1 answer
Nkateko
Student
Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
1
Question
Asked
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How does one collaborate with other brands, if one is still in highschool?
Answer thr question if you have any clue on how it's is done
If you have experience
Or know someone who has collaborated with any brands.
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1 answer
Alexandria Siegers
Musician
2
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Alexandria’s Answer
Hey Nkateko,
I'd love to know more about what you are imagining or what you are planning! It sounds exciting.
From my experience and understanding, brand collaborations need one key thing to work, and that is benefit to the brand. This can come in a variety of ways, and you can get really creative with it!
Some examples:
- A brand can sponsor an event by donating products in exchange for promotion at the event (this could be inclusion in the brochure, banners, emails to attendees etc).
- A brand could donate money to a cause in exchange for logo placement (e.g. on the cause's website, social media, or on their products).
- A brand could invest in a partnership or collaboration in exchange for a % of the sales, or even a % of the future value of the company.
- A brand could give a person a discount on their products in exchange for promotion (e.g. tagging on social posts, wearing their product on stage or at an event etc.)
But how does this happen? There are a few motivations at work, and a few ways that you can get your foot in the door:
- Personal relationships: If you know someone, or if you know someone who knows someone, personal and professional relationships can be a really easy way to get a brand to sponsor you or your event. Your personal connection (depending on their level of seniority) can either approve the sponsorship themselves, or connect you with the right person (and hopefully advocate for you too!). You can build these relationships yourself through networking and interning, too.
- Building goodwill: When a company donates goods, services, or money to a cause, it is likely because they believe that will reflect well on their brand, and will improve public perception of their brand. Or they might just want to do something good because it is good!
- Building brand: Similar to the above, a brand might want to build public perception in other ways. Maybe they want to appear 'cooler' or 'fashionable' and so will be open to a partership, collaboration or donation that builds that perception for them. It could also work for other things like, appearing 'trustworthy' or 'educated' or 'cosmopolitan' or a whole range of things.
So, depending on what your idea and vision is, there are lots of ways a highschooler could collaborate with a brand. The thing that sits at the centre of it all is, what can you offer the brand that is good for them and good for you?
Like I said at the start, I'd love to know more about your vision and workshop a more targeted and specific plan for you. Good luck!
Write a list of 10 people brands and people you might want to collaborate with
Write a list of 5 people who you know (or who people you know, know) that have connections to brands who you can leverage
Write a list of 3 things that you can potentially offer to these brands (good story, good will, cool aesthetic, financial return, solving a problem etc.)
Draft your elevator pitch (both written (email length) and spoken (1-2 minutes)) for why you are the right person and they are the right brand and how you both can benefit!
I'd love to know more about what you are imagining or what you are planning! It sounds exciting.
From my experience and understanding, brand collaborations need one key thing to work, and that is benefit to the brand. This can come in a variety of ways, and you can get really creative with it!
Some examples:
- A brand can sponsor an event by donating products in exchange for promotion at the event (this could be inclusion in the brochure, banners, emails to attendees etc).
- A brand could donate money to a cause in exchange for logo placement (e.g. on the cause's website, social media, or on their products).
- A brand could invest in a partnership or collaboration in exchange for a % of the sales, or even a % of the future value of the company.
- A brand could give a person a discount on their products in exchange for promotion (e.g. tagging on social posts, wearing their product on stage or at an event etc.)
But how does this happen? There are a few motivations at work, and a few ways that you can get your foot in the door:
- Personal relationships: If you know someone, or if you know someone who knows someone, personal and professional relationships can be a really easy way to get a brand to sponsor you or your event. Your personal connection (depending on their level of seniority) can either approve the sponsorship themselves, or connect you with the right person (and hopefully advocate for you too!). You can build these relationships yourself through networking and interning, too.
- Building goodwill: When a company donates goods, services, or money to a cause, it is likely because they believe that will reflect well on their brand, and will improve public perception of their brand. Or they might just want to do something good because it is good!
- Building brand: Similar to the above, a brand might want to build public perception in other ways. Maybe they want to appear 'cooler' or 'fashionable' and so will be open to a partership, collaboration or donation that builds that perception for them. It could also work for other things like, appearing 'trustworthy' or 'educated' or 'cosmopolitan' or a whole range of things.
So, depending on what your idea and vision is, there are lots of ways a highschooler could collaborate with a brand. The thing that sits at the centre of it all is, what can you offer the brand that is good for them and good for you?
Like I said at the start, I'd love to know more about your vision and workshop a more targeted and specific plan for you. Good luck!
Alexandria recommends the following next steps: