Nothing excites people quite as much as two of their favourite brands coming together to create something new and exclusive. However, creating effective brand collaborations is a lot easier said than done. The trick, of course, is to create brand collaborations that will get traction with the press but also get people talking about a topic, long after the original story appears.
Recently, we did exactly this with an event we created for two clients: Everyone Active (one of the UK’s largest Leisure centre operators) and MoreYoga (London’s biggest boutique yoga brand).
We called the event Ascent & Asana and ran it during Mental Health Awareness Week. It was centred on mindfulness and exercise to aid mental wellbeing. This is important, as this was the press hook – a topic we knew press and consumers were interested in.
But a press hook is not enough. Successful brand collaborations need to align with the vision of the clients and be interesting to consumers. When done well, the impact can be significant.
Here are three reasons our recent collaboration was a success…
Missions Aligned
We decided to align two exercise mediums that both invoke mindfulness: climbing and yoga. As each respective client offers these workout options, the brand synergy was immediate. Both brands agreed to offer these sessions with their experts, free of charge, therefore there was no barrier to entry for the consumer and brand awareness would increase.
Spokesperson with synergy
The next step in creating a PR event that is memorable and impactful is to add a personal touch. For Ascent & Asana, we asked British mountaineer and the youngest person to have climbed Everest and reach the North Pole, Bonita Norris to host the event. Bonita’s journey from a young woman with an eating disorder to a skilled mountaineer provided the perfect backdrop for talking to the attendees about why mental health and exercise are so important to one another.
Adding value
Bonita’s presence at the event added a whole new dimension to the collaboration. Not only was her talk heartfelt and insightful but also inspiring. Bonita’s organic interest in climbing and yoga encouraged attendees to try both elements of the event with gusto. After trialing both workouts and hearing from Bonita, all attendees were then given vouchers to attend more classes with each respective brand, as well as images from the official event photographer, to share on social media.
The event’s success was palpable, with another one planned to run in next few weeks due to popular demand. Both brands saw the return on investment for their time and consumers gave positive feedback.
To hear more about the next Ascent & Asana event, which is scheduled for the 6th June – please email events@actionpr.co.uk