Brand Elevation Communications

Can we talk about chemistry? We know how important it is in personal relationships- but no one ever examines it in marketing. Which is odd, since an effective brand partnership is like a power marriage; rapidly expanding a brand’s reach (hello Hulu & Spotify).

Just ask the yenta of brand partnerships.

Okay, while I’m not Jewish (I’m Catholic-ish) brand matchmaking is one of my gifts. One of my favorites was a ‘speed-dating and wine tasting’ series I created with Match, Fogo de Chao and Wines of Chile which innovated the traditional singles mixer by replacing tables with wine tastings stations. Easy-peasy! Win-win-win!

This program succeeded (and is being expanded this year!) because the brands share a similar go

Hello my favorite wine brand!

“We’re hosting this amaaaazing event and we would love to serve your wine. It’ll be great exposure for your wines!”

Just kidding. It’s me, Marybeth, not an event organizer looking for free wine. But… this intro sounded familiar, right?

99% of these ‘please send free wine’ requests go straight to my trash bin.

Here’s why: Most event organizers have no clue as to what builds brand following.

How many ‘free wine’ requests do you receive a month? One to four, maybe more depending on the season? In 13 years of communications and marketing experience, I’ve reviewed an estimated 1,400 sponsorship requests, ran