smell the desperation a mile off. The larger brand desperate to gain a scintilla of traction with a new audience and the smaller brand hoping to benefit from the star power of its more established host.
The fact that it worked for some brands (I’ve purposefully avoided giving examples - take a few minutes to reflect on the successes and failures yourself) made it very enticing for others.
Brand and product teams get addicted to the heady appeal of partnership so much so that their own roadmap quickly falls under the control of external parties in all but name. For some brands, premium alcohol brands are ripe for this, it becomes an addiction.
And that, I would argue, is the problem. Quick boosts to profile and even the bottom line come at the expense of building both in a sustainably manner.
Get it wrong and you are helping build someone else’s brand and / or subsidizing their marketing activation at the expense of yours.
Are all collaborations wrong ? No, of course not, but they should be the exception and not the rule.
That “X” should be used sparingly and more of your effort spent on building equity and awareness on intrinsic merits and not from a superficial shadow of a halo lent by another.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Izatt is a brand consultant living in London and founder of Mission Critical, a highly focused and curated weekly briefing for time-poor and information-hungry decision-makers.
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