HOW TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL MARKETING PARTNERSHIP
Marketing partnerships are a great way to bring your product to life through a likeminded partner, or business with the same or similar business goals to you. To create a marketing partnership and collaboration, several steps need to be taken to get it off the ground and on the right track. Missing out a step or failing to think of detail could be detrimental to the success of the activation and no one wants that! Throughout this How to create a successful marketing partnership blog post, I will link back to an existing collaboration I have been involved in since Autumn 2022, on behalf of my client hotel Beachcroft Hotel, in partnership with two Sussex businesses Marmalade MTB & Beach Littlehampton. We are now in post launch phase, and its satisfying to see our hard work out in the marketplace, being warmly received by trade and customers. Today’s blog also acts as a guideline for small to medium sized businesses looking to implement marketing partnership and collaboration in their business.
1) IDENTIFY THE BUSINESS NEED
The trends are telling us consumers are looking for wellness, transformational type experiences, as well as nurturing experiences that are sustainable. Coupled with a forecasted increase in overseas travel and cost of living crisis, we identified the need to create demand from a new demographic. Bingo! Let’s try something new and create a retreat style activity break joint venture marketing partnership.
2) ESTABLISH THE TARGET CUSTOMER
Our ideal customer: Active, novice to experienced retreater, looking to try something new. Likes sea swimming, the water, cycling. Is perhaps a city or urban dweller, with limited access to the outdoors. Looking for ease, quality accommodation, organised activity with like minded people.
3) RESEARCH POTENTIAL PARTNERS
Working with local tourism authority, the team from Experience West Sussex providing us with insights from our tourism businesses in the area and offering introductions on our behalf. I garner a list of local activity-based businesses within a 30 minute drive vicinity of my client.
4) CONNECT & BUILD RAPPORT WITH PARTNER
Outreach to the new partner could be any of the following; from sending an email, arranging a time for a telephone call or online meeting to present the idea and talk it through. This is a good opportunity to build rapport, understand each others business needs and wants, and see if there’s is a fit and appetite to continue, if so - set a date in the diary to meet in person.
5) IN PERSON MARKETING PARTNERSHIP MEETING
In this Shore to South Downs active break case study, the two partners are Marmalade MTB and Beach Littlehampton. So we embarked on an exploratory meeting, following a tour of the property and meeting we identified a shared goal and a strategy of how we could see this working together. We left with many notes, and excitement of working together.
6) AGREE COLLABORATION & METRIC IN WRITING
Following on from the face to face, formally agreeing all elements in writing is a must. For some small to medium sized business this is more than likely over email or in a shared document. For a larger company this would be done via a contract. Its important all details - contributions, metrics, budget, terms, common goal are formalised here before moving to the next step!
7) CREATE A VISUAL PLAN AND DELEGATE RESPONSIBILITIES
I am a big fan of Trello. So every time I set up a partnership all my notes go onto a Trello board and the relevant people in the partnership are invited to my Trello board and are assigned tasks! Saying that, some people often prefer a google doc and that works pretty well too.
8) PRE-LAUNCH AGREEMENT & SIGN OFF
Prior to launch, its imperative all partners are happy with the marketing assets including copy writing, images, video content, press release, web pages. All parties to sign off detail before going live. It is advised that a group virtual meetings is undertaken at this stage to run through all detail again and discuss any other business and scenario planning.
9) LAUNCH MARKETING PARTNERSHIP JOINT VENTURE
The day has arrived to press SEND, POST, TURN LIVE, share with travel partners. Shout it from the rooftops and wait for the phone to ring. Exciting times!! the collaboration in question is the below Shore to South Downs active break.
10) POST LAUNCH - ONGOING CORRESPONDENCE AND EVALUATION
Number of enquiries, bookings, questions, updates, further information, new opportunities, promotional opportunities through existing partners. Once the launch is out it is imperative to stay focussed on the marketing plan and sales of the package.
CONCLUSION
There are so many things to consider before diving into a joint venture marketing partnership and collaboration. The key thing is to identify your need and then find a relevant and likeminded business with the same need and business goals, creating rapport and setting boundaries. Develop, ‘how to’ strategy and assign roles, then go for it. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Always be respectful and courteous when working with partners, they are not colleagues and this is a mutually beneficial exercise. Always evaluate and amend as you go, Rome wasn’t built in a day and things can easily be tweaked along the way with new learnings and insight. Best of luck!
If this rings true to you and you think you could benefit from a power hour session to discuss how you can get your marketing partnership idea off the ground, or indeed like help on setting up and managing a marketing partnership on your behalf, please get in touch. I am taking on new projects from March 2023 onwards.
““I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” ”
