This week many of us others in Aotearoa enjoyed Labour Day by taking the day off and not doing very much at all.
Some of us planted our summer vegges, some of us stayed in bed and some of us did some DIY shudder.
Lemonface Design did some of the above too, but we also made some special deliveries to some special people as part of what we call ‘Lemonface Day’ the one special day each year where we give thanks to our clients for the work they have given us and the trust they place in us to give their brand the love it deserves. It shows we care, it shows we’re thankful, and it shows we appreciate the mutual bond we have for each other. And we produce and deliver a gift as a token of our appreciation. This year we also included our social media followers – our growing army of enthusiastic foot soldiers who engage with us and add such great value to what we do. If you received a gift from us, you sooooo deserved it!
So, what’s this got to do with brand collaborations? Labourface Day 2021 had everything to do with brand collaborations. Let me explain.
But first, a question –
What is the purpose of a brand collaboration?
Collaborations bring brands together to help them reach new audiences, offer something new to their customers, and enhance the perception of their brand. For a successful collab, the two brands need to align so it seems natural and exciting to see them together. So, this magical thing happened.
We got together with Lemon Fellows who are a boutique family business (just down the road from us) that combine traditional Italian Limoncello recipes and methods with the best of fresh New Zealand produce (plus a touch of cheekiness) to craft the finest citrus liqueurs available. Lemonfellows have four simple rules—
Keep it local
Keep it sustainable,
Keep it fresh
Have fun!
They look a bit like us, they think a lot like us, so it seemed only natural to join forces and collaborate on these packages of joy by creating something special for special people.
If you’re thinking a brand collaboration would benefit your business, then here are a few tips for you to take on board:
Align your target audience
The key to building a solid brand collab is to work with companies that have a similar target audience or customer segments. If your customers don’t care for your partner’s products and their audience doesn’t care for yours, you’ll both see disappointing results on joint campaigns.
Create a social media campaign that resonates mutually with your followers
Get yours and their social media followers on board from the get-go. Get them engaged and create something that is fun to participate in, offers an incentive and is never dull. We chose alcohol as a trigger point, but you don’t have to!
Do your homework
Get to know your brand partner inside and out and teach them everything about yours.
Establish expectations
Before you agree to work with another company, sit down and clearly explain what you hope to achieve by joining forces. Encourage the other party to do the same. If you get this step out of the way early, you’ll have more time to focus on your marketing campaigns.
Keep track of your progress
Keep a close eye on the progress of your partnerships. Has engagement increased? Are you gaining new followers? Have you picked up new leads / new jobs? By tracking the progress of your partnerships, you can make informed decisions about extending agreements and the direction of future campaigns.
When the right people get together great things can happen. We enjoyed putting our Labourface 2021 campaign so, so much. We hope you enjoyed it too. See you next month.
