In the constantly shifting landscape of brand marketing, unconventional partnerships have proven to be a winning strategy.
Today’s media-savvy consumers, particularly the ever-elusive Gen Z, are seeking novelty and excitement, prompting brands to innovate in unexpected and creative ways. Here we share some essential advice on how to forge a successful brand partnership and round up some of the most effective collaborations that MN2S has worked on.
1. Stay authentic and true to your ethos
For a brand partnership to be successful, both brand and talent need to stay true to their core principles. Today’s consumers can easily sniff out a fake, and when they catch a brand out for being inauthentic, they’re likely to shout about it on social media. Success is all about displaying your true colours to your core audience, and those who you’re seeking to capture with your partnership. You may be working with an influencer that’s outside of your typical wheelhouse as a brand, but this doesn’t mean you should alter your fundamental message. A brand’s ethos takes years to build and the best way to protect it is by remaining authentic.
2. Redefine what a “win” means to you
Every marketing department uses metrics and KPIs to define what a successful campaign means to them. However, these can often limit your perspective, and it’s important to take a holistic viewpoint when attempting to discern whether a brand partnership has truly been successful. Conventional, tried-and-tested metrics of success may be less relevant to your overall goals than you think – consider a scenario where your brand is partnering with an influencer that appeals to a new audience base or demographic. This may not immediately result in a direct boost in sales, and could be judged as a failure as a result – however, collaborations like these can do wonders for audience reach and brand awareness, indicators that can help you amplify your sales figures down the line. It’s always important to think of the bigger picture and the positive effect such a partnership can bring to the image of your overall brand long term and not just the product you are trying to push.
3. Keep an eye on the competition
The brand partnerships landscape is constantly evolving, and in order to stay ahead of the game, you’ll need to pay close attention. As consumer preferences shift and the market becomes increasingly saturated, understanding the latest trends and successful collaborations can offer valuable insights into what resonates with audiences. Staying aware of the brand partnerships stealing the spotlight at any given time allows brands to identify potential opportunities for collaboration and take inspiration from strategies that have been proven to work. By learning from the successes and failures of other partnerships, brands can ensuring they remain relevant and continue to forge impactful connections with consumers.
15 examples of successful MN2S brand partnerships…
1. Cheyenne Parker and Skims
SKIMS, an American clothing brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian, emphasizes body positivity and inclusivity, offering a wide range of clothing for plus size individuals. Basketball player Cheyenne Parker was linked up with SKIMS by MN2S for a campaign centred around their Fits Everybody and Cotton collections, allowing SKIMS to tap into an audience that directly aligned with their brand’s ethos.
2. Forrest Galante and AG1
YouTuber and biologist Forrest Galante was teamed up with AG1 (formerly known as Athletic Greens) by MN2S for a sponsored video post that reached thousands of potential consumers. AG1 sponsored a video from Forrest on 6 Animals That Are About To Go Extinct, giving his fans the opportunity to snag a free welcome kit with their first purchase of AG1’s supplement drink. AG1’s partnership with Forrest was a no-brainer; as a wildlife biologist and adventurer, his audience are health-conscious and modern consumers that align perfectly with AG1’s target demographic.
3. Jeff Stelling and FSCS
Media personality Jeff Stelling was partnered with FSCS, a financial services organisation, to help spread the word about its latest consumer awareness campaign. Hoping to encourage 40-75-year-old men across the UK to ensure their pensions are protected, the campaign was an ideal fit for Stelling, who will be well-known to this age group in Britain. Sharing two posts to his Twitter/X account, Stelling reached thousands through this highly effective brand partnership.
4. Erin Lim and Philips Sonicare
Media personality Erin Lim teamed up with Philips Sonicare to show audiences how the Sonicare 4100 can help them perfect their oral health routine; taking part in an interview with much-hyped comedian Jenny slate on wellness platform Well+Good, Lim created an engaging and entertaining piece of content that is likely to capture new audiences and significantly drive brand awareness for Philips. Win-win!
5. Gabriel Macht and Laverne
Best known for his scene-stealing performances in USA drama Suits, Gabriel Macht is an actor beloved by international audiences. Lending his gravitas and authority to Saudi fragrance brand Laverne, Macht appeared in an ad promoting Laverne’s luxury fragrance La’dor Bakhur.
6. Soukeyna Diouf and Boss
Model and activist, SouKeyna Diouf is an inspirational figure that made a perfect match for a partnership with fashion brand BOSS earlier this year. Featuring in a widely-shared TikTok post and several Instagram stories modelling garments from BOSS’s latest capsule collection, SouKeyna helped to spread BOSS’ empowering ‘BeYourOwnBoss’ hashtag across social media while showing off the brand’s luxury garments to new audiences.
7. Jake Cohen and Visit Miami
MN2S partnered chef, author and food critic Jake Cohen with Visit Miami, Miami’s tourism program, to invite the world to experience Greater Miami and Miami Beach’s red-hot culinary scene. As a noted figure in the American food scene, Jake was an ideal fit for Visit Miami’s campaign, and his Instagram post spotlighting the phenomenal diversity of restaurants and street food Miami has to offer was the icing on the cake of another successful brand partnership.
8. Ian Holloway and Puma
MN2S partnered football legend Ian Holloway with sports giant Puma for a new campaign aimed at raising awareness around the groundbreaking Rainbow Ball initiative. Ian Holloway was asked to appear in an Instagram reel in support of the Rainbow Ball initiative which was shared on Puma UK’s channel on February 15. Captioned “a special initiative needs a special team talk”, the video features Holloway delivering a rousing talk to his team, urging them to score as many goals as they possibly can to raise funds for Fans for Diversity and the Rainbow Ball project.
9. Harry Redknapp and Specsavers
As one of the most famous figures in football, Harry Redknapp was an excellent fit for a brand partnership with the UK’s leading opticians, who required some serious star power for their football-focused campaign. As part of the campaign, Redknapp appeared in a web series that delighted football fans by following his efforts to revive a struggling football club, the “worst team” in football.
10. Vinnie Jones and World of Tanks
Vinnie Jones was partnered with Wargaming to promote World of Tanks, a massively multiplayer online action game based around virtual tank warfare. Lending some of his tough-guy persona to WoT’s Christmas-themed event, Holiday Ops, Jones racked up thousands of likes on social media posts advertising this virally popular game.
11. David Chang and Expedia
Chef, restaurateur, author, television personality and Momofuku founder David Chang was linked up with travel brand Expedia for a short-form series to be hosted across the brand’s magazine and social channels. As one of the US’s most respected culinary figures, Chang was the right choice for a brand looking to tap into a vibrant, youthful audience of food-loving adventurers.
11. KathleenLights and Essence Makeup
Never underestimate the power of the influencer. As one of YouTube’s most popular beauty influencers, KathleenLights has over 4m subscribers; MN2S partnered her with Essence Makeup to spread the word about their high-quality, affordable range of makeup, and the results were nothing short of sensational, the video reaching almost 100,000 potential consumers in just a few weeks time.
12. Chuck Norris and Deleks
Humour is one of the most powerful tools in any marketer’s arsenal. That’s exactly what made this brand partnership, between Deleks and Chuck Norris, stand out. The legendary tough guy appeared in a tongue-in-cheek ad for Delek’s M100SE mini excavator, urging viewers to “choose DELEKS to be just like me, Chuck Norris” and giving us all a chuckle in the process.
13. Kaycee Stroh and Microsoft
Appearing in a video ad titled Bust A Move Back To School, American actress Kaycee Stroh performed in a choreographed routine with educators and students, helping to create a wholesome commercial for Microsoft Education that celebrated the nation’s return to school following the summer.
14. Shannon Purser and McCain Foods
Shannon Purser is best known as the beloved Barb in Stranger Things. This character has inspired several brand partnerships for Purser, perhaps most memorably this link-up with McCain Foods for National French Fry Day. Referencing the viral #Bringbackbarb hashtag, Shannon helped McCain raise crucial awareness around their effort to promote regenerative agriculture, writing: “Earth loses acres of healthy soil to erosion every second, so McCain is changing the way it grows potatoes, using regenerative agriculture to bring healthy soil back to our planet. Because together, we can bring back anything. Even me!”
15. Gordon Ramsay and Borealis Foods
We’ve saved the best till last with this brand partnership, which saw global culinary superstar Gordon Ramsay teamed up with Borealis Foods. Joining Borealis as a strategic partner and brand ambassador, Gordon was enlisted to assist the brand in building momentum around their mission to help consumers access nutritious, high-protein meals at an affordable price point. For a food company like Borealis, there’s no-one better to support their cause.