Build Up is a homebuilder podcast where we interview homebuilders, industry insiders, and experts covering all things branding, marketing, sales, customer experience, and more. A week or so after each episode, we publish the show notes here on our blog. To listen to the episodes right when they're published, subscribe on your favourite listening platform here. To get these show notes delivered straight to your inbox, sign up here.
Here are the top takeaways from the episode:
Partner with organizations that align with your values
Whenever you're thinking about partnering with an external organization, take a step back and see if they really align with your values. It can be hard to say no to a great partnership, but sometimes you have to if the synergy just isn't there. Ask yourself:
- Why are you looking at a partnership?
- What are your goals?
- Do you see a long-term relationship with them?
- Do you connect with them outside of business?
A brand partnership is a two-way relationship
You're creating a long-term business relationship that benefits both parties, so invest in them. A good partnership will help you push through the hard times (and vice versa). How can you add value to your partnerships rather than just take? The magic happens when you can answer that.
Think outside the box for a successful activation
Embrace your partnerships and get creative. The wins are in the activations — hone in on exactly what your goals are and make your decisions around those activations based on them. Leverage your partnership to help with x, or figure out how you're going to use a partnership to benefit y. Stand out and find your niche, otherwise it won't work. Go big and don't hold back.
Make your brand partnerships a key part of your marketing plan
When creating your yearly marketing strategy, your brand partnerships should be central to your plan. And don't just leave it with the marketing team - bring in the executive, product, and sales teams to really make use of your investment into these partnerships.
Your partnership goals will evolve and change
When you're in a multi-year relationship, your short-term goals may change. Maybe you want to start off with brand awareness but after a few years, you might want to venture into lead gen. That's not a bad thing. Don't be afraid to switch up how you're engaging with your partners and their audiences once in a while. Just make sure to keep sight of those big, long-term goals.
Leave your traditional metrics at the door
We're not saying you shouldn't care about your ROI and conversion rate, they're still important metrics to consider but your nontraditional metrics matter more for measuring partnerships. How does the brand partnership resonate with your community? Do you see homebuyers with similar values aligning with you and your brand purpose? Do your activations align with the brand? All the other pieces will come and fall into place if the fit is right.
Here are some relevant resources to the episode to the episode:
- 20 Stats That Make the Case for Co-Marketing Today and in the Future
- The beginner's guide to brand activations
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