Friends or Soul-mates? Finding your perfect brand partner

“Ever rushed into a relationship? Fallen head first into what you thought was a lasting, long term partnership? Miss hits are normal and often expected in dating, but in the branding game, it can spell disaster. In the fourth of this series of branding articles, Neil Osborne explains how your intent toward and treatment of partners can be the beginning or end of a lasting brand.

Just as it is with life-partners, your selection of a brand partner can have a significant impact on your brand’s destiny, so it’s important to choose wisely. You need to consider if you’re curious and just looking, chasing a short-term fling for excitement, wanting an upgrade or in need of a lasting long-term relationship.

The answers to those questions define the channel type you’re looking to put your product through, as well as how, where and when you want your brand to be seen and sold.

Getting your brand stocked, distributed or discovered is like meeting that someone special. It’s a huge challenge and everyone’s after the same thing. To make the best choice, you need to know what you’re after, start with the right intent and finally, treat your partner well.

PART Four: Placement & Partners

As the fourth of the 7P’s of salon industry brand building, placement (distribution channels) defines where your product will be stocked and bought, while your partner (selling approach) determines who and how your brand will be distributed and sold to those outlets.

Fundamentally a great product, at the right price, that consumers recognise as answering their needs and desires, is worthless without the right place (actual or virtual) in which a purchase can take place.

That said, placement should not be discounted as either a functional or logistical process. It is a branding decision…”