Who this article is for:
This article is for business owners, marketing leaders, and growth-focused teams who feel stretched thin by managing multiple vendors and tools—and are looking for a more strategic, aligned, long-term approach to brand growth through partnerships rather than transactions.
What’s inside:
- A breakdown of the difference between vendors and brand partners
- Real-world examples of iconic brand partnerships and co-branding strategies
- Common pitfalls of siloed marketing and disconnected tech stacks
- Big Red Jelly’s philosophy: strategy before execution, flywheels over funnels
- A practical framework for building aligned, long-term brand partnerships
Key takeaways:
- Why brand partnerships outperform traditional vendor relationships
- How misaligned vendors create fragmented brand experiences
- What the best brand partnerships (like LEGO x Star Wars and Disney) do differently
- How strategy-first collaboration leads to sustainable growth
- What to look for in a true brand partner vs. a short-term provider
Let’s Talk About the Modern Tech Stack
In today’s world, there’s a vendor for everything a company could need.
Need website forms? Try Gravity Forms.
Need a better affiliate management system? Maybe CreatorIQ.
Need digital marketing? There’s no shortage of options.
At first glance, it might seem like having a different vendor for every service is the best approach. But clearly, getting a separate vendor for every little thing can quickly get out of hand.
When this happens, strategies become disjointed, siloed, and often misaligned with overall business goals. Rather than searching for more vendors, it may be time to look at growth through a new philosophy:
Growth happens through partnership, not transactions.
What Is a Brand Partnership?
A brand partnership goes far beyond a traditional vendor relationship.
Instead of a plug-and-chug approach, a brand partner works alongside you in a strategic, collaborative relationship built around shared goals.
Most vendors are reactive, scope-based, and short-term. A brand partner, on the other hand:
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Takes a proactive approach
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Focuses on outcomes, not deliverables
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Prioritizes long-term growth and sustainability
To see what this looks like in action, let’s look at some of the best brand partnerships today.
LEGO and Star Wars: An Out-of-This-World Brand Partnership
Where would LEGO be without its partnership with Star Wars? Both brands share a mission of expanding their universes and bringing joy to their fan bases. Star Wars has a massive, multi-generational audience:
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Older fans who have followed the franchise since the beginning
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Younger fans just discovering a galaxy far, far away
Through their brand partnership, LEGO and Star Wars meet each audience exactly where they are.
How They Do It
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Ultimate Collector Series (UCS):
Complex, large-scale builds designed for adult fans who love technical challenges and display-worthy sets. -
Battle Packs:
Smaller, affordable sets made for younger fans focused on play and imagination.
This is a standout example of co-branding done right.
Both LEGO and Star Wars benefit by:
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Reaching new audiences
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Strengthening brand trust
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Expanding their customer base through innovative product offerings
We’re not saying LEGO wouldn’t exist without Star Wars — but it certainly helped. In fact, it’s one of LEGO’s most impactful and revenue-generating product lines.
The real power of this partnership comes from ongoing collaboration, not one-off projects. Together, they continually transform memorable Star Wars moments into accessible, fun LEGO experiences.
Disney’s Empire of Brand Partnerships
If there’s a masterclass in brand partnerships, it belongs to Disney.
For decades, Disney has expertly tailored partnerships based on different audience segments.
Disney’s Strategic Partner Ecosystem
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Luxury audiences: Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Valentino
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Everyday consumers: Coach, Levi’s, Janie and Jack, Stoney Clover Lane
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Younger fans: LEGO, Mattel, Hasbro, Funko, Jim Shore
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In-park experiences: Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Dole
(Ever had the Dole Whip in Adventureland? Exactly.)
Disney’s luxury collaborations often take the form of co-branded products and limited-edition drops, creating cultural moments that drive media attention and brand affinity.
These partnerships aren’t just about revenue.
They’re about giving audiences what they want, where they want it, and how they want it.
Why Brand Consistency Matters More Than Ever
In today’s marketing landscape, brand consistency is critical.
Across all the examples above, one thing remains true:
Each brand is clearly represented on every product and experience. Nothing is diluted — everything is aligned. Co-branding and brand collaboration strategies allow companies to:
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Maintain brand reputation
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Build brand affinity
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Reach new customers without losing identity
This alignment is what makes brand partnerships so powerful.
The Problem With Vendor-First Growth
When businesses want to grow, their instinct is often to find vendors to solve individual problems.
The mindset becomes: “Spend more to make more.”
This usually leads to buying isolated solutions from multiple vendors — each solving a small part of a much bigger issue. The result?
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Weakened brand messaging
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Fragmented customer journeys
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Conflicting strategies across channels
What happens when:
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One vendor pushes TikTok
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Another focuses on SEO
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A third has a completely different brand voice
You get silos — and competitors fill the gaps.
This is becoming increasingly common as customer expectations grow more complex. Piecing together freelancers, agencies, and tools often fails because everything moves in different directions at different speeds.
A strong brand partnership changes that.
Why Brand Partnerships Win
A true brand partner understands:
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How different channels work together
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How the brand should show up for each audience
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How to align execution with long-term strategy
Built on shared values and a clear market strategy, brand partnerships create:
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Mutual growth
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Improved revenue
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Long-term success
How Big Red Jelly Approaches Brand Partnerships
At Big Red Jelly, everything starts with the audience. Strategy always comes before execution. We don’t believe a brand should function like a funnel — where customers are pushed in and pushed out.
We believe brands should work like flywheels.
Our partners’ audiences move from:
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Prospects
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To leads
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To clients
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To brand evangelists
Much like LEGO and Star Wars, audiences don’t just buy once. They stay engaged as new products, content, and experiences are released.
What Brand Partnerships Look Like for Most Businesses
While our examples are large and product-focused, the same principles apply to businesses of any size. Brand partnerships can include:
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Distribution partnerships
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Co-branding partnerships
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Strategic collaborations
These partnerships help businesses:
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Enter new markets
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Reach new audiences
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Expand their customer base
Key Differences: Vendors vs. Brand Partners
1. Deep Discovery & Alignment
Understanding who the brand is, what it solves, and who it serves — then building tailored strategies around those insights.
2. Strategic Foundations
Placing the right messages on the right channels, pointing to the right conversions — before spending money.
3. Collaborative Execution
The business brings the expertise of who they are. The partner brings strategy, structure, and collaboration — not gatekeeping.
4. Ongoing Optimization
Continuous refinement through data-informed decisions, performance tracking, and adaptation as the business grows.
Final Thought: Growth Requires Partnership
The best brands grow through alignment, trust, and shared ownership. If a business wants consistent, long-term growth, they don’t just need execution — they need a brand partner.
Brand partnerships aren’t about filling gaps. They’re about strategy, collaboration, and transparency. The same principles that built the world’s biggest brands.
If your offerings feel disjointed…
If your messaging isn’t landing…
If managing dozens of vendors is draining your time…
Frequently Asked Questions About Brand Partnerships
What is a brand partnership (and how is it different from a vendor relationship)?
A brand partnership goes beyond transactional, scope-based work. Instead of simply executing tasks, a brand partner collaborates strategically around shared goals, long-term growth, and brand alignment. Vendors are often reactive and short-term; brand partners are proactive, outcome-driven, and invested in sustained success.
Why can working with too many vendors hurt brand growth?
Using multiple vendors often leads to fragmented messaging, inconsistent brand experiences, and siloed strategies. When each provider operates independently, customer journeys become disjointed—making it harder to build trust, loyalty, and a cohesive brand presence.
How do brand partnerships improve brand consistency?
Strong brand partnerships ensure all channels—website, SEO, social media, paid ads, content, and UX—are aligned around the same strategy, messaging, and audience insights. This consistency strengthens brand recognition, improves customer experience, and builds long-term brand equity.
Are brand partnerships only for large companies like Disney or LEGO?
Not at all. While large brands offer well-known examples, the principles of brand partnerships apply to businesses of all sizes. Service-based companies, B2B brands, and growing organizations can benefit from strategic partnerships that align messaging, execution, and growth goals across channels.
How does Big Red Jelly approach brand partnerships differently?
At Big Red Jelly, strategy always comes before execution. We start with deep discovery and alignment, build a strong strategic foundation, collaborate closely with our partners, and continually refine based on data and performance. Our goal isn’t just execution—it’s creating a flywheel that turns prospects into brand evangelists through trust, alignment, and shared ownership.
