21 Agency view
BRAND PARTNERSHIPS SHOW THE WAY FORWARD
In a world of experiences collaboration is king , says Chris Booker , director of new business and marketing , TRO
very week a new brand collaboration hits the headlines . Barbie was the star of last summer , with high profile partnerships and associated activations seemingly popping up on a daily basis . Netflix have done similar , leveraging their IP for maximum impact in culture . When done right , it ’ s a win-win for all involved , with each party tapping into the other ’ s audiences , brand equity and expertise to extend the story , driving reach and also revenue .
Pop-ups and live experiences are becoming an increasingly important part of this play , as brands put
“ Rather than playing catch-up , brands , agencies and suppliers need to play better together ”
Chris Booker
participation front and centre . It ’ s no surprise , in a world of clickbait and doomscrolling , experiential techniques cut through the clutter and drive deeper connections . Stories can be extended into real life , with worlds built for audiences to explore and immerse themselves in , which in turn can create more relatable content that resonates . It ’ s an approach as relevant to the B2B world as it is for B2C .
The upshot of this shift is the need for closer collaboration in the agency world too , both between and within individual marketing disciplines . Translating a creative idea into a deliverable live experience is a lot easier in a PowerPoint presentation than it is in real life . Capturing the right content , ensuring the right coverage , integrating the latest technologies ... you get the idea . The best brands know this and ensure agency teams and specialists are integrated from the very start , to ensure feasibility , efficiency and to maximise impact . But , too often , siloed thinking pervades , with the right partners brought in at the wrong moment , or not at all in some cases .
Another side to this is the pace of change in technology . With new innovations and products continually hitting the market , it ’ s harder than ever to stay on top of the latest developments – even for agencies , let along clients , who are under more pressure than ever before . Rather than playing catch-up , brands , agencies and suppliers need to play better together .
We see both sides of the coin at TRO . As a full-service agency , we get to conduct the orchestra , if you will , and are working more collaboratively than ever before with a diverse array of creative technologists , experiential media partners and sustainability experts to create culturally relevant ideas with impact . But with expert , in-house departments including staffing , design and production , we also see the good and the bad when it comes to plugging in as more of a service provider .
Our point of view is clear . Collaboration is a supercharger . Just like in culture , those who embrace and harness the power of partnerships will win out . CN www . conference-news . co . uk