#brand-partnerships

#brand-partnerships

"The global lifestyle company behind Hello Kitty has launched "Kuromi's Mischief Mansion" - a month-long celebration that seamlessly blends digital gaming, retail experiences, and limited-edition merchandise across multiple major partners including Hot Topic, Roblox, Crocs, Liquid Death, and BoxLunch. This isn't just another seasonal marketing push. It's a strategic blueprint for how food and beverage brands can create immersive, multi-touchpoint campaigns that drive both online engagement and in-store sales while building long-term brand equity."

Sephora isn't just shaping beauty-it's shaping culture. From its trendsetting beauty festival to partnering with Hulu for its Faces of Music docuseries to sponsoring women's sports, the brand has become a force at the intersection of beauty, entertainment, and lifestyle. Under the leadership of Artemis Patrick, CEO of Sephora North America, the company is amplifying this influence while also embarking on its largest capital project yet: a full redesign of all 600+ North American stores over the next five years.

New York's cannabis industry is one of the fastest-growing markets in the country, and one brand has carved out a distinctive presence in record time: Silly Nice. Founded on craft values and an uncompromising dedication to quality, Silly Nice has quickly grown into one of the most recognized names in New York's legal cannabis market. With products already stocked in more than 150 licensed dispensaries across the state-and new locations being added every week-the brand has reached an exciting stage of expansion.

MrBeast previously paid retail prices for many products, including beverages, gym equipment, and dozens of Teslas. Under its new CEO, Jeffrey Housenbold, Beast Industries is seeking to get the products featured in videos for free or better, figuring lots of brands will gladly do so to appear alongside the world's most famous YouTuber. The effort is being aided by an eight-person brand partnership team.

"Sydney Sweeney's recent participation in an American Eagle commercial sparked a bizarre controversy, connecting her brand partnerships to heated cultural debates and social media frenzy."

Steph Ross, vp of social and influencer for the social media agency Born Social, said that influencer rates had "doubled" from 2024, but that her clients were largely unconcerned about the increases because they have also ramped up their influencer marketing spend. She said that influencers' increased rates were simply a result of that growing demand.

"We're moving away from traditional influencer partnerships toward authentic, relatable moments that truly resonate," said Lea Huruglica, emphasizing the shift brands are making in their promotional strategies.

"Last year we started to test doing more work with creators - that worked and we were able to secure more funding for this year," said Matthew Dacey, Tripadvisor's CMO.

Golf creators are capitalizing on the sport's new cultural relevance, attracting more brand deals than ever, due to the influx of fans and modern content.

"Our audience is always looking for an opportunity to drive savings and get affordable things, but also get messages that are personalized and relevant for them."

A powerful way to reach and engage new audiences is through innovative brand partnerships, which can substantially drive business growth even for smaller brands.

Cartwright mentioned that brands are moving to shorter-term partnerships as a strategy to cope with economic uncertainty and new tariffs impacting their budgets.

"From my perspective, whilst the risk of a potential recession will naturally have an impact on brands' marketing budgets, influencers shouldn't be disproportionately affected within the cuts. If anything, brands should be leaning on them more."