When it comes to both traditional and online marketing, brands in the fashion and eyewear industries have to work that little bit harder to set themselves apart from the competition. Numerous high-end brands are utilising vast budgets to saturate the market with viral videos, social media campaigns, celebrity endorsements and glossy advertising to ensure their brand is seen and remembered ahead of the competition.
So how do newer brands assert themselves in such a competitive and highly lucrative marketplace? One way modern brands are choosing to do this is through collaborations and ‘capsule collections’, partnering with a brand with a similar ethos and quality, but often in a slightly different space, to create new collections that are then cross-promoted – allowing both brands to benefit from the others’ marketing efforts without spending any additional budget.
Not only does this ensure an increased level of brand awareness, but it provides both brands with an editorial angle to approach bloggers and journalists via traditional PR, and it gives them access to a new audience via their partner (not to mention a new line of often limited-edition products to sell).
One brand that has done this to great effect in recent years is Oliver Peoples, designers of luxury eyewear. Oliver Peoples sunglasses have become increasingly popular in the last few years, and a large part of their success could be attributed not only to their commitment to quality and their distinctive aesthetic, but also their regular collaborations with other high-quality brands and – often linked – celebrity endorsements.
Their latest collaboration is with luxury leather brand Berluti, with whom they have partnered to create a capsule collection of exclusive eyewear. You can find out more about this cross-promotional collaboration on their website.
So when it comes to marketing your own brand or product, whether that’s via traditional PR, advertising or digital marketing, consider how strategic partnerships and collaborations could impact your brand awareness, and make your marketing budget stretch just that little bit further.
