Vanilla Ice Was Right All Along
Vanilla Ice was up to something when he wrote ‘Ice-Ice Baby’. In this classic song from the 90’s he spits out “All right, stop, collaborate and listen”. So simple, yet so many people fail to understand this concept. In today’s digital age brand awareness is everything. If you’re a brand with 5,000 followers on Instagram and collaborate with an influencer who has 50,000 followers, your brand is now reaching 55,000 followers. You now have unlocked access to a whole new audience set that you wouldn’t have before.
Collaborations aren’t just between brands and influencers but can also be between brands and brands. This is called co-branding and can be a great way to build new business, garner higher awareness and break into new markets. However your co-branding venture has to make sense for both brands and for your audience as well. They need to see the value in this joint venture. An example of a successful co-branding partnership that happened this past year was between CoverGirl and Lucasfilm. Their campaign name was: Light Side and Dark Side Makeup. This partnership was a win because Star Wars aka Lucasfilm was able to capture a new audience of young women and target this new demographic to see their new film The Force Awakens. Star Wars is typically advertised towards boys so this was a smart way for Lucasfilm to capitalize on a new market such as makeup which has typically been targeted at women. Everyone wins.
Remember the words of Vanilla Ice before your next brainstorm, STOP (hold the pause button on your brand and figure out what is missing. Are you in need of a new audience, growth etc) COLLABORATE (once you’ve figured out your needs, collaborate with another brand or influencer that makes sense for the both of you) LISTEN (listen to your audience and see how they’re reacting to this new collaboration / the new audience you might've have snagged along the way.) Always ask questions and keep your viewers engaged!
Check out our FREE Branding Guide for tips and tricks to help you get started! http://www.flourishmediaconference.com/branding-guide/
