I’m catching up this week on some of the useful details from the panels at the Industry Boot Camp.
Click here to read a previous story about tips for sales reps from the Boot Camp.
Collaborations
Brand representatives shared some lessons they have learned from working on collaborative products with other companies.
Here is a short summary of some of the information shared.
Johnny Schillereff of Element spoke about Element’s successful collaboration with Toms that took place in 2008/09.
The collaboration included co-branded Toms shoes and Element skateboards, and used the “one-for-one” concept.
Toms and Element ended up giving away 20,000 pairs of shoes in South Africa, where Element also supports a skate camp. They also gave away skateboards to kids who skate at the camp.
While the Toms/Element collaboration turned out great, Johnny advised brands to be very, very careful about collaborations.
He recommended brands not do a lot of them because they can be a distraction, one brand can be trying to ride on another’s coattails, collaborations can dilute a strong brand and can put a brand identity at risk.
Collaborations can tribute to your brand equity or take away from it, he said. “There’s nothing in the middle.”
Here are some of Johnny’s tips:
1. It’s all about the relationship. You need to work together so it stays strong during the process
2. Figure out the all the logistics up front.
3. Know when to stop.
4. Create a way to measure results.
5. Define the distribution channels.
6. Keep minimums low – you want to feel like the collaboration was a success.
7. Make the branding on the product clear.
8. Keep communication open – you cannot communicate enough.
9. If it feels right, you should do it.
See Page 2 for tips from Vestal, Reef and DC Shoes
Johnny Gehris of Vestal spoke about Vestal’s watch and “I Love Boobies” bracelet collaboration with the Keep a Breast foundation.
Here are some of his tips:
1. The product needs to have added value.
2. There needs to be a PR strategy behind it.
3. It needs to be limited and collectible.
4. Plan quantities small so you sell out of inventory.
5. The collaboration needs to be mutually beneficial.
6. Retailers and reps must embrace the product. In this case, Vestal talked to both retailers and reps beforehand and got buy in.
Reef’s Kelley Bruemmer spoke about the brand’s Ugandal, sandals that feature handmade beads made by women in Uganda.
The Ugandal was made in collaboration with 31 Bits Design, at the time a small, young company.
Kelley spoke about some things to keep in mind when working with a smaller organization on collaborations.
1. Logistics – make sure you have longer lead times.
2. Costing
3. Customs/documentation
4. Preplanning up front is important to overcome logistical hurdles that a small company is not always staffed to handle quickly.
5. Promoting the product is also key so retailers and consumers know about it.
Reef has created three versions of the Ugandal, purchasing 500,000 beads to support the women in Uganda.
Brian Cassaro of DC Shoes spoke about some of DC’s collaborations with energy drinks and motor companies.
Brian said the category has grown so much, and with that growth more energy drinks have tightened up the guidelines and procedures around the collaborations.
DC has had to staff to deal with the red tape and approval processes surrounding the collaborations.
He also talked about the success of Ken Block’s Gymkhana videos, which have many millions of views on YouTube, and of course help move product.
One the challenges, however, is the product releases do not always mesh with DC’s regular seasons, so DC has had to show line drawings to retailers.
