Partnership Trends 2022: A Positive Trend
As Mando-Connect’s Senior Partnerships & Relationships Manager, and the head of our Connect Partner Bank, a key part of my role is keeping a close eye on what’s happening, changing and shifting in the world of partnerships. It is fair to say that, in the last few years, the world we operate in has dramatically changed, we are facing some of the most challenging times ever-?from pandemics, to wars to the environmental crisis.
In each instance of these major world events, something negative can also inspire positive action within society and show the better side of who we are. These positive societal sentiments are something I have noticed becoming more prevalent within the world of brand partnerships.
Here are 3 key positive trends I have observed in the world of brand partnerships.
#1. Community Focus
The first trend that we have seen become ever more prevalent is the rise of community focused partnerships. The pandemic dropped us into truly unprecedented territory, we were suddenly cut off from society and community as we know it. According to YouGov 23% of Brits will take a more active part in their local community post-pandemic. People were looking for new ways to feel part of a community and socialise, from endless Zoom quizzing to running around and around the local park. If there was any way we could still interact with one another and feel part of a community, be it digital or physical, we were pursuing it. According to PWC 2021 Global Consumer Insight Pulse Survey, consumers will remain more parochial than they’ve been for years.
Of course, it was mainly digital, and we saw some great examples of brands helping people and businesses during this difficult time. One brand partnership example that stood out was Gymshark and Twitch*. During the height of lockdown, Gymshark changed their Twitter handle to ‘Homeshark’. They empowered personal trainers within their community by partnering with Twitch to run online classes at a time when these businesses couldn’t operate in a normal capacity. They created a lot of their content to suit work from home lifestyles, encouraging their community to take part in several challenges, helping people keep fit and staying connected to a community. A simple but effective concept, and we expect the notion of community to continue being a key driver for successful and engaging brand collaborations throughout 2022 and beyond.
*https://central.gymshark.com/article/gymshark-315-lifting-masterclass-on-twitch
#2. The Importance of True Purpose
The next trend we are seeing become ever more prevalent is Purpose. Never has there been more reason for brands to find a sense of purpose in their partnerships, with unprecedented major world events surrounding us on a daily basis. The desire to find a way of having a positive impact is understandably front of mind for most of us. For a long time, brands have had CSR arms within their businesses, but with events such as the environmental crisis that needs urgent and measurable action, we are starting to see more accountability and measurable pledges within the brand partnerships space and broader business landscape. A brand that is emerging as a leading force when it comes to measurable environmental change, and a brand we are proud to have within our Mando-Connect Partner Bank is Ecologi*.
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Ecologi is a simple way to fund the world’s best climate crisis solutions and reforest the planet, supercharging your impact over and above just limiting your own damage. They are a B Corporation with a mission to reduce 50% off projected global C02 emissions by 2040 through funding carbon reduction projects and planting billions of trees every single year. As well empowering individuals to make an impact, Ecologi also partner with businesses of all sizes and will facilitate measurable pledges from their partners, enabling companies to demonstrate they are making a tangible and measurable difference to the environment.
If we are to fight and win the biggest challenge of our lifetime, these important initiatives will be key. Ecologi recently partnered with Vodafone, offering Vodafone customers money off an Ecologi subscription, helping to drive sign-ups and mass awareness about their great work..
Vodafone’s research pointed to the environmental crisis being of utmost importance to their customers, this partnership enabled Vodafone to help their customers find a simple yet effective way to have an impact on something that really matters to them.
*https://www.mando.co.uk/mandos-million-trees-pledge/
#3. Brand Values
The final trend that has become more important to consumers is a brand’s values. The pandemic challenged people to think differently about the world around them and what it is that is most important in life, things we took for granted were re-evaluated and became front of mind. This sentiment translates to the brands around us and how we perceive them, people more than ever are thinking about how and where they buy products and what values are held by the brands they buy from. According to Forester 2022, company values continue to play a key role in purchase decisions, especially as consumers trust big brands to lead social and environmental change.
A great example that stood out and was covered in a recent edition of the Mando-Connect Engine Room was Johnson’s partnership with Alder Hey Children’s Charity*. The partnership helped fund family integrated care rooms in their new Surgical Neonatal unit. The new rooms in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital will bring parents and their babies together in a private, comfortable setting. This is a great example of how a partnership can cement a brand’s values by harnessing a natural synergy with the partner’s product and values. A compelling charity partnership that embodies what a brand stands for is a great way to support a good cause and positively demonstrate brand values – a trend we expect to continue growing this year.
*https://jnj.co.uk/latest-news/johnsons-partners-with-alder-hey-childrens-charity
To conclude, we are seeing clearly defined positive trends within brand partnerships and more broadly within society that are a direct result of major world events. We expect to continue seeing brands collaborate with these key themes at the heart of campaigns – some will even build on this and think further outside the box to incorporate more than one trend – a great example of this is a recent collaboration between New Balance and Strava*, covered within a recent edition of the Mando-Connect Engine Room.
The partnership saw New Balance and Strava team up to launch four challenges, aimed at runners of all abilities. When runners join the Strava challenge, they’ll receive a Runaway Card which they can add to their phone wallet. The card will automatically fill up with the miles they've run, and can be used to exchange miles for pints in New Balance's London pub. This clever partnership embodies the community trend whilst also incorporating brand values of physical fitness and adding value to the consumer by saving money on a few pints – a truly clever and well executed collaboration adding tangible value to three aspects of daily life We expect these types of partnerships to continue to grow throughout 2022 and beyond. It’s exciting to see so many great examples of positive trends within partnerships already being executed and we’re excited to see what comes next.