The Art of the PR Collaboration: different avenues for brand partnerships and their benefits
In an increasingly saturated market, the benefits of brand collaborations are more compelling than ever. When done well, they can offer access to new audiences, enhance brand recognition, and foster deeper consumer engagement - all while reinforcing brand values through strategic alignment. From boosting sales to building long-term loyalty, thoughtful partnerships can deliver results across marketing, PR, and commercial objectives, making them a valuable tool in any brand marketer’s arsenal.
Image credit: Canva
Why Brand Collaborations Work
For businesses in the design and architecture sector, numerous avenues for potential collaboration exist, each offering distinct benefits. Before considering any partnership, it is important first to revisit the wider ambitions and goals of the business and marketing strategy, as certain ideas will be better suited to align with these than others. Here, we’ll explore some examples of strategic partnership ideas and the associated benefits of each type of brand collaboration. Whether you’re pursuing a co-branded collection or a long-term branding partnership, these initiatives can significantly enhance your market presence.
Top tip: collaborations create opportunities that bridge PR and digital marketing - working with an agency with a foot in both camps can help you maximise any partnerships in progress by aligning messaging and communications schedules across channels.
Before we look at the opportunities available in depth, it’s important to understand how to choose the right collaboration partner.
Collaboration Opportunities: What to Look For
Shared values and reputation
Ensure there is alignment of values and trust between the two parties. Working closely with a big-name brand in the industry can bring with it a certain kudos and increased following; however, the most authentic collaborations are those which feel natural and credible to audiences, leading to much higher engagement.
If your company is big on sustainability, partnering with an organisation recently accused of greenwashing, or one that has no particularly strong stance on Net Zero, can damage your reputation by association. Create a checklist of topics that are intrinsically important to your business, and review potential collaborators with this in mind to avoid any mismatched relationships.
Analysis tools that survey social sentiment and recent press coverage are valuable assets for diving deeper into the data and assessing brand equity.
Influencer fit - authenticity over reach
Similarly, when reviewing potential content creators to work with, enormous account reach doesn’t always mean they would be a suitable fit. We’ve previously discussed the rise of niche or micro-influencers and their power within digital marketing, often outperforming mega personalities when it comes to building authentic relationships with potential future customers. Although the audience reach is smaller, these content creators have developed more personal relationships with their followers and are a more trusted source for brand or product suggestions.
Micro-influencers are often more transparent about their values, too, allowing you to select creators who share a similar ethos on global issues such as sustainability, supply chain management, human rights, etc.
Image credit: Canva
Complementary, not competitive
It’s very rare to see a collaboration between two brands offering the same product type or category. Instead, look for businesses with a similar audience, but in adjacent markets, to offer synergy without competing. For example, a consumer-facing kitchen cabinetry company might look to work with a hardware or lighting manufacturer, a paint brand, or an interior designer, but is unlikely to collaborate with any business in the fitted furniture industry.
Each party should bring something to the table as part of the partnership, whether it's greater audience reach, content creation skills, distribution channels, or cultural cachet. This allows teams to divide and conquer, rather than duplicating skillsets and workload.
Audience overlap and expansion
By looking at your prospective partner’s current audience breakdown, you can ensure there is both alignment with your own and an opportunity to introduce your product or services to a broader demographic who may not previously be familiar with your offering.
There are platforms which can help review social media followings to spot patterns or anomalies. It’s worth having a look at their PR performance as well - is there a level of brand recognition in media titles that aligns with your goals and objectives? Is there a greater awareness of their offering which can be capitalised on?
Cross-industry partnerships
If your ambition is to seek new demographics entirely, this idea goes a step further than seeking brands in complementary sectors. We’re seeing an increase in design brands partnering with businesses in different industries altogether, be it fashion, technology, automotive and even gaming.
Cross-sector collaborations often generate PR moments and digital marketing opportunities to delve deeper into the creative process because they’re unexpected and attention-grabbing. In the fashion world in particular, brand collaborations often blur the lines between art, culture, and commerce, resulting in buzzworthy product drops. We’re at an exciting moment in time where interior design is beginning to follow suit.
Types of brand partnerships to consider
The collaborative collection
One of the most common ways for businesses in the design sector to collaborate is to co-create a product collection, and with this, to fashion a launch campaign and celebratory moment. When executed effectively, this is the gold star, although it takes time, patience and work from all parties involved.
From a PR perspective, the launch day is often the culmination of months of prior strategic output, particularly if it includes longer-lead-time media within the campaign. PRs are often asking marketing teams four or five months in advance of a launch for asset creation, messaging, tone of voice and copy to give plenty of time to target print titles with the news, aligning publishing date with collection go-live. And that doesn’t even include potential event planning, media gifting, influencer outreach or social media partnerships.
Audience attention span continues to shrink, so an effective brand collab marketing and PR campaign should include all of these elements to create a significant ‘moment’ surrounding the official live date, with different touchpoints for viewers to be reminded visually of the collaboration cross-platform - in their favourite magazines, on the Instagram feeds and Stories of the content creators they choose to follow. This multifaceted, strategic approach improves the chances of recall down the line, turning a casual reader (or doomscroller) into a customer.
Image credit: John Lewis x Sanderson
Some successful examples of this include the recent John Lewis x Sanderson launch, Bert & May’s collaboration with Little Greene, and the Bolon x Tom Dixon partnership. In each instance, brand marketing and PR go hand in hand to deliver a thoughtful, well-rounded campaign and result in increased recognition for both parties.
A quick word of warning: It’s important for all involved to agree on the use of creative assets and intellectual property rights, particularly when co-designing new products.
For businesses in the design sector, opportunities to collaborate with companies outside of this segment can lead to an increase in brand awareness and open doors to new audiences entirely. The quirkier the partnership, the more attention might be garnered.
In 2019, fashion and gaming worlds collided with the announcement of a Louis Vuitton x League of Legends capsule collection, creating a viral moment. LV has a very traditional, somewhat stuffy reputation, so the news of this joint venture was unexpected, and resulted in increased social media engagement and brand recall with a new demographic altogether - Gen Z. Although, whether this translated directly into increased sales or was simply hailed as a buzzy marketing stunt is unclear.
Influencer-led brand collaborations
There are many ways that design sector professionals can work with content creators, leveraging potential new audience demographics and tapping into niche communities. Gifting campaigns became popular with the rise of Instagram and YouTube more than a decade ago when the social media influencer was first born. Haul videos, house tours, and Christmas unboxings, which promoted massive consumerism, are some of the earliest examples of what we now refer to as ‘spray and pray’ influencer gifting, whereby brands sent new product samples to a host of content creators based solely on audience size with little guarantee of return on investment.
These days, influencer gifting campaigns are more considered, with recipients selected for their authentic connection to a company. Instead of boxing up 50+ packages for send out, you might opt for a hitlist of 10 creators with shared values and a smaller, but more relevant audience, either aligning with your current segmentation or a specific new target demographic. There are tools available that provide an overview of follower breakdowns, lookalike accounts, and snapshots of previous partnerships undertaken so that you can ensure true alignment with your marketing campaign goals.
A smaller pool of recipients also allows you to build closer relationships with each, and specify deliverables that can be tracked against your internal KPIs. Content creators with specific niches tend to have a more dedicated, loyal follower base, which can lead to higher levels of engagement and, ultimately, increased sales. Depending on your overarching business goals, it's worthwhile taking this into consideration.
As well as gifting opportunities, most creators will have media packs detailing their costs for sponsored social media content - broken down into pricing for static posts, carousels, reels and stories, with options across different channels. If there is an authentic connection between personality and brand, there is likely more strategic scope to collaborate creatively on content, as well as ensuring cohesion with your tone of voice and key messaging. Launching with a product drop teased on Instagram stories is a great way to drive urgency and awareness around the collaboration.
Beyond this, we’ve seen companies leveraging influencers as brand ambassador types through longer-term partnerships. Australian furniture giant King Living has worked closely with Neale Whitaker, the well-known interior-design expert and former editor at Belle and Vogue Living, officially since 2018. Capitalising on his editorial experience, Neale creates blog features, video content and social media campaigns for the business, showcasing seasonal collections, new launches, styling tips, and colour insights. Building on this, he is often quoted in the media as one of a handful of design spokespersons for King Living, leveraging his existing media credibility to amplify recognition of the brand name.
Image credit: King Living x Neale Whitaker
Event-based collaborations
Offering an in-person avenue for the promotion of storytelling or news, events are a great marketing tool to encourage real-time brand immersion and build an emotional connection. Depending on the particular aims for an occasion, collaborating with a like-minded brand or influencer personality can offer an additional hook for potential attendees. It may be that the entire premise of an upcoming event is to announce the launch of a joint collection, or an additional stakeholder can be incorporated into planning to add depth and substance to the event narrative.
Collaborative collection launches can be tailored for media, trade or consumer groups depending on the strategy behind the announcement. Furniture brand Sofology celebrated its ongoing collection with TV personality George Clarke, hosting an event in their Redbrick showroom. The public was invited to meet George and hear him speak on championing eco-conscious living whilst enjoying beautiful interiors, combining an announcement and display of a joint collection with other draw factors to encourage greater attendance.
Panel discussions are a popular strategic tool for both brand promotion and knowledge sharing. Thought leadership is increasingly important as part of an overall marketing strategy, and hosting insightful conversations with spokespersons who share valuable insights and expertise on sector-related subjects is a great way to build this profile. Inviting external partners to contribute to topical debates not only provides an additional viewpoint but also offers cross-promotional marketing opportunities to boost awareness of the event.
We worked with design studio Hill House Interiors last year to organise, in partnership with Bee Osborn, and renowned journalist and blogger, Kate Watson-Smyth, a discussion as part of Focus/24 on different avenues for business growth and diversification, with insight and anecdotes from each guest. The addition of a panellist in an adjacent sector broadened the appeal, offering a different perspective and viewpoint. Discussions drew on both Hill House Interiors and Bee Osborn’s industry experiences and on Kate’s blended expertise across editorial, social, and interior design.
There are key industry events which brands can align themselves with, too, for example London Design Festival, which runs in September, or the London Festival of Architecture in June. Partner packages allow brands to maximise on existing global exposure and media attention. Companies are encouraged to host informative, creative, or technically innovative events, which are then cross-promoted through LDF / LFA and external channels. Aligning existing ideas - joint panel discussions, product launches, etc. - with industry event timelines can ensure focus and due attention.
Image credit: Canva
It’s worth reviewing the visitor breakdown of larger-scale events to guarantee this is the correct fit for your business. London Design Week and Decorex are better known for highlighting decorative design and consumer brands, whereas events such as Material Matters and Surface Design Show hero more technical and material expertise with an audience of largely B2B practitioners.
Partnership opportunities with media titles
By working directly with publications, brand marketers can tap into engaged readerships in a more considered way than through traditional advertising. There are a few different ways designers and product brands can do so, with advertorial partnerships a common choice to publish editorial-style content which mirrors the tone of voice and objectives of the business in question. Most of the major outlets offer print and digital package options that can be customised depending on the proposed strategy and topic. The result is a feature which appears to readers as if created by the editorial team (although a disclaimer will always be included for full transparency), focusing solely on a single brand - the copy itself could speak on a new collection, provide insight into a trend, or answer common design conundrums. Advertorials work well to amplify longer-form storytelling and thought leadership.
Print still remains tricky to track, as there is no real way of proving a Google search is following swiftly after a read through of the latest issue of ELLE Decoration. Many outlets now offer social media promotion packages, offering companies the opportunity to promote their history or news via these platforms either through collaborative feed posts or showcasing as ads. When it comes to tracking efficacy at the end of a campaign, this can be significantly easier to monitor, with publications providing in-depth analysis for click-rates, new followers and lead generation.
Competitions hosted in partnership with media titles - particularly online platforms such as those under the Hearst UK umbrella (e.g. House Beautiful, Country Living) - offer another compelling avenue for engagement. These campaigns typically involve a prize bundle or product giveaway in exchange for reader participation, often incentivised via newsletter sign-ups or opt-ins. For brands, this presents an opportunity to grow a highly relevant database of prospective customers while benefiting from the credibility and reach of the publication’s digital audience. Many titles also provide detailed post-campaign analytics, including impressions, CTR, and conversion rates, making this a measurable tactic within your wider marketing funnel.
Image credit: Canva
Podcasts continue to grow in popularity as people’s reading (and listening) habits change, and there are various industry-related platforms to consider as part of a holistic marketing strategy. Publications such as MIX Interiors, Country & Town House, and Sheerluxe release episodes on a weekly or monthly basis, with various opportunities for involvement. Many podcasts offer sponsorship deals, guaranteeing a certain amount of exposure and brand mentions throughout the episode. Some, including The Interior Design Business podcast, may occasionally film episodes within brand showrooms, providing exposure through logo and product placement. There may also be opportunities to put forward spokespersons from your company, depending on the format of the pod.
Maximising the Long-Term Impact of Collaboration
There are many types of brand partnerships available - from collaborative collections and event-based activations to influencer campaigns and media tie-ins, each offering distinct advantages. When executed strategically, these collaborations do more than create momentary buzz: they help build sustained brand awareness, reinforce brand recognition, cultivate consumer loyalty, and deepen audience engagement across multiple touchpoints. By aligning with the right partners and clearly defining the objectives of each initiative, businesses can amplify their message, extend their reach, and foster more meaningful connections with both existing and new audiences. In an era where attention is limited and authenticity is key, thoughtful brand collaborations are one of the most effective tools for cutting through the noise and driving long-term marketing success.
