Businesses are always looking to grow their customer base and maximise sales through marketing and advertising – and brand partnerships are a great way of doing that. Floom has done a few down the years (with Blume, Mejuri, Bombay Sapphire and others) and we've seen some of our florists carry out great brand partnerships too.
So why do them?
When your company has lots of competitors, you have to be savvy to stand out from the crowd. Brand partnerships will help you provide something new and exciting for your existing customer base as well as opening up your business to your brand partner's audience – an audience you can hopefully convert into new customers. Plus, consumers are more alert and maybe more engaged with the world since Covid-19 struck than they were beforehand; consumers spend more with brands they are ethically aligned with.
For florists, perhaps the most important factor to consider is the extent to which a brand partner can deliver scale. Can they drive sufficient traffic and sales to warrant your time and attention? Done well, the answer is yes, but there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind.
Getting started
There are so many options and it might seem a little daunting, but it's important to team up with the right partner. It's not just about working with a large company but, rather, making sure your brand values and ethics are aligned. By working with another brand you are standing alongside them and endorsing one another. Is there a local business close to your store that supports your local community? If you pride yourself on sustainability, does your brand partner too?
Of course, it's also about creating an experience that you couldn't create alone and that surprises and delights your audience. Also, make sure the brand is relevant for your customer. For example, Floom's partnership with Neal's Yard worked well because both companies have a strong brand presence and offer complementary products. It makes sense to offer floral oils and scents alongside a Mother's Day bouquet.
Different types of brand partnerships
There are different ways to approach brand partnerships:
- Gifting influencers. This type of brand partnership is a great way to earn extra exposure for your brand. While gifting campaigns might seem simple, it's actually the type of partnership we see brands struggle with the most. Even though you probably won’t be paying influencers in cash, you should still put together a campaign budget. For a gifting campaign, this means the total value of the stock you intend to gift and the cost of the stock. The agreement you make with your influencer should outline what you expect from the influencer in return for the gift. You should include: expected deliverables, time frame, hashtags, handles required, and any specifics you want to communicate.
- Giveaways. Working with a brand to create a competition and prize draw can be an effective way to quickly increase your social media following. Giveaways allow a business to advertise ‘free’ products with a purchase. In our experience, advertising that a consumer can receive ‘free’ products with a purchase is a major appeal. When Floom recently worked with Antler, a British luggage brand, we gained hundreds of new Instagram followers in a couple of days and our sales peaked for the week surrounding the competition. You could work with a business to sell their product as an additional item to your bouquet/plant which can increase your order value and provide a valuable option to those who are more prone to upselling.
- Collaborations. Combining your products to create a shared product (like the Floom x Neal's Yard partnership as previously mentioned; or the Floom x Mejuri, a US jewellery brand, bouquet and the launch of their new candle).
Approaching brands
Find the best person at the brand to contact about partnerships (if it's a small brand it may simply be the founder; bigger brands will have marketing teams), and send a warm email or give them a call. In your communications, remember to clearly explain your brand (what you do and what makes your brand unique) and why you think a collaboration could work for both brands (increased exposure to a new but similar customer base; simply a great opportunity to create a beautiful product). Keep it short and simple, to begin with.
Think about what you will bring to the table and make sure you don't sell yourself short. Do you have a reach that your partner may not? You might have a physical store in a prime location with high footfall, which not all brands have, so could be something worth exploiting. If there is a particular holiday or occasion coming up, make sure to mention how your products can compliment this.
Working with the brand
All brand collaborations require working with new partners and sometimes new methods of working. However don't be afraid to lean on them for support as well - this is a partnership and you each have your strengths!
You'll likely have to think about:
- Creating new product shots. You may need to reshoot products, particularly if the campaign you are collaborating with wishes to include specific branding. If you would struggle to shoot products and have confidence in the collaborator's professionalism, you may be able to send a sample bouquet to your collaborator and request that they shoot the product for you.
- Advertising. Usually, a brand will ask that you advertise your product a certain number of times through certain channels and will ask your audience sizes for each channel (whether email, Instagram or Facebook etc). Review your schedule and make informed decisions before confirming with your partner what it is you are willing to commit to. Perhaps there will be time constraints that you will not be able to deliver on, or perhaps advertising on social media multiple times will mean you have to remove posts for other things you believe are important for your business. If you are on Floom.com, you can also reach out to us. Make sure to share links to the product you are advertising with your collaborators. Make sure copy is clearly labelled on your product page and any social posts to make consumers aware of why this product is part of a collaboration. If donations are being offered to your collaborator, make sure this is clearly visible to consumers. Create a landing page for the event on your website. Generally, if this is done, a partner may wish to approve the landing page too and may have some say in the design of the page.
- Writing copy. Your collaborators may have brand guidelines they want to stick to. Be prepared to include copy that they need as a requirement to advertise this collaboration. If the company you are partnering have photographers, you could send your product to them to be shot. Similarly, if a company has a copywriter, you could agree for them to write the copy for product descriptions before reviewing it and suggesting any edits. If you need to include T&Cs, make sure this is accessible on product pages through a link if necessary.
- Website. If you are hoping to bring more orders to your brand, ensure that your website is optimised with your shop set up to ensure each transaction is smooth and easy to complete. FloomX has been built with this in mind. The last thing you want is for customers to find the checkout process hard to complete and for them to drop off before purchase. If you are creating a new page or featuring the partnership on your website don't forget to create the changes in your site editor ahead of the launch so that, on the day, all you have to do is publish your updates!
- Tracking orders. Some partners will want to be able to track orders, especially if they are collecting donations or supplying their own gifts to compliment your product as part of a collaboration. Make sure you have the ability to document these and share them.
Converting new customers
Make sure you are thinking about what you can do after the initial partnership – you're hoping to grow your audience and customer base so make sure you welcome those new customers and convert them into returning customers. A few things to think about are:
1. Introduce your story. Whether it's on Instagram or through a newsletter, make sure to welcome your new followers and help them share your brand story. Customers are attracted to brands that they share values with and are more likely to purchase from you if they understand your mission. Your 'About Me' page on your website should be up to date; also ensure your newsletter sign-up is active and get sharing!
2. Check your products - Alongside your work with the brand partnership perhaps time the launch of a new bouquet or product or get ready to share your best sellers again. Make sure your online presence represents your style and offering and has up-to-date products customers who are brought to you through this partnership will already be looking for their next purchase.
3. Offer them something special. Repeat customers are really important to any business – they help to boost your order volumes whilst also building a loyal following. If you feel your business can afford to offer an exclusive discount to those new customers who have joined you as part of the partnership, make sure you schedule this within a month or so of your original partnership. Think how many times you've been brought back by a brand offering an exclusive discount.
Don't forget to keep an eye on any and all analytics you have on your customer base. Perhaps you were looking to change your customer demographic, however, if you don't know who your customers were before, it's going to be hard to measure the success of your partnership. If you segment the new users who have purchased your brand collaboration they can be monitored moving forwards.