Cross-Promotion Examples from Leading Ecommerce Brands

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Imagine doubling your brand’s reach without doubling your budget. Sounds like a dream, right?

Well, it’s entirely possible with a smart cross-promotion strategy that leverages collaborative marketing. Cross-promotion is your ticket to the big leagues if you’re tired of the same old marketing tactics and want to shake things up.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most successful cross-promotion campaigns from leading ecommerce brands. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how they did it, and we’ll sprinkle in some actionable tips so you can replicate their success. 

Ready to dive in and supercharge your marketing efforts? Let’s get started!

What is cross-promotion?

Cross-promotion (a.k.a. brand partnership) is a marketing strategy where two or more businesses collaborate to promote each other’s products or services.

Think of it as a mutual endorsement—a win-win situation where each business taps into the other’s customer base, amplifying their reach without hefty advertising costs.

It’s a creative, cost-effective way to expand your audience and boost brand awareness.

What are the benefits of a cross-promotion campaign?

Now, let’s break down all the benefits of cross-promotion and why you should include joint marketing efforts as a powerful tactic in your marketing strategy.

1. Boosts brand awareness

One of the biggest perks of cross-promotion is the massive boost in brand awareness. When two brands engage in mutual promotion, they introduce each other to new, untapped audiences.

According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know. Cross-promotion leverages this trust by connecting brands with new customers through familiar brands those customers already know and trust.

2. Makes marketing more cost effective

Marketing can be expensive, but cross-promotion is a budget-friendly way to reach more people. Instead of spending large sums on advertising, businesses can leverage each other’s resources through shared marketing expenses.

For instance, joint social media campaigns or shared event costs can significantly reduce individual expenses while maximizing exposure.

3. Expands audience reach

By tapping into each other’s customer bases and leveraging audience overlap, businesses can reach new audiences they might not have otherwise accessed. 

This expansion is a powerful way to grow your market presence and increase customer loyalty.

4. Builds strong partnerships

Strategic alliances often lead to long-term partnerships, opening doors for more collaborative opportunities down the line. 

These partnerships can lead to ongoing promotions, bundled offers, and co-hosted events, strengthening both brands’ market positions.

5. Enhances customer experience

When businesses collaborate using a customer-centric approach, they can offer enriched experiences to their customers.

For example, a clothing boutique partnering with a jewelry designer can provide customers with a complete outfit solution, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

How to get started with cross-promotion?

Before diving into our top cross-promotion strategies, let’s see what you need to do to set the stage for success through collaborative efforts.

1. Set clear goals

First, identify what you want to achieve with your cross-promotion campaign. Clear, measurable objectives will help you track your success and make necessary adjustments. 

For example, if your goal is to increase social media followers, you can measure success by tracking the growth in your follower count after the campaign.

2. Choose the right partners

Selecting the right partner is crucial for a successful cross-promotion. Look for brands that complement your brand but don’t directly compete with you.

Consider their customer base, reputation, and values. A good partner should enhance your brand’s appeal and offer mutual benefits.

For instance, a yoga studio might partner with a health food store because their audiences share an interest in wellness. Ensure that both businesses can profit equally from the collaboration to foster a mutually beneficial relationship.

3. Select the most effective channels

Decide on the best marketing channels to reach your target audience. These can include social media, email newsletters, in-store promotions, or events.

Choose platforms where both you and your partner have a strong presence and can effectively engage your audiences.

For example, if both businesses have active Instagram accounts, a joint Instagram giveaway could be a great way to attract followers and boost engagement. 

Additionally, consider where your target audience spends most of their time and tailor your efforts to those channels for maximum impact.

10 cross-promotion ideas (with real-life examples of cross-promotion campaigns)

Ready for the best cross-promotion ideas, complete with case studies from brands who’ve run successful cross-promotion campaigns? We’ve got you covered.

1. Collaborative bundle deals

Creating bundles with complementary brands can add significant value to your offerings.

For instance, if you sell beauty products, collaborate with a skincare brand to offer a beauty and skincare bundle. This not only provides added value to customers but also introduces them to the partner’s products.

Check out how Bearaby and S’well created a limited-edition bundle deal:

Bearaby establishes brand awareness with collaborating with S'well and their limited edition deal.

2. Joint giveaways

Run a joint giveaway on social media with a partner to increase your reach and engagement.

This strategy can significantly boost your social media following and engagement while reaching a broader audience.

For example, BlendJet and Herbivore Botanicals effectively used this approach by requiring participants to follow both accounts, like the post, and tag friends to enter.

Another great cross marketing idea is to run joint giveaways and cross promote your products.

3. Email newsletter swaps

Here’s another of the most popular cross-promotion ideas: a newsletter exchange.

Each store promotes the other’s products in their email campaigns, reaching a new, engaged audience to increase brand awareness.

For example, AllTrails promoted Calm and their partnership in its newsletter, effectively cross-promoting to a broader audience.

This strategy taps into the trust and loyalty built by your partner with their subscribers, giving your brand a credible introduction to a new audience.

Swap email newsletter with different brands for audience growth

4. Co-branded products

Create a limited-edition co-branded product that combines elements from both brands. This strategy not only generates excitement and exclusivity but also increases brand awareness by attracting customers from both sides.

For example, ColourPop and Pokémon collaborated to create a special design that generated significant buzz.

Co-branded products can create a sense of urgency among customers, driving sales and increasing brand loyalty.

Create co-branded products with partner companies.

5. Influencer collaborations

Another of our favorite cross marketing strategies is influencer marketing through collaborations.

Influencers can reach a wide audience and lend credibility to the promotion.

For example, an Instagram post where influencers feature products from multiple brands can effectively showcase how the products complement each other.

This strategy leverages the influencer’s established trust and rapport with their followers to enhance cross-promotion efforts.

6. Content collaboration

Level up your cross-promotion efforts with guest blogging

Write a guest blog post for partner companies and collaborate on ebooks as part of your content marketing strategy. This drives traffic between your sites and improves SEO. 

For instance, a fashion ecommerce store and a jewelry store could create a style guide together, providing valuable content to their audiences while promoting each other’s products.

Here’s an example from Airbnb and Lonely Planet. Airbnb provided local insights and accommodation options, while Lonely Planet contributed their expertise in travel writing and destination recommendations.

Another cross marketing example from Airbnb and Lonely Planet.

Content collaboration helps you tap into your partner’s audience and establishes both brands as industry authorities.

7. Social media takeovers

Want to increase your social media presence and boost engagement? 

Get playful with a social media takeover where you and your partner brand take over each other’s social media platforms for a day!

A great example of a social media takeover is when makeup brand Fenty Beauty had Rihanna, the brand’s founder, take over their Instagram account for a day:

Rihanna takes over Fenty Beauty's social media account to share behind the scenes content.

Share behind-the-scenes content, product highlights, and exclusive promotions.

This engages followers with fresh content and introduces them to the partner brand. This social media cross-promotion can create buzz and increase engagement by providing followers with unique, entertaining content.

8. Partner discounts

Offer exclusive offers and promo codes for each other’s stores. When a customer makes a purchase on your site, they receive a discount code for your partner’s store, encouraging cross-shopping.

Another example is when SaaS companies like Canva or Grammarly offer referral bonuses, such as free premium subscriptions or account credits, when users refer new customers.

This taps into the trust and influence of their existing user base.

9. Virtual events and webinars

Host a virtual event or webinar together.

For instance, a fitness apparel store could partner with a nutrition supplement brand to host a fitness and wellness webinar. 

This virtual collaboration provides valuable content to customers and highlights how both brands can support their lifestyle.

Check out this example, which is a collaboration between Sephora and Gucci:

Host an online event like the two companies Sephora and Gucci did.

10. Referral programs

Create a referral program where customers earn rewards for customer referrals to both stores.

This strategy encourages customers to spread the word, driving sales and increasing brand awareness. 

Referral programs leverage the power of word-of-mouth marketing, helping you reach new customers through trusted recommendations from friends and family.

FAQ

Can cross-promotion help reduce advertising costs?

Yes, cross-promotion is an effective way to reduce advertising costs. By sharing marketing expenses and resources with your partner, you can achieve greater reach and impact without significantly increasing your budget.

How do I measure the success of a cross-promotion campaign?

To measure the success of your cross-promotion campaign, track performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:

  • Brand awareness: Monitor increases in social media followers, website traffic, and engagement.
  • Sales: Track sales data and compare it to previous periods.
  • Customer engagement: Measure likes, shares, comments, and other forms of interaction.

What channels are best for cross-promotion?

The best marketing channels for cross-promotion depend on where your target audience is most active. These channels can include:

  • Social media platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
  • Email newsletters: Reach engaged subscribers with targeted promotions.
  • In-store promotions: If you have physical locations, cross-promote in store.
  • Events: Co-host online or offline events to engage audiences.

Wrapping up

As you’ve seen, cross-promotion is a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.

By collaborating with complementary brands, you can reach new audiences, reduce advertising costs, build lasting partnerships, and increase customer loyalty.

Whether you’re creating bundle deals, co-hosting events, launching loyalty programs, or swapping newsletter spotlights, cross-promotion can significantly boost your brand’s visibility and customer engagement.

So, why wait?

Find the right partners, set clear goals, and start crafting your own cross-promotion strategy today!