Brand Partnerships

For bootstrapping brands with limited budgets, Katie reveals partnership strategies that drive growth without paying for advertising. Learn how to find complementary (not competitive) brands that share your target audience, structure partnership campaigns for follower growth or email acquisition (with different prize levels for each), and avoid the critical mistake 99% of brands make—failing to nurture new community members after the campaign ends. Katie shares specific tactics for turning partnership campaigns into long-term customer relationships through strategic follow-up like 10% off codes to move people down the funnel immediately after contests close.

Exploration of how resellers and authorised sellers work with brands when selling products on marketplaces, particularly regarding barcode licensing requirements. Users learn why barcodes must be registered to the brand owner or manufacturer rather than the reseller, and how this creates verification requirements when selling branded goods like Nike trainers on Amazon. The content covers the approval certificates and authorisation documentation that platforms request from sellers of restricted brands, explaining how Amazon's verified brand list checks licensee information against actual brand ownership. Includes guidance on working with suppliers to ensure proper barcoding before shipment and understanding when reselling branded goods requires specific brand approval beyond simply having legitimate GTINs.

The episode covers Sam's successful craft beer collaborations with Northern Monk, Magic Rock, and By The Horns, demonstrating how brand partnerships can create new revenue streams while serving as marketing channels that introduce the brand to different audiences with natural affinity.

The discussion covers how both billion-dollar brands and smaller companies can partner with creators effectively, including the shoe brand case study that went from zero to 800,000 searches and secured a Sydney Sweeney collaboration

The Fashion component of the formula emphasizes creating remarkable elements through partnerships with charities and causes that align with brand values. Rich uses Ben & Jerry's Pecan Resist and his own Agents of Change conference as examples of how external partnerships can drive brand awareness and customer loyalty.