Brand Collaboration

I recently read a news article titled “From Gaga to Goldfish – Brand collaboration is the new innovation for marketers.” The title itself grabbed my attention. (Great marketing!) The article discusses the significance of innovative brand collaboration. It focused on a few different brand pairings such as Goldfish crackers with Franks Red Hot sauce and Lady Gaga with Oreo. One collaboration that stood out to me was between Goldfish crackers and JNCO jeans. 

Looking at this pairing you would think, why crackers and jeans? I know I did. The common factor amongst all pairings that make for a successful collaboration is leveraging brand equity. Brand equity refers to the value of a brand name or company. It is based on factors such as high awareness, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. In this case, both brands have a degree of brand equity that each can leverage. Goldfish has been around since the 1960's. It is a staple household snack food. Mostly popular with young kids. JNCO was a popular jeans/clothing company back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s.

We are currently in a time where the nostalgia of the 90’s and 2000’s is making a slight comeback. As a millennial myself, I know floods of memories return when I see items and trends of my youth. Pepperidge Farm wanted to leverage the nostalgia of millennials and the idea of collaborating with JNCO was born. They did this by creating new packaging in the design and style of JNCO jeans. Tag lines referencing Goldfish, JNCO, and the 90’s were placed on JNCO clothing and in commercials. They also flavored the Goldfish as Jalapeño Popper, a nod to the creation and popularity of the Jalapeño popper in the early 90’s.

Collaborations should be strategic, appeal to consumers, and add value to both collaborators. I think this was a bold and move for both companies but a successful and innovative one.

#brandcollaboration #brandequity