Brand Collabs 101: How to maximize your brand’s big moment

So you wanna launch a collab. Wise choice: collabs are a proven strategy in the high-demand retail space, and when done well, can result in massive boosts to the popularity of all brands involved.

It’s clear that collabs are not just a passing trend. In an era where consumer expectations are constantly evolving, leveraging collaborations is a key way to set your brand apart, driving mutual growth, enhancing credibility, and keeping fans delighted with your creativity.

But how do you set up the brand collab of your dreams — and how do you nail the opportunity it presents?

As the platform that’s powered hundreds of the most successful recent brand collaborations, we’ve been watching, and we got you. 

What makes a brand collab great?

The first step to launching a successful collab is, naturally, choosing your brand partner. There’s no simple formula to follow here — rather, it requires a nuanced understanding of your audience, your brand personality, your strategy, and your values. 

As a rule, collabs tend to attract the most attention when they’re unexpected. A pairing that feels fresh, new, and surprising is guaranteed to get people talking. This might mean choosing to partner with a brand from a different category than yours. Alternatively, it could be a brand that serves a similar market, but in a different way. 

Being complementary is key here. Two super experimental brands working together might come across as too weird and over-the-top (or too much of the same, to the point that even the most visionary idea will fail to make an impact). But one timelessly traditional brand pairing with an avant-garde creator? That’ll pique attention. Example: Cecilie Bahnsen x Asics.

Finding a brand with differences that complement your qualities allows both brands to play to their strengths and highlight what makes them special — even if the product is something totally new and different for both of them. Each brand should bring unique assets to the table that enhance the overall offering without overshadowing the other.

Plus, it never hurts to play off of some cultural relevance while you’re at it. There’s a reason we see so many limited edition collabs when there’s a new cultural juggernaut on the scene. The Barbie Movie’s explosive success made Mattel the hottest collab partner on the scene through the back half of 2023. And this summer, it seems like every brand’s going for gold with Olympic partnerships (seriously, we’ve never seen a wider spectrum of fashion brands cashing in on the same moment simultaneously).

How to secure your perfect collab

Before you can get anywhere close to selling your collab to the public, you’ve got to sell the idea to your chosen partner.

The best approach here is to make it clear that you’ve got a smart strategy and data to back it up. This could mean starting with your end goal for the collab and working backwards from there. Are you simply looking to drive sales? Or are you seeking to redefine your brand perception, and maybe feel out a new market you’re interested in expanding into? If it’s the latter, consider linking up with a brand who’s already in the direction you want to go.

For example, take this year’s Scrub Daddy x Benefit collab. The goofy cleaning product manufacturer set its sights on the beauty space, but they knew they wouldn’t be taken seriously on their own. Benefit Cosmetics came in with the credibility, while Scrub Daddy made it fun — a win-win for both brands, but also a great strategic move for Scrub Daddy to introduce itself to a new market.

Presenting a fully-baked plan and backing it up with data to support why your existing followers will be into this new move will create a compelling argument for your would-be partner.

Making your collab count

You’ve got your partner brand. You’ve got your product. Now, how do you get all this work to pay off?

First, don’t count on your product selling itself. Yes, you’ll likely get noticed, but especially if you’re going for something that’s a significant departure from what your brand is known for, that may not automatically translate to buy-in from your fans (or, you know, buying). Be prepared to sell your vision — which will require having a solid, well-defined strategy. 

Building a great campaign around your launch will deliver the lasting results you’re looking for, taking your collab from a great idea to a lasting boost for your brand (and your partner’s, too).

The best collab marketing campaigns articulate the brands’ joint vision perfectly while appealing to fans’ emotions. They evoke a little mystery up front to build excitement as drop day approaches, incorporate clever hooks, and continually hit fans with the exclusivity of the moment so that when the launch finally happens, everyone knows that something special is going on.

Above all, when launch day hits, it’s crucial not to fumble the moment. Don’t just get fans stoked and then leave them hanging with a frustrating launch experience riddled by bots, bad actors, and crashing technology. This is where EQL comes in — powering high-pressure, high-heat launch moments and making sure that fans walk away with a positive experience is exactly what we were built for.

Powerful collab case study: Joe Freshgoods x New Balance

To illustrate our points here, let’s take a look at one of our favorite long-lasting collab partnerships: Joe Freshgoods x New Balance. One of the defining duos of sneaker culture in the 2020s, their success hasn’t been a fluke. Here’s what works about it.

A perfect partnership

New Balance was long known as makers of “dad shoes.” Joe Freshgoods was an exciting, innovating new voice in streetwear culture. The brands played in the same space, but they complemented each other. Even better, both knew how to play to their strengths: New Balance supplies the timeless silhouettes, then allows JFG the creative freedom to put a totally original spin on them.

Joseph Robinson, the creator behind the JFG name, explained in an interview why the partnership works so well for him: “This is nothing that New Balance told me to do. I want people to know that this is a groundbreaking moment in my career where it's just like, ‘Oh, the brand trusted me to do the job.’”

Solid strategy

New Balance wanted to refresh their image and present a more youthful, dialed-in side of their long-standing brand. Joe Freshgoods wanted freedom to create and tell the stories that were meaningful to him — and to elevate his own brand by tying his name to a major label. Both brands got what they wanted out of this collaboration, so it’s no surprise that they’re still going strong and putting out multiple drops each year.

Compelling storytelling

Above all, JFG x NB have nailed the art of the collab campaign. It helps that there’s a meaning behind each new drop, whether it’s paying aesthetic homage to an iconic film or a commentary on the Black experience in America. Every drop that comes out of this ongoing collaboration has something to say.

And they say it well. The brand partners often turn to nostalgia to play on shared experiences and memories of their audience, like with the Inside Voices/Outside Clothes launch and campaign. Promotional materials received nearly as much attention as the shoes themselves, with two moving short films that use spoken word and sentimental imagery to beautifully and effectively share the intention behind the launch.

We also have to brag a bit here… JFG x New Balance has chosen the right partner to run their launches on as well.

Launch your collab with EQL

At EQL, we’re obsessed with collabs: the creativity, the bold strategies, the way they stoke fan passions like nothing else. Launching a great collab is a huge moment for all of the creators involved, and we’re dedicated to helping them go off without a hitch.

If you’ve got an upcoming collab or major product launch, we’re here to make sure your fans get to enjoy the full experience you intend for them — one that’s seamless, smooth, and built on fairness first. Get in touch to learn how to maximize your big moment with EQL.