Every brand in any industry or market is subject to competition, whether they like it or not. Companies try to outsmart and outperform each other to meet their goals and objectives.
However, times are changing. Brands are slowly turning to collaboration in lieu of competition. They’ve started realizing that competitive partnership will help them increase sales, raise brand awareness, draw your target demographic, and do a variety of other things.
It is crucial to the effectiveness of an organization that it can connect, operate in cooperation and cooperate with other companies in the same value network. Aside from that, the prevalent perception of business as a primarily competitive endeavour prevents us from forming mutually beneficial relationships that would favour companies, their collaborators, and their clients.
1) Taco Bell & Doritos
Frito-Lay took Taco Bell’s crunchy taco recipe and gave the Locos Taco its special, signature twist: a Doritos shell.
The taco was an immediate and explosive success: Taco Bell sold an estimated 1 billion units the first year its was introduced.
Taco Bell and Frito Lay advertised the Doritos Locos Taco by wrapping the taco in a classic Doritos bag, reflecting the co-branding partnership and appealing to both brands’ audiences
2) Burger King & McDonald’s
Two of the fiercest opponents in the fast-food industry – actually joined together for a co-marketing campaign in 2019.
At the time, McDonald’s was donating $2 to childhood cancer charities for every Big Mac purchased.
Burger King worked with the competing fast-food chain to host “A Day Without a Whopper.” For one day, Burger Kings across Argentina and other countries took the Whopper off their menu in an effort to encourage people to buy a Big Mac from McDonald’s instead
3) Bonne Bell & Dr. Pepper
Bonne Belle first debuted Lip Smacker, the world’s first flavored lip balm, in 1973, starting with flavors like strawberry, lemon, and green apple.
Just two years laterin 1975, they’d forged their first flavor partnership with the timeless Dr. Pepper brand.
4) Nike & Apple
The co-branding partnership started as a way to bring music from Apple to Nike customers’ workouts using the power of technology: Nike iPod created fitness trackers and sneakers and clothing that tracked activity while connecting people to their tunes.
The partnership has since evolved to become Nike – which uses activity tracking technology built into athletic clothing and gear to sync with Apple iPhone apps to track and record workout data.
5) Hermes & Apple
Hermes and Apple collaborated to provide three new leather straps for the Apple Watch, an emblem of pure luxury and elegance.
6) Levi’s & Pinterest
Pinterest offered Levi’s a leading social platform with millions of users interested in visual offerings, and Levi’s meets these needs with digital personalization and visual-focused boards.
7) GoPro & RedBull
While GoPro and Red Bull have collaborated on many events and projects together, perhaps the biggest collaboration stunt they’ve done was “Stratos,” in which Felix Baumgartner jumped from a space pod more than 24 miles above Earth’s surface with a GoPro strapped to his person
8) Adidas & Kanye
Kanye West, best known for his Grammy-winning rap albums, partnered with Adidas to develop a high-end footwear line called Yeezy.
Kanye’s celebrity appeal benefits Adidas by creating buzz around its apparel, and the athletic-wear brand gives Kanye a well-established platform to build his high-end clothing line.
9) Starbucks & Spotify
Starbucks and Spotify forged an innovative co-branding partnership to build a “Music ecosystem”, offering artists greater access to Starbucks consumers and giving Starbuck access to Spotify’s expansive discography.
Through the initiative, Starbucks employees get a Spotify premium subscription, with which they can curate playlists to play throughout the day in the shop.
10) Uber & Spotify
Music-streaming app Spotify partnered with ride-hailing app Uber to create “a soundtrack for your ride.” This is a great example of a co-branding partnership between two very different products with very similar goals – to earn more users.
Here’s how it works: When riders are waiting for an Uber ride, they’re prompted to connect with Spotify and become the DJ of their trip.
11) BMW & Louis Vuitton
In their partnership, BMW created a sports car model called the BMW i8, while Louis Vuitton designed an exclusive, four-piece set of suitcases and bags that fit perfectly into the car’s rear parcel shelf.
Not only does the luggage fit perfectly size-wise, but its design and appearance fit perfectly with BMW’s image: sleek, masculine, and high-quality.
12) Apple & Mastercard
To get out ahead of its competition, MasterCard became the first credit card company to allow its users to store their credit and debit cards on Apple Pay.
13) Fila & Chupa Chups
The sportswear giant teamed up with Chupa Chups for a capsule collaboration featuring branded apparel, accessories as well as footwear – all inspired by the famous lollipop.
14) Ikea & Lego
Ikea and Lego announced a collaboration on a new storage range, with the aim of “infusing more fun into storage around the home” for children and adults.
