Ask The Business Lawyer

From this article by Christian Fea, Collaboration Marketing Strategist, come two great examples of how companies thought creatively about how to reach their target market by using a strategic alliance partner:

• The travel agency and the luggage store.  Both companies look for people who travel. The luggage store was happy to include the agent's information when they sold a piece of luggage and the agent provided luggage tags to her clients when they booked a trip. Both companies benefited from the alliance and their customers received an additional value added service.
• The real estate agent and the pizzeria.  When a client was moving in to their new home, the agent had a pizza delivered, with a magnet congratulating the client on the move. The magnet included the pizza shop number and the agent's contact information. The pizza shop was introduced to the new resident, the agent was cemented in the mind of the customer and the customer didn't have to worry about what to fix for dinner during the move.  (A special incentive:  the agent was able to negotiate a reduced rate on the pizzas he purchased!)