Are collaborations getting smaller? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 Over the last few months, we’ve seen a large amount of collaborations between globally recognised brands and much smaller ones. Some examples, in order of Instagram following.. Salomon x #Phileo Paris (12.8k) #Mitre x #LackOfGuidance (16k) Umbro x #Sedan All Purpose (20.9k) Saucony x #MintedNewYork (81.2k) Even ‘niche’ podcasts are now getting big brand collaborations. This week the cult menswear style podcast Throwing Fits debuted a volt yellow adidas Samba, while #HowLongGone announced a collaboration with Stockholm based MORJAS Shoes (see James Denman's analysis). The same goes for radio stations. Just last week Adidas Originals tapped #NTSRadio for a recent football themed #Teamgeist collection. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 At some point big legacy brands, comparatively stagnant when it comes to cultural speed, realised that depth matters just as much (if not more) than width when it comes to ensuring a successful collaboration. As such, larger companies now seek collaborations with much smaller projects that allow them - when done in the right way - to speak to a much narrower, particular audience with accuracy and authenticity, increasing their loyalty and interest. It’s no surprise then that the majority of these niche collaborations have come from larger brands that are currently going through a revival. A few months ago, Umbro went viral for a surprisingly avant-garde collaboration with Milan based retailer #SlamJam, just one of the partnerships they’d made to reintroduce the brand to a new, fashion forward market. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 The metric for being a ‘brand’ worth collaborating with has truly been ripped up and revisited. You don’t even have to make products, and you certainly don’t have to be a global force. For brands looking to make a statement in culture, follower count is no longer the best metric for success as depth becomes more important than width. And that’s exciting. --- Follow edition+partners for more insights. #collaboration #umbro #throwingfits
Great summary, and thank you for the shout-out. There's defintely value in these niche collabs with partners that have their own community attached to them.
“Uncharacteristically fashionable” ? Bit harsh, Umbro has collaborated with Off-White, Patta, Palace, Aries, and New Order in the past just to name a few. Not bad for a brand that is 100 years old!?
I don't suppose the non Canadian viewers noted the Tim Hortons - adidas Samba collaboration advertised last week. The coffee and donut chain is running a contest giveaway, where the Samba colours mirror four donut flavours made in the stores. https://www.news.timhortons.ca/en/articles/tim-hortons-and-adidas-team-up-for-limited-edition-national-donu
I love this so much that it hurts, Harry Salmons! Can I ask you to clarify one point though? “…a new, fashion forward market” — I’m not disagreeing with this point in the slightest, in fact, I 100% agree with it. My problem is that I can spot the trends, I can see where it’s going, but finding the actual data to back this up is tough (and that means it’s hard to sell-in) Can you point me to any solid articles / pieces of data? (Please) 😬
Collabs are now two a penny…they are just an extension of a brands marketing. Some have more impact than others but the shine has gone off them a bit in recent seasons. The smaller niche ones no doubt generate interest with the relevant demographic but overall their mojo is waning.
Great analysis Harry Salmons, as always. Yes, "go big, go niche" could became the new approach for big brands in order to boost their cultural relevance.
Love this. I’ve spoken to a few clients about aligning with more subcultures than mass culture for the last couple years. Not only does this help smaller brands, it allows larger brands to compete expand their existing customer base
They are and I love to see it. Gives the (usually) smaller collaboration partners some great spotlight and creates an even stronger bond for their followers
Global Footwear Designer & Performance Running Expert
4moor maybe collaborations mean less and less if they are getting smaller and smaller? When a collaboration is sticking a logo on something and a new colorway I wonder how really relevant they are in today's supply of constantly new "content".