Partnership inserts are branded collateral, packaged within a partner’s distribution. Typically, it will be with brands that share the same target audience and similar distribution channels. It allows brands to work together to drive brand awareness, broaden their reach and increase revenues.
One common question we get asked is “when is the best time to do a campaign?”. Unfortunately, it’s not a very simple one to answer, as it’s one of those questions where the answer is another question: “What’s your product?”
We’ve tried our best to give a quick guide to help you decide when to do partnerships inserts.
When you’re launching a new brand product.
Because it’s a format that people are used to getting discounts through and seen as a common route to discover new brands and products, it’s ideal for introductory offers and getting people to try your products and services for the first time. The audience for your insert is already buying from your insert partner, and by associating your brand with them, you can inherit that positive relationship. Effectively, a brand they like and trust is approving your brand, and so must therefore your brand must be credible, trustworthy and something they will be interested in. This makes it perfect for launching something new, and establishing your brand’s/product’s reputation quickly. Not only does it achieve this quickly, it also does it relatively cheaper than many other methods. Distribution costs for door drops start at around £70 per thousand and postage costs around £220 per thousand. Partnership inserts however are typically around just £45 per thousand. This great value means they’re perfect for brand launches and awareness.
When your product is coming into season.
The seasonality of your product will determine a lot about the best time to advertise with partnership inserts. If your product has no seasonal peaks, then it is just a case of tweaking the offer and creative to match what’s going on at the time of despatch. Some products though are highly seasonal. Chocolates will always be popular around valentine’s day, Easter, and Christmas and so running promotions a month in advance is the obvious peak for them. People traditionally book summer holidays at the start of the year, buy garden products in spring, swimwear in summer and rain jackets in Autumn (and Spring, Summer and Winter in UK).
Some peaks are less obvious and are to do with social/cultural/habitual trends. For example, January with New Year’s Resolutions now brings with it Veganuary, Dryuary and so, if you have any kind of health-related product, you need to be seen in early January. The start of September with children going back to school is also a time of year where people start a new routine, and, a new routine is always a perfect time to promote your product.
Get it right
We’ve been helping brands with their offline marketing for over 25 years. We’re pioneers in the industry and are at the forefront of partnership inserts. That’s why we’re trusted by so many household names, including being the exclusive inserts partner for HelloFresh.
We can help you get the perfect partnership and execute amazing campaigns. Sound good?
Get in touch for a quick chat about we can help.
