Download partnership marketing - Mediator

Mediator Presents a White Paper on:
PARTNERSHIP
MARKETING
May 2014
This report was commissioned to examine the current
marketing landscape and the role partnership marketing
plays within the wider marketing mix whilst highlighting best
practice for the discipline.
Over 80% of respondents believe partnership marketing
has a high ROI and 86% agree it’s effective however, less
than 5% of overall marketing budgets are allocated to
this area. This report investigates the reasons for this
disconnect alongside the benefits of using partnership
marketing in the context of an industry where consumers
and technology are constantly evolving.
2
There is widespread belief partnership marketing is
underutilised as a tool due to a misconception it cannot be
effectively measured. Research demonstrates as long as
there is a clear understanding of what success looks like
in the initial planning stages, the right evaluation metrics
can be built into the campaign to ensure it is measurable
and in turn, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t feature as a
consistent component of the wider marketing mix.
This report concluded marketing strategies that
incorporate partnerships within the wider marketing mix
were more powerful than those that didn’t and over 70% of
respondents agree partnerships added a level of depth that
more traditional communication plans could not deliver.
www.mediator.co.uk
CONTENT
3
Evolution of partnership marketing
4-9
Benefits of partnership marketing
10-19
Measuring ROI
20-21
The future of partnership marketing
22-23
Best practice in partnerships
24-29
Conclusion
30-33
Appendix
www.mediator.co.uk
34
EVOLUTION
OF PARTNERSHIP
MARKETING
4
www.mediator.co.uk
Partnership marketing is all about brands
working together to reach new audiences
through mutually beneficial campaigns.
Marketing professionals agree that there
is a real shift within the industry towards a
more connected, aligned and strategic use of
partnership marketing as a tool in the marketers
‘black box’. Respondents suggest the growth
of partnership marketing as part of a more
integrated marketing strategy is due to a number
of changes in the business environment: the
current economic climate, the new economic
reality where it is important to make marketing
budgets go further by working smarter, the need
to measure ROI, technological developments in
digital and social media and ultimately changes
in the way consumers interact and behave.
5
EVOLVING
CONSUMERS
Consumer behaviour has developed
significantly in recent years: there are
more access points, multiple consumption
formats and increased cross-format use,
with many more and different ways in
which consumers can interact with brands.
Marketers believe partnership marketing is
an excellent way of accessing consumers
in a way that fits in with their lifestyle and
behaviours. People live in a ‘real time’,
‘now’ environment, with instant reactions
allowing them to get closer to brands in an
immediate way and at a time to suit them.
6
www.mediator.co.uk
EVOLVING
INDUSTRY
“Traditional sponsorships
were far more one sided.
Now it’s about all sides of
the partnership coming
together, and discussing,
for the greater good, the
benefits that each other
brings to it, which I just
don’t think happened to a
sensible degree before.”
Head of Experiential Marketing
and Partnerships, Finance
Some feel that there is now greater
awareness of partnership marketing and
as a result understanding and perceptions
have grown. There is a growing awareness
of the difference between partnership
marketing and other marketing techniques
and that it can have its own place and
value within the wider marketing mix.
This increased visibility is driving the use
of partnership marketing and with more
case studies, the value of partnerships is
being recognised, increasing its use as a
strategic tool. Partnership marketing is now
much more about true collaboration, with
partners working to achieve the same goals
of extended reach, maximising budgets
and driving acquisition, rather than each
individual organisation working in isolation.
Respondents on the whole agree the
industry is getting smarter: due to the
need to do something “different”
partnership marketing is a way of creating
something innovative and powerful,
efficiently and cost effectively, allowing
budgets to go further.
“I think historically there
hasn’t been that connection
to the broader marketing
strategy within the business.”
Head of Experiential Marketing
and Partnerships, Finance
7
EVOLVING
TECHNOLOGY
Undoubtedly technology has allowed
partnership marketing to evolve:
there is unanimous agreement amongst
respondents that digital media is dramatically
changing the way marketers use partnership
marketing, creating new opportunities to
reach the target audience, creating new
and better connections with consumers,
to attract and engage new and existing
customers, and offering a direct means
to potentially extend range.
8
“The use of smartphones,
the use of tablets… all these
things mean that people are
always connected and they
have a very high expectation
of what they’re going to be
able to access and when and
where they’ll be able to do it.”
Head of In-Life Management, Telecommunications
www.mediator.co.uk
New technologies and mobile are also
mentioned and recognised as platforms
via which a partnership marketing strategy
can stand out and cut through. Partnership
marketing lends itself to communicating
with customers across their lives and
therefore over multiple touch points,
matching the way consumers now interact
with their world. New technology also
allows for better means to measure ROI
and track accountability.
SO WHAT IS PARTNERSHIP
MARKETING TODAY?
When asked to give a definition of
partnership marketing, the vast majority of
respondents talk about “two brands working
together in partnership or collaboration”,
a partnership that is “mutually beneficial”,
that “extends reach to new audiences and
customers”, “improves brand awareness”
and “uses the strengths and assets of each
company to benefit both partners”. More
broadly respondents talk about strategic
partnerships being deeply embodied and
integrated within a brand’s wider strategy,
with 90% agreeing they would associate
“strategy” with partnership marketing.
“Partnership marketing is
basically brands collaborating
together to get a greater output than the individual, using
their relative qualities and
strengths to mutually benefit
from each other.”
Head of Strategy, Media Agency
James Bond x Aston Martin
There also seems to be a consensus that
long term strategic partnerships are the
future of marketing and have the potential
for good returns: more short term tactical
campaigns designed to provide high impact
and achieve a short term goal are also
acknowledged by respondents as being
important but that long term partnerships
are key and provide better returns.
“For me partnership marketing is forging strategic
relationships with partners, where we believe we
will have a good brand fit, and I mean a fit that will
actually have a product or service that will meet
the needs of our core customers. It’s not about, ‘we
want this, we’ll pay you for that,’ it’s about working
in true collaboration to come up with a solution that
meets our needs and those of our customers.”
Head of In-Life Management, Telecommunications
9
www.mediator.co.uk
© Beats Electronics International Ltd
Beats By Dre X Lady Gaga
BENEFITS
OF PARTNERSHIP
MARKETING
10
EXPANDING
REACH
A large proportion of respondents (66%)
spontaneously agree that partnership
marketing is an effective way of growing
awareness and reaching new audiences, to
target new customers, to develop and foster
brand equity, enhance brand propositions,
challenge perceptions or to venture into a
new market. When prompted 88% agree
that partnership marketing provides
exposure across both brands’ channels
and 83% agree it can expand the brand
audience: when asked to select a single
most motivating factor for using partnership
marketing, 24% selected this option above
all others.
“Partnership marketing is a
way of expanding our reach
outside of the channel itself
and working with brands that
we usually wouldn’t get a
chance to.” Senior Marketing Manager, TV
A hugely effective example of this can
be seen with Beats by Dre which has
successfully partnered with the most
prominent figures in entertainment to
make the brand an international household
name in less than ten years.
11
“I think that’s the other thing
partnerships can do, they
can make people reassess
how they think of you, and
introduce you to a whole new
group of people.”
Marketing Director, News Publisher
Beats By Dre x Red Sox
EFFECTIVE USE
OF BUDGETS
Partnership marketing is seen as a cost
effective marketing tool, which is particularly
pertinent when marketing budgets are being
squeezed: 32% of respondents to the online
survey spontaneously felt this was a strong
motivation to use partnership marketing.
When prompted 70% of online respondents
agreed that partnership marketing is a ‘cost
effective way to expand brand capabilities: a
brand can utilise a partner’s capabilities and
not incur a development cost’. When asked
to select a single most motivating factor for
using partnership marketing, 20% selected
this option.
“It’s not necessarily that we’re
increasing budgets every
year into partnerships, but
it’s a very important part of
our marketing strategy, and if
there are ideas that we think
are worth pursuing then we’ll
always look at moving budgets
around. It’s an important part
of the brand marketing mix.”
Senior Marketing Manager, TV
12
“It’s always going to be
fighting the age old budget
challenges, particularly
when people are used to
the benefit of more straightforward advertising.
So I think it will always come
under pressure, especially
when times are tough.”
Head of Experiential Marketing
& Partnerships, Finance
& Partnerships, Finance
www.mediator.co.uk
Partnerships are able to provide an effective and efficient use of companies’ budgets by
enabling them to substitute purchasing assets with leveraged brand equity in mutually
beneficial partnerships which require minimal financial investment from both parties.
While 63% of online respondents state that currently less than 0 to 10% of their marketing
budget is assigned to partnership marketing, interestingly 45% claim this has increased
in the last three years. In terms of expanding partnership budgets, in some cases entire
branches of companies are changing to embrace partnerships over old marketing
methods, such as replacing sponsorship departments with partnerships.
In order to justify budgets and challenge traditional perceptions, partnerships need
to ensure they have systems in place to measure ROI – this is claimed to be a concern/
consideration for around three quarters of online respondents.
13
Tate x The Times
EFFECTIVE AT REACHING AND
TOUCHING THE CONSUMER
One of the most effective aspects of
partnership marketing is felt to be the
ability to tap into people’s passions, making
an emotive connection to the modern
consumer, using a relevant, engaging and
ultimately effective strategy.
14
This theme is repeated across the study
and it was agreed that the customer
experiences created via partnership
marketing strategies are more powerful
because of the level of engagement and
integration within consumers’ lives. When
prompted 71% agreed that partnership
marketing offers ‘depth of communication’.
Not a 30 second advert, but a considered
project tailored to meaningfully engage the
two brands’ target audiences.
Some suggest brands that are already
integral to someone’s life or personality,
like fashion or entertainment brands,
lend themselves very well to partnership
marketing. For example, Barclaycard work
in partnership with Hyde Park Festivals,
offering festival-goers contactless
“It’s creating that bond
that keeps our customers
interested, fresh and
ultimately converts them into
ambassadors for your brand.”
Head of Experiential Marketing
and Partnerships, Finance
www.mediator.co.uk
payment wrist bands. This enables
consumers to engage with the brand at a
level that adds value to their overall festival
experience, driving real engagement and
exposure to the brand. There is also a
strong feeling that partnership marketing is
much better at slotting into an individual’s
life and reaching consumers over multiple
touch points and across platforms. The
vast majority agree partnership marketing
creates an exciting (82%) and creative
(90%) brand experience.
In turn this experience enhances the partnership and makes it so much more believable,
real and personal to the consumer: people
can be cynical and partnership marketing
enables the campaign to feel tangible,
authentic and genuine.
Finally, partnership marketing can also be very
effective at driving brand values by creating
this experience for the customer. By creating
that relationship with the customer, there is
a deeper brand engagement and potentially
long term gains.
“You’re actually embedding
yourself into something that
people are passionate about.
By creating experiences,
rather than just showing
people a brand on the
television, you’re creating
something that people will
take away and remember.”
Head of Experiential Marketing
and Partnerships, Finance
15
“I think the main reason brands turn to partnership marketing
is a desire to make their brand more meaningful to the
consumers that they’re trying to reach. It’s a way of adding a
layer of differentiation in a cluttered marketplace, creating a
real association with values, making the brand stand up. It also
gives the brand licence to talk to that audience – you’ve got
to have some kind of hook that will make a consumer want to
engage with you, so by partnering with something you create a
licence for a conversation.”
Senior Marketing Manager, Media
© Nike, Inc.
COLLABORATION
16
Nike+ FuelBand
“Partnerships for us are
definitely all about collaboration. It’s about finding other
brands that fit or enhance our
brand experience, and then
working together to bring
to life better campaigns and
content. So we obviously
do a lot to promote our
content for [Brand A] through
other partners, be it media
partners, product partners or
technology partners.”
Partnership and Event Controller, Media
www.mediator.co.uk
Respondents mention that the collaboration
between partners means that a brand
can achieve something more powerful
than would be possible on their own: the
partnership creates something that is
bigger and stronger than the individual
parts. 83% of online respondents agree that
partnership marketing provides the ‘ability
to achieve something your brand couldn’t
do on its own’: when asked to select a single
most motivating factor for using partnership
marketing, 22% selected this option. Take
Nike for example who teamed up with Apple
to create the Fuel Band; an innovative
product which successfully fused the two
companies’ expertise in technology and
sport, to create an innovative and market
leading piece of wearable technology.
Also 16% of online respondents spontaneously state that ‘collaboration’ is the word
that describes a successful partnership,
followed by ‘creative and innovative’ (12%).
78% of online respondents feel that ‘a collaborative approach’ makes for a successful
partnership. An example that was given was
the collaboration between Stella McCartney
and Adidas – a partnership that produced a
unique product from collaboration between
two creative philosophies.
CONTENT
CREATION
Another key benefit of partnerships is felt to
be the creation of content from having two
brands working together: a new concept
can be brought about by aligning the
values of the two brands which is exciting
and engaging for the consumer. The gains
that can be made by working with another
brand are identified as significant: 68% of
online respondents agreed that partnership
marketing ‘creates engaging and more
creative content’.
As some brands are not necessarily experts
in the area of content creation, partnership
marketing is very important and relevant in
this area: it can be used as a platform to both
create and then promote content.
Tate Britain x Palace Skateboards
17
“Ideally you create co-branded
content and that really, really
works – if it’s executed in the
right way. It can become viral
and you can seed it out even
further, and it can spread. So,
I think something that has all
of those different elements
together, makes for a really
good partnership.”
Marketing Director, Fashion
SUITABLE FOR
ALL SECTORS
Most respondents feel there is very broad
scope for partnership marketing, there being
no limit to the sectors for which partnership
marketing can work. There is a feeling that
as long as it is relevant to the customer, the
activity has the ability to work. However
partnership marketing can have a natural
appeal and fit with certain key areas such as
fashion, entertainment, media and mobile.
18
Head of Global Partnerships
and Digital Innovation, Agency
www.mediator.co.uk
© 2014 ?????
© 2014 adidas International Trading B.V
“Partnerships work for all
categories. We work across
everything from FMCG and
retail to fashion, motoring,
government and energy.
It has a really broad scope,
we have case studies for
numerous categories.”
David Beckham x H&M
ADDED VALUE
FOR CUSTOMERS
Respondents also agree that partnership
marketing can be a great way of enhancing
the brand or product offering to make
the brand more enticing and attractive to
customers, adding value and potentially
increasing brand loyalty.
71% of online respondents agreed that
partnership marketing ‘rewards customers
with relevant added value and enhances
their experience’ and 58% agree that this
is a ‘more targeted approach, rewarding
customers with the things they want’.
`In addition 50% agree that partnership
marketing ‘increases loyalty and differentiates your product from competitors’.
“With brands such as beauty
brands, film brands and
general lifestyle brands, it
makes a lot of sense for us
to do co-branded pieces of
activity together because it
adds value to our customer –
we’re giving her added value
and added insight.”
Marketing Director, Fashion
Barclays x Premier League
© AP
19
Understanding Partnership Marketing
MEASURING ROI –
THE CHALLENGE
FOR PARTNERSHIPS
www.mediator.co.uk
© ASOS.com Ltd
Universal Music (Azealia Banks) X ASOS
20
The vast majority of respondents (80%)
believe partnership marketing has a high
ROI and 86% agree it is effective, but with
increasing pressures on budgets the key is
to measure and prove this ROI.
Historically efforts were made to measure
partnership marketing in the same way
as traditional advertising: while audience
and listening figures prove exposure to
advertising, this does not necessarily
convert to increases in sales.
One of the reasons brands use partnership
marketing is to drive perceptions of the
brand, which can be harder to measure. If
the aim of partnership marketing is to create
a relationship with the consumer with the
objective of growing the customer base in
the long term, this must be considered when
measuring success.
“Historically people would
always compare sponsorship
and partnership marketing
with advertising. And
advertising had the huge
benefit of lots of big numbers
that could be pulled together
very quickly and easily. It
would look very big, and
everyone would be very
happy. And then the problem
you have is that we tried to
measure sponsorship in a
similar way, trying to create
a media value from the reach
and coverage you received.”
Head of Experiential Marketing
and Partnerships, Finance
Partnership marketing is a diverse practice
with various applications and therefore
various different methods for measuring ROI.
Success can easily be measured effectively
as long as the correct metrics are in place
at the beginning of the partnership and
those in the industry are educated to understand the differences in the measurement
of partnership marketing compared to
traditional advertising. As with any marketing
activity establishing clear KPIs at the start of
the partnership is vital to proving the success
of the partnership and this needs to be
determined in initial conversations. In terms
of measuring the ROI, once KPIs are clearly
defined, respondents suggest different
methods are used such as research, brand
tracking to track shifts in perceptions, or
making direct measurements using digital or
sales data.
It is vital that measurements are appropriate
to the aims and objectives of the particular
activity that is being used. It is also suggested
by respondents that digital is a useful tool to
make partnership marketing accountable
with the ability to directly measure success.
With digital now enabling increased tracking
and measurability of campaigns and with
partnerships working especially well in the
digital world, increased tracking and analysis
of digital campaigns is proving far more
sophisticated than measuring TV.
“I think businesses definitely
want to know what the return
on investment is, so there
needs to be an infrastructure
to be able to report on that,
whether that be brand affinity
measures or people physically
taking up a reward or opting
into something.”
Partnership and Event Controller, Media
21
Understanding Partnership Marketing
THE FUTURE
OF PARTNERSHIP
MARKETING
www.mediator.co.uk
© Adidas Group
Adidas X Stella McCartney
22
Partnerships are felt to have such great
potential that the possibilities are endless:
respondents believe partnership marketing
is going to be an increasingly important
marketing tool and increasingly key to
brand strategies in the future, as long as
there is ‘buy in’ and commitment from the
wider business.
However respondents agree that it still
needs to be one part of the marketing
mix and fit appropriately into the overall
strategy to work effectively. While
partnership marketing may not currently
be used as a tool as much as it could be,
it still needs to be used in the right context
as with all marketing techniques.
“We all know that strategic
partnerships that do things
in a much deeper way are the
future of what we need to do.”
Marketing Director, News Publisher
Partnerships should also be used
strategically to maximise the long term
benefits. As such, technology will have a
key part to play in developing marketing
partnerships allowing creative, dynamic
and interactive relationships to develop
with consumers.
“If you appreciate and work
well with the other brand, and
take on board their objectives
as much as your own, then it’s
going to work for you…it’s
like any kind of relationship…
it’s got to have give and
take. And I wouldn’t suggest
anything less than a year for
a good partnership to really
work effectively, and then be
properly evaluated. You have
to invest time in it.”
Marketing Director, Fashion
“It’s about how we weave it
into the overall mix of the tools
we have in our little tool box.”
Head of In-Life Management, Telecommunications
23
Understanding Partnership Marketing
BEST PRACTICE
IN PARTNERSHIPS
www.mediator.co.uk
© Red Bull
© 2014 adidas International Trading B.V.
Flying Lotus X Red Bull
24
ENSURE GOOD
BRAND FIT
Respondents had very clear ideas about
how to ensure a successful partnership.
Brands that align well in the eyes of the
customer make particularly effective
partnerships: 70% agreed this was key to
a successful partnership.
In terms of branding, those companies with
a strong synergy are seen as performing
best: a partnership where there is a good fit
in terms of customer profile should perform
well. 70% of online respondents feel that ‘a
relevant synergy between both brands that
share similar or the same values’ makes for
a successful partnership; this is also seen as
the most important element of a successful
partnership marketing strategy, mentioned
by 25% of respondents.
“I think it’s always the
brand synergy that is key
to this, the core benefit is
the brand association,
because both partners are
equally seeing a success
in that working relationship.”
Head of Brand, Radio
25
It was also mentioned that great partnerships
are made when each party can offer different
elements e.g. reach versus credibility.
Head of Brand, Radio
© H&M
“In a world where content
is king, partnerships are an
obvious way of generating
content for brands. But if
content is king, then context
is queen and I guess with
partnerships, you mustn’t
forget the context as well.”
Versace X H&M
KEEP YOUR CUSTOMER AT THE
HEART OF WHAT YOU DO
It was agreed that it is key to keep the
consumer at the heart of everything you
do: this should be the overall objective or
ethos of the campaign. Keeping in mind why
the consumer is engaging in the first place
and understanding what makes them tick
to create something that is really exciting,
innovative and effectively achieves your
goals. This was seen by many as pivotal to a
successful partnership, understanding your
own customer insights, what makes your
customer tick and tapping into that.
26
“It’s absolutely got to tap
into understanding what
the recipient is interested in
and what makes him or her
tick, so you’ve got to have
an understanding of that
particular customer group,
and how to make it relevant.”
Marketing Director, Fashion
www.mediator.co.uk
MAINTAIN GOOD
COMMUNICATION
The idea of releasing control to someone
else in a partnership can seem potentially
risky. However with proper research
and planning and by maintaining regular
dialogue it was agreed that the rewards
outweigh any negatives. The importance
of being flexible and retaining regular
communication was highlighted. If something does not go as intended it may be
necessary to pause and re-evaluate: there
has to be a conversation and it has to be
able to evolve. 70% of online respondents
feel that ‘communication between partners
throughout the partnership’ makes for a
successful partnership.
“It’s about a good relationship.
Both sides have got to be
flexible and listen to what
the other one’s saying, and
then you eventually get to a
situation where you can just
pick up the phone to each
other, and ask advice or ask
for help, and that’s when I think
they really come into their
own.” Marketing Director, News Publisher
27
“If you can put the legal agreement together, and then never
use it again, that’s the best way to approach a partnership, if
that makes sense! You don’t want it to become: “You said you’d
do this, we said we’d do that.” You move forward with your
partnership by being able to have a conversation and agree
what’s best, rather than always relying on what’s in a legal
document. I think that way you can evolve the partnership, it
doesn’t get stale, you can be more innovative, and that’s how
you’re going to get the most out of it.”
Partnership and Event Controller, Media
PLAY TO YOUR
STRENGTHS
Respondents believe it is very important
to play to the relevant strengths of each
partner. It was agreed that the most
successful partnerships utilise the strength
of both parties to create something more
powerful and successful than they could
achieve alone. By being clear and strategic
about your own and your partner’s strengths
means you can potentially achieve results
very efficiently.
BP x Royal Opera House
28
“We start by looking at how to connect up the two
partners: their marketing objectives, marketing
needs, the experience from both people’s
perspective and the function of each business.
For example, can we provide payment and banking
opportunities and assistance to the partner?
So really look at what everyone’s offering,
and pull that into one large package.”
Head of Experiential Marketing and Partnerships, Finance
www.mediator.co.uk
HAVE A SHARED
VISION
The importance of having a shared
vision was mentioned by the majority
of respondents. They suggest the best
partnerships are based on a shared vision
where joint KPIs are established at the start
(although some may have different KPIs).
Good partnerships are formed when each
partner is fully invested in the partnership
and there is a willingness to achieve a joint
goal. 76% of online respondents feel
that ‘clarity on goals and objectives for
all the parties participating’ makes for
a successful partnership.
“I think it’s openness between
the brand and what they’re
trying to achieve and the
partner that you’re working
with in terms of the media
licensee. It’s about everyone
coming together to be clear on
what the vision is, clear on what
the KPIs are and what success
looks like, and then working
out the road map.”
Head of Global Partnerships &
Digital Innovation, Agency
© Procter & Gamble
Pampers x Unicef
29
www.mediator.co.uk
© Red Bull
Felix Baumgartner x Red Bull
CONCLUSION
30
There is a feeling that the industry has become
smarter, a necessity borne out of a competitive
market place, which in turn requires a smart
marketing solution. At the same time there is a need
for the sector to become more strategic. Rather than
relying upon delivering simple tactical partnerships,
partnership marketing, as part of the wider business
strategy is viewed as the smart way of utilising
assets and getting the most out of budgets.
Partnership marketing is seen as a versatile tool,
which works across multiple touch points to drive
engagement, creating a relevant and integrated
experience for the consumer by tapping into passion
points. Understanding what makes the consumer tick
is clearly at the heart of partnership marketing, and
the potential to create something exciting, innovative
and ultimately extremely effective, is significant.
31
NO HALF
GET THE RIGHT
MEASURES
EXPERTISE ON BOARD
Long-term strategic partnerships that are
deeply embodied within a brand’s strategy
have the potential to deliver significant returns
in many different ways (financial, customer
acquisition, market entry, brand building).
Successful partnerships are based on a
shared vision where joint KPIs are established
at the onset. Planning the road map for
success from the beginning is seen as vital
and identifying ‘success’ is pivotal to proving
return on investment.
Partnership activity is likely to become more
commonplace in the future and the wider
market place will discover new opportunities
as complementary brands work together.
Already we’re seeing some incredible partnerships that have pushed the industry far
beyond people’s perceptions of what it can
achieve. Without doubt there is a common
appreciation that partnership marketing is
a highly effective marketing tool as long as
some key considerations are followed.
Partnerships require hard work, time and effort
but the benefits outweigh this commitment:
the most successful partnerships are formed
when each partner invests fully.
The best way to ensure these considerations
are at the forefront of every campaign is to get
the right expertise on board from the start.
The skill set, tools and resources to effectively
develop a partnership marketing campaign
are likely to come from an agency who can
provide support, guidance and the all-important middle-ground to ensure success.
32
www.mediator.co.uk
“Businesses are getting much better at measuring
partnerships and are much smarter with it. We just
need to keep educating them and reminding them to
move away from judging success on media values,
because the benefits are much, much deeper than
that… Actually the power of partnership marketing
is its ability to change people’s perceptions of a
brand over the long term and that is far, far stronger.
So it’s essential that partnership marketing is
measured properly, that we keep moving it forward
and we all keep highlighting its benefits.”
Head of Experiential Marketing and Partnerships, Finance
33
www.mediator.co.uk
Understanding Partnership Marketing
APPENDIX
BACKGROUND
& METHODOLOGY
In March 2014 Mediator commissioned Dipsticks Research
Ltd, an independent market research agency to conduct
research into Partnership Marketing.
34
Dipsticks Research conducted in-depth phone interviews
with key industry professionals to explore perceptions and
understanding of partnership marketing. A quantitative
study was also conducted in March 2014 with digital
interviews filled out by industry professionals.
The results from both the in-depth interviews and online
surveys provided the basis for the content of this report.
www.mediator.co.uk
Understanding Partnership Marketing
35
www.mediator.co.uk
Understanding Partnership Marketing
Mediator Communications Ltd
The Hat Factory
166 – 168 a
Camden Street
London, NW1 9PT
+44 (0)20 7436 3380
[email protected]
www.mediator.co.uk
36
www.mediator.co.uk