In a divided world, partnerships are no longer simply about reach. They provide a meaningful way to connect with communities. 

Brands can’t simply rely on buying their way into relationships. They still have to put in the work to find the partnerships that are right for the brand and connect with audiences through shared beliefs. Brands like Guinness and Sure have done this through the power of sport and fandom, while Tony’s Chocolonely connects with partners who share in their mission to create a fairer world. 

At Creative Equals’ RISE conference, Richard Robinson, Executive Director at Ingenuity+, spoke with brand leaders, Somnath Dasgupta, Guinness Global Marketing Director, Africa and Sport at Diageo, Emily Heath, Global Brand Director at Rexona, Unilever and Nicola Matthews, Countess of Chocolate and Chief Marketing Officer at Tony’s Chocolonely, to uncover how to get the most out of partnerships. 

Partnerships come in many different shapes and forms. Dasgupta shared that Guinness invests in a variety of partnerships that serve different purposes. Some broad partnerships, such as with the Premier League, are aimed at broad appeal and brand visibility. While other hyperlocal partnerships serve to foster a sense of belonging and make people welcome.

Acknowledging that for some, football isn’t always welcoming, Dasgupta shared that Guinness has partnered with Greene King and anti-discrimination charity, Kick It Out, to bring people into the sport. An approach which reflects the brand’s progressive creative ambition.

Purposeful partnerships

Meaningful partnerships start before the activation stage. For Tony’s Chocolonely, many of its partnerships are rooted in shared beliefs.

Matthews shared that Tony’s Chocolonely’s mission to end exploitation in cocoa is the brand’s north star. 

When inequalities in chocolate production were exposed by journalists, those journalists were inspired to create Tony’s open source supply chain to change the industry for the better. To create industry-wide change, Tony’s has not gate-kept this knowledge. Instead it has effectively  given away its unique selling point and has 22 mission allies signed up to its open source supply chain. “We collaborate on cocoa and compete on shelf,” explains Matthews, adding; “It's bigger than us, it's a shout to the industry.”

Shared beliefs make for ready-made brand advocates. When Ben and Jerry’s signed up to Tony’s open chain, the two companies saw an opportunity to create a shared product. For a brand with a smaller budget for partnerships, mutually beneficial brand tie-ups serve fans and drum up earned media.

Having a strong brand and knowing its values makes for more meaningful partnerships. For Sure deodorant, sport is a natural fit because the product works as the body moves.

Heath shared that the brand has gone ‘all in on sport’. She shared that it began with men’s sports and then invested in women’s sports ten years ago with inclusion in mind. Now, Heath shares that investment in women’s sport is no longer just about inclusion, it also makes business sense. “Women's sport is key to the survival of the brand,” she says.

Feeding a fandom

Guinness’ involvement with sport goes beyond sponsorship to engaging with fandom and community. The brand has become part of match day rituals and is at the heart of the football experience around the world.

The brand’s ‘Lovely Day’ campaign is a celebration of matchdays in Africa, reflecting how fans engage with football, watching together in community centres. The vibrant campaign shows how fans go the extra mile. Dasgupta notes that while the experience shown is different, it is ‘the same core insight’.

Sport is a saturated space, and fans want entertainment, not adverts. Heath shared that to be a meaningful part of the conversation, during last year's summer of sport, the brand was on 24/7 over a six-week period, ‘flooding the feed’ with social content. 

“You have to entertain and flood the feed to have a voice,” she explained. For this year’s World Cup, the brand will do the same. 
Showing up in the right spaces and having something to say requires having a strong brand and voice. When partnerships are done right, fans become everyday brand advocates. 

Photo credit: Bronac McNeill Photography

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