What can Corrie teach us about brand affiliation?

This week, we were given a glimpse of the world just beyond the nation’s favourite cobbles. And, not unlike your average British suburb, it turns out there was a Weatherfield Costa and a Co-Op hiding around the corner of Coronation Street all along.

As part of a ‘ground-breaking’ product placement deal, branches of the high street favourites will appear on the show from later this year.

But brand affiliation – linking your brand to another – isn’t just for those with big budgets to spend on product placement or sponsorship deals. Whatever its size (and marketing budget), when done well, brand affiliation can offer rich, mutually beneficial, rewards.

Whether you choose to partner with celebrities or social media influencers, or dip your toe in the water with reciprocal social media, here’s four reasons why winning friends can help to influence people.

Brand Affiliation Boosts Brand Visibility

Forging alliances with other brands – whether these are paid or earned – increases awareness of each brand across the other’s consumer base.

When I’m a Celebrity winner Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo recently became a columnist for The Times, the benefits for Toff were clear. But along with an opportunity for Georgia to raise her profile amongst The Times’ readership, the partnership enabled the publication to leverage her popularity and open the door to the more mainstream audience that voted her Jungle Queen: Win-win.

Hello, Halo Effect!

Linking your brand to another is a public declaration of endorsement – and this works both ways.

Whether it’s a well-established brand like Jamie Oliver shouting about his favourite brand of curry paste, or Deliveroo and TripAdvisor partnering to ‘serve as a one-stop-shop for diners around the world’, rubbing shoulders with another brand tends to benefit both parties.

And, in the same way we might welcome recommendations from our friends, when we’re emotionally invested in a brand we take their seal of approval seriously.

Strength by Association

Connecting your brand with one that shares similar attitudes – or appeals to a similar target audience – can help to reinforce what your brand stands for and strengthen brand identity.

There’s a reason changing rooms in London’s boutique gyms are loaded with luxury toiletries. While we might not be splashing out on £20-a-pop classes just to enjoy GHDs on the way to work, these aspirational brands help to reinforce the gyms’ luxurious offering – and help justify a premium price point.

Adding Value for Consumers

Supporting other brands isn’t just good karma. Developing an authentic relationship with like-minded brands shows your consumers that you understand what’s relevant to them, that you’ve got your finger on the pulse and, ultimately, you care about adding value to their lives.

The keyword here is authenticity. This is what helps consumers see beyond commercial objectives and buy into your brand proposition.