More and more these days, one company will form a partnership with another one to participate in various co-marketing opportunities and joint promotions.

Working with a marketing partner could have several benefits, including a savings in marketing dollars from sharing costs and hitting your target audience harder because of the increased frequency and reach that results from partnering with a company that already has a audience niche.

“A relationship with a marketing partner can be very effective,” said Bill White, a partner in MillerWhite. “But we advise our clients to use great care in choosing a marketing partner. Look at the partnering company’s history and track record. Be sure you understand its demographic. And get a good understanding of its business environment.”

For example, large corporations have found that partnering with professional sports teams can be very rewarding. A recent national survey of sports and marketing executives by TSE Sports & Entertainment* revealed that 57% of executives believe football is “the most successful sport to reach consumers.” A sport like hockey, which is wildly popular in some parts of the country, only drew a 1% response nationally.

White said in doing their research, corporations may find that the recent track record of baseball, with its strikes and other negative news, has damaged U.S. consumer confidence in the sport and made it less desirable as a partner. For companies that exist in an international environment, basketball, with its influx of athletes from Asia, Europe and Latin America, may be their best bet.

MillerWhite has been instrumental in developing marketing partnerships for our clients. Honey Creek Mall has made indoor billboard opportunities available, and companies or organizations that purchase space on the boards are also able to hold meetings and events in the mall’s community room. Indiana State University has chosen to take advantage of this marketing partnership to reach the Mall’s captive audience. While the mall profits from the sale of the space, ISU gets its educational message, as well as promotion of special events at Hulman Center, to thousands of families a month.

(*Reported in the online Research Brief from the Center for Media Research, Friday, May 16, 2003.)

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