In the popular leadership book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People®, author Stephen Covey identifies the win-win mentality as one of those habits. Covey describes win-win as “a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions.” I can think of few greater examples of practicing “win-win” in business than by collaborating with a fellow local business to create a new product that highlights the best of both brands.
Cross
branding is a marketing and product development tactic that continues to grow
traction in the confectionery industry. The possibilities can stretch as far as
your imagination allows, but here’s some inspiration.
Craft
Beer
RCI
member, Hilliard’s Chocolates teamed up with a local brewery to create a craft
beer collection featuring beer caramels and beer brittles. The popularity of
micro-breweries has exploded in recent years, making it pretty likely there’s a
nearby micro-brewery (or two, or three…) that would be happy to team up with
your business to develop a unique, new product.
Wine
Even
if you don’t live near California wine country, you may be surprised to find a local
winery near you. According to vineyards.com,
wine is produced in all 50 US states. Many wines make a great complement to a
chocolate ganache center, like in the red wine chocolate truffles by RCI member
Stafford’s Chocolates.
Coffee
Partner
with a local coffee roaster to develop a signature coffee flavor or a confection
featuring their coffee. Known for their Mint Smoothie®, RCI member Rhéo Thompson partnered with a local coffee roaster to develop a one-of-a-kind
coffee blend featuring their signature flavor.
Dairy
Local
dairy farms are a great opportunity for sourcing fresh cream and butter for your
recipes. Don’t overlook goat milk as an alternative ingredient for customers
with dairy allergies.
Fruits & Nuts
Is
your region known for producing a specific fruit or nut? If so, you may not
have to look too far to connect with local farmers to feature their products in
your confections. You may even find this route to be more economical than sourcing
those ingredients elsewhere.
Of course, developing a marketing and merchandising strategy is essential to make any cross-branding reach its full potential—you could also benefit by teaming up with the partnering company’s marketing team. Once your new product has been developed send out a press release to the local media announcing your partnership. Make sure to include the partnering company’s logo on your packaging and marketing materials, this will help to sweeten the deal for your partner and make it more likely they will help promote your product. Also, invite them to sell the product in their retail store and e-commerce site to promote the product to their network of followers.
Cross
branding is a win-win for all those involved, but especially your customers
when they get to enjoy the end result of your sweet collaboration!
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