A guide to cross-brand joint marketing!

When a cultural symbol is unable to interpret a lifestyle or reproduce a comprehensive consumer experience, several cultural symbols need to be combined to interpret and reproduce, and the carriers of these cultural symbols are different brands.

The recent UNIQLO x KAWS co-branded T-shirts were snapped up by the public; the NetEase Cloud Music x Sanqiang co-branded underwear set off a social network storm; 999 Cold Relief's "tube top long johns" became a hit in the fashion circle...Nowadays, everything can be crossed and everything can be connected.

2019 can be called a carnival year for cross-border collaborations. “It’s okay, just cross borders and collaborate” has become the catchphrase of many brands. From real estate and cars to shoes, bags, lipsticks and beverages, as long as a co-branded label is attached, it will always create a craze.

Quoted from "Baidu Encyclopedia", cross-border means moving from a thing of one attribute to an operation of another attribute. The subject remains unchanged, but the classification of the attribute of the thing changes. Joint signature means that many people sign together.

In the economic market, it can be directly understood as the core positioning and spiritual core of the brand remain unchanged. As the market, competition, and target consumer groups change, it integrates its own resources, breaks the boundaries of physical properties, and combines certain characteristics with other seemingly unrelated resources.

For example, those who originally made music suddenly started selling underwear; those who originally made candies suddenly started selling perfume; those who originally sold skin medicine suddenly started selling lipstick...

When a cultural symbol is unable to interpret a lifestyle or reproduce a comprehensive consumer experience, several cultural symbols need to be combined to interpret and reproduce, and the carriers of these cultural symbols are different brands.

——Excerpt from “Cross-border Marketing” Baidu Encyclopedia

Therefore, no matter whether it is a big brand or a small brand, an old brand or a new brand, they are all extremely keen on cross-border collaborations and are doing very well.

Where is the magic of cross-border?

(1) Achieve a win-win situation of 1+1≥2

Good cross-border cooperation can fully integrate the resources of both parties, including channels, users, popularity, image, values, etc., superimpose brand effects, form an overall brand impression, and generate more powerful brand associations.

(2) Transform its own image and inject fresh vitality into the brand.

Cross-border cooperation brings about mutual penetration and integration between industries, and mutual reflection and interpretation between brands.

The series of new products, new packaging and new ways of playing derived from cross-border business can break the single and old-fashioned brand image, provide consumers with a sense of freshness, and give the brand the opportunity to become younger. For example: Want Want, a brand that sells snacks such as snow cakes, milk, and candies, has launched small steamed bun sofas, Want Want family badges, Want Want soft pinches, pillows... and other cross-border products are booming!

"Want Want", a national time-honored brand with a 40-year development history, has been impacted in the era of big IP. It has used a series of cross-border joint ventures to launch new products, new packaging, and new peripherals, gradually getting out of the "mid-life crisis" and winning back the hearts of young people.

(3) Cater to trends and create hot topics

Today, "cross-border collaboration" and "national trend" have become two "Internet celebrities" in the marketing industry. They are at the forefront of the Internet and are widely welcomed by consumer groups, especially young people.

Cross-border marketing, which already has its own traffic and popularity, coupled with various "unexpected" brand CP combinations, creates a huge contrast that brings a refreshing and surprising experience to the audience, and it also creates a lot of buzz.

The music-making NetEase Cloud APP teamed up with the domestic brand Three Guns to create a series of "music underwear". The silly advertising combination is like a clear crossover.

Regarding this unexpected joint operation, netizens have expressed that it is addictive, magical, hardcore, excellent, and they love it... Once it was launched, it triggered heated discussions across the entire network. The two very different brands were put together, the picture was too beautiful, and topics naturally followed.

But in fact, successful cross-border campaigns are a minority, and the majority fail to make any splash. Some even fail miserably, such as the cross-border marketing between Samsung and the trendy brand Supreme at the end of last year, and the collaboration between Durex and Heytea in April.

Who should I look for to cross this line? How to cross?

1. Brand x Non-competing Brand

That is, cooperation between brands. There is no competitive relationship between the two parties, and they are often in different fields and industries. It is a currently popular cross-border method.

Take the complementary or common characteristics of the two, conduct a visual integration, and develop new products, new functions, new images... It can be a cross-border of a single element, or it can be an all-round and multi-level in-depth combination.

According to the focus of brand cross-border cooperation, it can be divided into four major levels:

(1) Product function level

Select single or multiple elements from product usage, raw materials, smell, color, and packaging, penetrate and integrate each other, break the boundaries of the original product in terms of vision, taste, hearing or physical properties, and derive new combination products.

Example 1: The "RIO Hero Ink Cocktail" gift box jointly launched by RIOx Hero takes the "blue and black" color elements of Hero Ink, makes the wine look like ink, and with the packaging and text explanation, the whole product creates a new experience of "drinking ink" for consumers.

Example 2: Want Want and Nayuki’s Tea have teamed up to create the "Want Want Treasure Tea", which contains Want Want’s extra thick milk jelly and Want Want’s black and white foam; there is also a "Want Want QQ Cheese Cup", which contains Want Want’s extra thick milk jelly and Want Want’s exploding QQ candy.

This cross-border collaboration utilizes the materials and flavors of the product itself, integrating them in terms of taste and flavor to form a brand new "Wangzaiwei Naixue".

(2) Marketing communication level

It can also be said to be cross-border at the channel level, where brands use the online platform or offline store resources of their partners to open up channels and direct traffic.

Example 1: Cross-border cooperation in online channels. On Double 11, e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and JD.com joined hands with many brands to launch "Cat Head Co-branded Posters" and "Good Products Co-branded Posters", giving full play to their respective channel advantages: the platforms provide sufficient publicity for the brands, and the brands bring traffic to the platforms.

Example 2: Cross-border cooperation in offline channels. NetEase Cloud Music and Watsons carried out a cross-border cooperation last year. Not only did they jointly release six music makeup products, they also shared member big data, achieved channel interaction with 3,300 Watsons stores, and shared traffic, IP popularity, and brand culture.

This cross-border approach of online and offline channels fully realizes a win-win situation for brands, derives new consumption scenarios and brings in new traffic.

(3) Product logo level

A brand signs or prints its external, concrete things, including brand names, logos, icons, logo characters and other explicit elements, on another brand, which is called joint cooperation. This is one of the most common cross-border models.

For example, the co-branded denim clothing launched by Durex and the national trend brand VIXX last year has the brand name "durex" logo printed all over the clothing, bringing a strong visual impact.

The above are several ways to play cross-border collaborations between brands and non-competing brands. Only by finding like-minded partners based on their own products, people, culture and other attributes can the cross-border effect be brought into play to its best.

1. Brand x Individual

The individuals here refer to those who have a certain fan base, fame in the field, or influence, including celebrities, internet celebrities, designers, painters, writers, etc.

With the prevalence of fan economy, celebrities who bring their own traffic have become popular targets for cross-border brand cooperation. When two parties collaborate to launch a joint product, both parties must participate in the design of the finished brand product, rather than simply signing their names and borrowing popularity.

Once the gimmick of "made by a celebrity or top designer" is used, the powerful fan effect will come into play, and add a "limited edition" and it will inevitably become a hit.

Example 1: Brand x Celebrity

Kris Wu teamed up with makeup brand Maybelline to design a New York limited edition light cushion BB. The elements of modern buildings, microphones, basketballs and red lips represent fashion, music, movement and makeup respectively; they perfectly highlight the personality and trendy image of both parties.

By adding Wu Yifan's own silhouette and signature to the works, a powerful celebrity effect is exerted, which firmly captures the fans' love for the idol and their admiration and following of him, turning their support for their idol into motivation to buy more.

The basis of this model is the powerful fan base of celebrities, who often have amazing spending power, as well as the strong appeal and influence of celebrities on the market.

Example 2: Brand x Designer

In June this year, Uniqlo teamed up with New York contemporary art master KAWS to launch a co-branded UT series, which was snapped up and the situation was out of control several times.

Graffiti, founding of trendy brands, and creation of sculpture dolls have earned KAWS enough popularity and fame in the fashion circle. The artist's personal charm and unique style have made the collaboration a hot topic. In addition, this will be the "last time to collaborate with Uniqlo", so how can there not be a rush to buy it?

1. Brand x Popular IP

IP, or intellectual property, includes various intellectual creations such as inventions, designs, literary and artistic works. Marvel, One Piece, Naruto, Journey to the West, Disney, Forbidden City, Peppa Pig, Honor of Kings, Blizzard... Behind these popular super IPs, there is huge commercial value.

Through various forms such as IP authorization, content co-creation, and promotion linkage, brands can intersect with them, open up the IP resource chain, explore common value points, reach different scenarios and audiences, and leverage IP's native fans.

For example, "Love and Producer", which was once popular all over the country, as a game IP, has crossed over with brands such as KFC, Mosilian, and Lux. Tengjiao Beef Noodles has even developed in-depth collaboration with the producer.

Not only are the game character portraits printed on the packaging, but the copy also contains double entendres. What makes you excited is not only the handsome guys, but also Teng Jiao's spicy and exciting love. By leveraging the distinctive game IP, both game players and three-dimensional consumers can be impressed.

1. Brand self-break

There is also another kind of cross-border cooperation, which does not involve any level of cooperation, but breaks one's own boundaries.

From the original, fixed field, entering into an unrelated alternative field alone, that is, crossing the entire brand/product line and extending things with different attributes.

It is better to enjoy happiness alone than to share it with others. The biggest difference between it and the three types of cross-border marketing: brand x brand, brand x individual, and brand x IP, is that it is played alone. This can avoid choosing the wrong target and causing failure on the spot; there is also no need to worry about whether the brand values, target audiences, channels, etc. of both parties are well matched.

The aforementioned Wangzai small steamed bun sofa, Wangzai family emblem, Wangzai soft and kneading series of peripheral products, as well as the autumn trousers launched by 999 Cold Relief at the beginning of the year, are successful works of the brand's self-breakthrough.

Summarize

The prevalence of cross-border joint marketing proves that it has great power and many brands love it. However, if you want to get a share of the cross-border pie, you need to have unique insights, keep up with the trend, aim at the landing point, and find the best partners to achieve a win-win situation.

Author: Strawberry

Source: Caomeishuoshi