How Joining Forces With Likeminded Collaborators Can Unlock New Possibilities for Small Businesses

Get more bang for your marketing buck by making it a joint effort.

Co-marketing – joining forces with likeminded, non-competitive businesses to promote both partners for reciprocal benefits – can drive revenue and customer engagement. Here are three different ways of partnering with other brands.

Find an online matchmaker

Jessica Ruhfus, the Australian founder of subscription-based Collabosaurus – an online “matchmaking” app that lists about 9000 brands primed to form businessboosting partnerships – says brand collaborations are up to 25 times less expensive than digital advertising. “Ninety per cent of collaborations on Collabosaurus don’t involve cash exchange. Brands might do something creative together and then cross-promote to each other’s audiences.” She cites a collaboration between South Australia’s Zema Estate Wines and illustrator and pattern designer Christie Williams, who created the label for a special release of Zema’s sparkling merlot. The release and the alliance were promoted on the winery’s email newsletter (with links to Williams’ website and Instagram feed) to its 800 VIP subscribers. The wine sold out within three days at a 50 per cent higher return than usual because of its limited-edition status – and Williams gained a high-profile success story for her portfolio.

The key ingredient of rewarding promotional partnerships between businesses is that your brand values and objectives are aligned. On Collabosaurus, companies describe their mission and list their partnership goals upfront, whether it’s diversifying customer reach or finding aligned products to bundle with for special offers. The platform then matches them with compatible partners.

Look for like-minded brands

When COVID hit, the lockdown period gave Chris McNally, hotelier and co-owner of Tasmania’s Stillwater Group, which includes a boutique hotel and restaurant in Launceston, the chance to put together exclusive packages that he’d wanted to organise since opening the hotel in 2019.

To offer his guests unique experiences, he partners with venues that he loves, such as wineries. Stillwater has even teamed up with another luxury hotel, Kittawa Lodge on King Island, to create a six-night “ultimate escape package” that both businesses promote to their databases. “We have people from the United States, United Kingdom, Austria and Germany booked in,” says McNally.

He chooses collaborators he knows will care for his guests the same way Stillwater does and that “will also recommend us as a restaurant and accommodation to people who visit their businesses”.

Make the most of opportunities

In 2018, 8 Star Energy, headed by brothers Julian and Nick Sweeney, was redesigning and branding quality China-manufactured home energy-storage systems and portable battery packs for off-grid adventures. They booked a stand at All-Energy Australia, the renewable-energy conference and expo in Melbourne, and a representative from US battery megaforce Energizer stopped by.

That conversation led to a licensing agreement and, in 2022, 8 Star launched Energizer Solar rooftop panels, inverter, home battery and EV charger products in Europe. This year it will introduce its range to the US. The partnership has grown with time and trust that each will uphold the other’s interests and vision.