Consumers today crave experience, and one that feels custom to them. While your bottle, label, and even closure create an experience – secondary packaging (and specifically VAPs) can add an element of immersion, especially when paired with a premium item that resonates with your community.
Collaborations are not new to the alcohol space, notably in sponsorships – brands have been “The Official Partner of” sports teams, events, and music festivals with a variety of co-branding for decades. But what if you could unlock a different level of connection to communities, especially in an increasingly online space?
Partnering with another brand as part of seasonal or limited edition VAP reaches more consumers at retail with a clear brand message. It gives you a chance to engage when they’re primed to buy and builds an experience or drives consumption for a specific occasion.
Increased Brand Exposure
Partnering with a brand with a similar target audience and shared values, but with a non-competing product creates an opportunity to expand your brand exposure. By layering collaborative content and other marketing activities into VAP programs, you amplify your message and reinforce your own brand’s identity by creating connection with another brand.
Cost Efficiency
According to platform Collabosaurus, Brand Collaborations are at least 25x less expensive than digital advertising. From encouraging word-of-mouth advertising to being a great opportunity for earned media, Collaboration products and VAPs are an efficient way to use marketing dollars. An increased demand can help move additional cases of your product (and increase the ROI of marketing activities). Co-branded products and even premium items can also be added to e-commerce or gift shops that can increase cart size and drive additional traffic. The additional benefit of using existing products for VAPs is that it immediately defines the value to a customer. Seeing that a mixer included in a VAP is a $9.99 retail price immediately demonstrates real, tangible value.
Market or Shelf Expansion
As shelf space gets crowded and even distributor partners push back against additional SKUs, collaboration projects are engaging and exciting in a way that breaks through. Creating an interesting product or VAP gives your sales team and distributor partners a compelling reason to enter a new market, increase shelf space for your brand, or add secondary display to bring you front and center in the consumer shopping experience.
Looking for more information? Download our Effective Collaborations Playbook at: https://spearheadglobal.com/collaboration-playbook/
Spearhead Global is already has several potential collaborators lined up in the mixer and ingredient space – to learn more email our Marketing Manager: Leah Keggi at LeahK@spearheadglobal.com