News

Do you remember the 2008 music clip featuring a collaboration between Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland?  With nearly 5 million views on YouTube it could certainly be considered a successful alliance.  One of the secrets of Madonna’s success is her consistent ability to surprise and innovate.

In fact, it was the year prior to the song’s release that Madge and JT’s former girlfriend Brittney Spears pashed at the MTV Awards – most likely a carefully staged prelude to the song’s subsequent release.

Whether it gave you goose bumps or made your skin crawl I bet you’re most likely aware of both!  Most importantly, it made them all more money.

That’s why you’re in business right?  That’s why you’re interested in Marketing and specifically Partnership Marketing (or you should be).

Celebrities are in fact very effective users of it though they might not call it that.  You too can enjoy the money making magic of Partnership Marketing.  When done effectively it yields one of the highest returns per dollar spent of any marketing or sales activity I’ve come across – and believe it or not, it’s not rocket science

The real beauty of Partnership Marketing is that it can be applied to a business of any size in any industry and it is just as effective for a new brand as it is for a well established one.  So let’s apply the Madonna example to the following core benefits of Partnership Marketing.

Build Your Brand

By aligning with popular, youthful artists, Madge injected new and youthful energy into her brand, while JT and Timbaland also elevated their own brands by aligning with a music industry legend.  As for the Brittney kiss, love it or hate it, but Music Queen pashes Pop Princess – that’s sure to gain the sort of attention both their brands benefited from.

According to Wikipedia the song’s development was motivated by a sense of urgency to save the planet from destruction, and how people can enjoy themselves in the process – I’m not sure anyone’s brand was on the verge of annihilation  but it certainly wouldn’t be the first time Partnership Marketing has been used to revive a stale brand.

Grow Your Audience

Madonna, JT and Timbaland’s fans collided with the new collaboration – while I’m sure it wasn’t loved by everyone, it certainly got the attention of a very broad audience enabling Madonna to attract a younger market, while JT and Timbaland gained the respect of an older group of music fans.

Find Money

How much did it cost Madonna to pash Brittney?  Did it cost Madonna and JT any more to record the track together than it would have to record a track individually?  Did it make them money?  You bet it did.

Monetize Assets

Madonna and JT have brand equity in their own rights – however with the amalgamation of two such hot brands, 4 Minutes reached number one in 21 countries and it caused Madonna to break Elvis Presley’s record as the artist with the most number of top ten hits.  The single was also nominated for two Grammy Awards.  It’s safe to say the collaboration was a success and made more money by bringing their brands together.

It was a value added offering for their fans – sitting somewhere between Madge and JT in age, I can attest to the fact that I got something new out of seeing two artists I like come together.  Hopefully this has you thinking outside the box of how you could use a sexy collaboration in your business…and have some fun along the way!  Stay tuned as we take you on an exciting journey of discovery and help you apply this successful marketing practice in your business.