Nov 05, 2020 by Mark Dingley
The power of product collaboration is undeniable. Done well, it has the power to drive awareness and engagement, expand your audience, ignite innovation, and even change brand perception with your ideal consumers.
There have been some exciting collaborations in the food sector in recent years. Here, we share our favourites along with the top takeaways from their success.
In 2014, Australian patissier Adriano Zumbo partnered with Arnott’s to create a This was about the same time that Zumbo was hitting the small screen with his famous croquembouche on MasterChef Australia, so for Arnott’s, this was a strategic partnership with the potential to show that Tim Tam is still exciting and innovative.
According to Arnott’s, the new range, which included Raspberry White Choc, Salted Caramel and Choc Brownie, was designed to attract light buyers and drive incremental sales for the category.
Susanna Polycarpou, Arnott's marketing director, said: “Arnott’s Tim Tam always strives to provide innovative flavour variety to our fans. Working with patissier extraordinaire Adriano Zumbo, we have produced fun, unique offerings that match our consumers’ evolving tastes for indulgent and sophisticated flavours, ensuring Tim Tam remains Australia’s favourite chocolate biscuit,”.
Takeaway: Even with 51% share of the sweet biscuits sector in Australia, Arnott’s never stops innovating and looking for new ways to engage consumers and grow sales. Look outside your category to find out what really excites your audience.
Staying in the sweet category, Dairy Milk is no stranger to collaborations. Oreo, Chips Ahoy, Ritz, Philadelphia – you name it, they’ve teamed up. And it’s paid off. Mondelez reported 6.5% revenue growth over 2013 citing the influence of ‘power brands’ in driving growth.
But the most daring collaboration in our opinion was Dairy Milk with Vegemite.
As Ad News summarised, “For those lucky enough to get their hands on a bar, the concept was either a stroke of genius or blasphemy – there was no middle ground.”
Even though Cadbury Vegemite wasn't to everybody's taste, it generated lots of noise in the category. And that was precisely the point, according to Mondelez International ANZ director of marketing for chocolate, Kjetil Undhjem.
“The purpose of it wasn’t to launch a chocolate with Vegemite that would go into our repertoire, the whole point of the campaign and activity was to generate talk about rediscovering your favourite chocolate flavours… We thought about the most disruptive flavour you can put in chocolate to get that conversation started.”
Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to take do different, bold and daring. Show your human side and people will like you more.
Another iconic collaboration is Vegemite Shapes, bringing two edible Australian icons together to create what some have called “the nation’s most amazing snack of all time.”
If that wasn’t enough, they baked the crackers in the shape of Australia – just in time for Australia Day.
Takeaway: Align the product launch with national holidays for maximum impact.
Fresh onto shelves in the last month is Australia’s Violet Crumble brand as you’ve never tasted it before. They have struck a partnership with fellow South Australian brand Bickford’s to create a chocolate honeycomb flavoured milk.
This collaboration comes off the back of the chocolate brand’s successful partnerships last year including Golden Gaytime for a Violet Crumble ice cream and Krispy Kreme for donuts.
Anticipation is running high, according to the company. Research commissioned by Violet Crumble revealed one in three Australians are ‘eagerly awaiting’ the release of a chocolate honeycomb milk.
Takeaway: Ride the wave of exciting collaborations and it can change people’s perceptions of your brand for the better.
In an unexpected twist, last year the Ferrero Group (makers of Tic Tac) launched Tic Tacs made with Coca-Cola. These are the first ever mints to be fused with the beverage and are already in 70 countries.
“In the case of Tic Tac, both brands are appreciated all over the world, and are perfect for sharing and connecting people,” said Michelle Moorehead, vice president of Global Licensing and Retail, The Coca-Cola Company.
“We felt our common brand equities around taste and refreshment made this the perfect marriage.”
Takeaway: Choose partners with care. Coca-Cola chooses based on the partner’s ability to “support, extend and amplify our brand and brand messages in an unexpected yet familiar way’.
Thinking outside the box was a winner for Kellogg’s when it teamed up with New Zealand brewery Hallertau. They’ve launched a limited-edition Crunchy Nut-inspired beer.
But it’s no gimmick – the collaboration comes from efforts to eliminate food waste in their manufacturing processes. The cereal pieces that don’t meet strict quality control are being repurposed in beer.
Takeaway: Think creatively about collaborations, as Kellogg’s does. It could provide the solution to a business challenge, such as sustainability and waste.
Product collaborations are not guaranteed to win you more sales and customers – unless you choose the right partnership. With a like-minded partner, you can share resources for marketing and reach customers beyond your usual audience. This can potentially uncover new channels of growth you wouldn’t otherwise have stumbled upon. Be open to opportunities and think big.