Lessons from a Very Kind Collaboration – How Clinique x La La Land Showed Us the Power of Brand Partnerships
Brand partnerships have been a cornerstone of marketing for years.
When two brands come together, sparks can fly – just look at the Clinique x La La Land Kind Cafe collaboration.
This campaign demonstrates the power of brand partnerships and shared values. Clinique and La La Land Cafe worked together to spread happiness and promote small acts of kindness – something we can definitely get around!
But what made this partnership so successful, and what can other brands learn from it? Watch the campaign video on TikTok here and let’s discuss…
What was the campaign all about?
Clinique collaborated with La La Land Kind Cafe to spread happiness and promote small acts of kindness. As part of the campaign, Clinique gifted strangers with compliments and samples of their Happy fragrance. This partnership not only aligned the Clinique brand with the message of kindness but also showcased the power of collaboration in promoting positive brand values.
““If we can prove that a business can be kind, give back, care about their community, and serve high-quality products while still making a profit, we will prove it can be done””
The results
The campaign was a huge success, garnering more than 109.6K likes and 311 shares across social media. One of the key reasons why the campaign was so successful is because both brands shared a commitment to kindness and inclusivity, making the partnership feel authentic and meaningful.
What can we learn?
These are the strategies, tactics and lessons we can take away from this campaign and should be applied to the future of marketing:
The importance of authenticity
When brands team up, it’s important that the partnership feels genuine and aligned with their values and mission. Brands must focus on generating and sharing content that resonates with their audience, encouraging them to think, question, brainstorm, and wonder.
The Clinique x La La Land collaboration is an excellent example of this approach – sharing real, raw and authentic content that engages their audience in a powerful way. The campaign effectively conveys the importance of happiness and kindness, leaving a lasting impression on the viewer.
Personalise your content
As our good friend Dr. Seuss said, “why fit in, if you were born to stand out?”. This sentiment applies to marketing and advertising too!
Audiences crave personalised content that sets a brand apart from the competition. Brands should stay up to date with the latest trends, but make sure they are tailored to your brand’s unique voice and values. Use your brand’s hashtags, logos, colours, fonts and messaging can help establish a strong brand identity that resonates with the audience.
Invest in paid media
Creating quality content is only half the battle. The real challenge is ensuring your message reaches the right people. That’s where paid media comes in. Investing in social media ads, magazine ads, billboards and other forms of paid media can help reach a highly targeted or much broader audience quickly and generate more leads.
While it may take time to grow your organic reach, paid media allows brands to reach a wider audience instantly. This can be especially valuable for new businesses or those looking to launch a new product or service.
Power up your owned media
Compared to earned or paid media, owned media provides more control over brand messaging, a direct connection with the audience, and greater potential for long-term engagement and loyalty. Brands should leverage their owned media channels to amplify the partnership’s message, create meaningful content and engage their audience.
Creating engaging owned content that connects with your audience is an essential part of building your brand online. From writing blog posts and designing an interactive website to offering email subscriptions with newsletter updates and providing credible information, every touchpoint is an opportunity to strengthen the connection between brand and consumer.
Choose the right partner and message
Collaborating with brands that share your values and mission can be a powerful way to connect with the audience and drive engagement. The success of a campaign often hinges on finding the right partners. When businesses associate with like-minded brands, their customers will appreciate the shared values and see the value of the collaboration.
Consider the successful Clinique X La La Land kind campaign, which focused on promoting mental health and inclusivity. The kind cafe’s business was already centred around the idea of small acts of kindness, which Clinique incorporated into their Happy perfume product gifting campaign. This collaboration highlighted the power of brand partnerships and messaging. So, when planning brand partnerships, be sure to seek out those who share your mission and values.
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The Clinique x La La Land collaboration taught us that strong brand partnerships can lead to amplified exposure, access to new markets and creative inspiration. So, take a page out of their book and start brainstorming who you want to team up with next.