At eTail Boston this week, several brand executives spoke about the power of partnerships, especially the dos and don’ts of leveraging brand collaborations and influencer relationships to spark growth. From navigating demographic mismatches to maximizing cultural relevance, small- and medium-sized brands are refining their approach to collaborations.

Meenakshi Lala, CEO at UrbanStems, said not all splashy collaborations move the needle on sales. Lala gave an example of when UrbanStems tested a partnership with skin-care brand Laneige in 2024. The collaboration included a Laneige pop-up at Sephora in Times Square, where UrbanStems provided a bouquet design bar.

“Laneige is an incredible skin-care brand among a certain demographic, but our partnership with them was not as successful for us,” Lala said.

It wasn’t because there was anything wrong with the product, Lala added. “There was an age demographic mismatch,” she said. “Our demographic is 35-55, and the Laneige shopper is much younger than that.” She pointed to the brand’s celebrity ambassador, Sydney Sweeney, as a signal that the brand’s audience skews younger. 

“So we did not see that spike even while that brand was having such a hot moment,” she said.

On the other hand, Lala said a bundle collaboration with Cameron Diaz’s Avaline wine was a better fit for UrbanStem’s audience. “For us, it’s about partnering on a category that our consumer sees as extremely giftable,” Lala said.

These types of deals with like-minded collaborators are also important even for major global brands like H&M.

Noah Gonzalez, head of brand PR and talent relations, H&M Americas, said collaborations have become an integral part of the retailer’s efforts to stay culturally relevant. 

One of the retailer’s most enduring strategies has been the designer capsule collections, which date back to 2004 when H&M tapped designer Karl Lagerfeld to create limited-edition pieces. Gonzalez said the popularity of these collections, which often sell out instantly, prompted H&M to bring them back this year with a Stella McCartney collection.

Gonzalez said that when partnering with a designer or celebrity, the company asks, “What are we trying to say? What’s the message?” Sometimes, that North Star lends itself to collaborating with of-the-moment celebrities, like Charli XCX and Ice Spice, to launch campaigns. 

Gonzalez said these relationships sometimes result in unexpected marketing moments. “We end up getting much more from these relationships, whether it’s deliverables or just engagement,” he said. Gonzalez pointed to a “perfect example” recently, in which Brazilian musician Anitta turned to H&M for a custom look for performing at the World Cup opening ceremony. 

“That opportunity got us multi-million dollars in earned media, and that was for free because we had that relationship and had invested in her,” Gonzalez said.

Indeed, sometimes betting on the right partner can help place a brand front and center at top cultural moments. 

Talia Monroe, senior vp of commercial growth at Chobani, said the company’s new multi-year U.S. Soccer sponsorship created high visibility for Chobani and its coffee brand La Colombe during this year’s World Cup. As the official nutrition partner of U.S. Soccer, Chobani ran a national “Feed the Dream” campaign with co-branded packaging and behind-the-scenes content of the U.S. men’s national soccer team. Chobani also made a $5 million investment to support 500 local youth soccer clubs with equipment and grants. 

Monroe said that Chobani’s nutrition-focused messaging made for a unique sponsorship opportunity this summer as the company ventured into sports marketing. 

“One of the reasons it connected is not necessarily because of the fame of athletes and what they’re doing on the pitch,” she said. “But it’s more so about bringing our brand to like-minded individuals, like athletes, to help us spread the word about our product portfolio to their fan base.”

Similarly, other brands are eager to use professional sporting events as a point of entry for expanding their reach.

Alyssa Brown, vp of marketing at the hair accessories brand Teleties, said that even when a brand partnership doesn’t break sales records, that partner can still bring in other opportunities down the road.

For Teleties, the brand’s most successful partnership, from a revenue standpoint, has been with Disney. “It broke our internet; it was so amazing,” Brown said.

However, she said the Orlando-based brand is now measuring success beyond sales figures. OFor example, Teleties’ most effective collaboration has been with the Orlando Magic, which began in 2023. The ongoing collaboration consists of a themed line featuring the Orlando Magic colors and logo, game-night presence, and in-arena fan giveaways. 

Brown said these Magic-themed hair ties and clips aren’t necessarily the brand’s top sellers. “But as a small business, it has opened up opportunities for us that we probably couldn’t have reached without partnering with the [Magic],” she said, including other athletes and sports teams.

Teleties’ special-edition collections have also led to partnerships with the University of Florida’s Gators, AdventHealth Hospital and other partners of the Magic. “As a smaller business, we probably wouldn’t have been able to open up doors to those opportunities,” Brown said.