I hated the term “Return on Relationship” the first time I read it. I had been screwed over and used by a few people that I considered friends around the time that this phrase was becoming popularized. I wasn’t wrong about being upset that people were talking about cashing in on friendships, but I might have been a little too hurt at the time, making my initial response to the concept pretty negative. Can you blame me? “No” is the correct answer, okay?
This morning, I woke up to a mention on Facebook by one of my favorite Social Media stars, Scott Monty. He was responding to a discussion about why bloggers want relationships with brands, what does that relationship look like, is it worth it for the brand, what were the drawbacks, etc. After his initial cheeky response (“Free stuff”), he talked about working with bloggers in a creative way that was more important and meaningful than just giving random bloggers free stuff.
This is by no means a new conversation, but the questions keep being asked, so clearly, we are all still wondering whether blogger/brand relationships work and who is doing it right. For some reason, I’ve been lucky enough to work with a few amazing brands, so I thought I’d opine.
Last week, I spent a day and a half at Verizon’s Innovation Center in San Francisco. As we went around the room introducing ourselves, I found that I was surrounded by artists, promoters, popular tech writers, a couple of VP’s… and then it came to tell the table about myself. I started by saying:
“Hi, I’m Sugar Jones, and I have no idea how I got in here.”
It was an awkward moment that got a good laugh, but truly, when I’m on some of these trips, I can’t help but line myself up against the other attendees and wonder what about me got me on the plane and behind the curtain. As I gave a quick background, (sales & marketing, blogger for a few years, decent following on Twitter), it started to make a little more sense. I’m pretty much an average female consumer with kids that has x amount of dollars to spend on stuff. Also, I have a big mouth both on line and off. Beyond that, I get really excited about the things I like. Not only do I get excited about interacting with a product or brand, but because of my sales & marketing background, I get excited (while being fully aware the whole time) how it is that brand is reeling me in.
In case you think I get suckered a lot, I must tell you that I’m quite a discerning person and definitely not a fan of crap. I called the Volt out way back when, didn’t I? Okay then.
Knowing I was in over my head with all the pros on the Facebook thread this morning, I still jumped in and gave my plebian response… to which none of the pros responded. I’m taking that as a resounding “Meh” from the elders. That’s okay. They were talking about PR stuff. I was just responding as a simple blogger.
Here were the simple points I was trying to make boiled down to their essence:
- Most bloggers DO just want free stuff. The return on that relationship is going to suck.
- SOME bloggers are incredibly loyal for the experiences that a brand creates for them, regardless of stuff.
- Being treated like we belong in the room makes us really freaking happy.
The return a brand gets from a blogger depends on so many factors. You see a bunch of companies (or their PR group) sending out thousands of emails hoping that something will stick. If the blogger responds, they’ll ask for the product for free, maybe a payment for the post, and IF they like the product, they might tweet about it. That’s all they should expect with that level of engagement.
Then you get a company like Verizon that gathered a group of us together to ask us how they were doing, what could they do better, and how can we work with them in the areas that they are lacking. Then, they wow us with their new technologies and their third party products that we got so excited about, we couldn’t wait to snap and post pictures to all of our platforms. Before we left, they gave us a few cool products and a T-Shirt that proves we got to hang out there. What do they get in return? A loud group of outspoken people talking over each other about all of their shortcomings and praising them where they are getting it really right, PLUS, some of us run straight to our Verizon store after our trips to buy (with actual dollars) the cool stuff they introduced to us.
Yes, that’s what I did.
Or take Ford. They bring a group of bloggers along with their traditional auto journalists out to Detroit, give them inside information into their technologies, making us swoon with delight at all that they are doing to be better stewards of our world, followed up with some great experiences on their test tracks, including drag racing each other in F-150′s, and guess what? They now have boots on the ground talking all of their friends and neighbors into buying a Ford.
Yes, we are still planning to buy a Ford. We’re just enjoying a few more months of no car payment.
Then there’s Nintendo. They have the blogger relationship DOWN! The group that handles our ambassadorship is constantly delighting us with random packages and fun experiences to showcase the functionality of their products. When you add up how much all of our “free stuff” costs, it’s really not very much. I mean, we could all go out and buy these items without a second thought. But the cool part is we get these games before everyone else and in a way that delights us. For instance, for the release of one mystery game, we received a random package with a message in a bottle. The message wasn’t visible until we used the blue light flashlight from the second package to decipher it. We knew something else was coming, but had to wait until the next day to find out what that something was. It was a mystery about a mystery.
Delightful!
Brands that are thinking about working with bloggers need to decide what return they want on those relationships. They don’t have to take us on lavish trips or send us free stuff all the time, and bloggers shouldn’t expect that. With all the noise out there, brands do need to get more creative; be more delightful. Do they just want a bunch of random links leading back to their site or do they want to create an army of raving fans, sold out on their product or service? Do they want to give a thousand bloggers a little tchotchke or do they want to give a smaller group of compelling bloggers a really cool experience? Neither is right or wrong. It just depends on the return the brand is looking for. Regardless of which approach a brand takes, the old axiom rings true:
You get what you give.
PS: Bloggers… this goes for us, too. 
Beautifully said, Sugar. Treating us like we belong in the room is key. Don’t envision us sitting on the sofa eating bonbons with an iThing on our laps while our kids are in school while the truth is that many of us have or had long and successful careers. We do belong in the room. Many thanks to the brands who get that.
foundthemarbles Ha! I’m sure that’s how many companies picture us. You can almost hear it in their presentation when they suddenly remember to use the words “blogger” or “mommy” in the most annoying way.
You nailed it Sugar. In some cases giving the product out to people like you (you know a big mouth online and off
) makes sense if the brand’s goal is product reviews and trial. But the farther reaching value that you are discussing takes more effort and creativity from the brand…or what ever agency is handling it for them. It would be an effort that is taken more seriously in the organization than having an intern sending out an email offers. I do think bloggers make great marketers and treating them like important people who should be invited to the “room” along with other stakeholders makes a lot of sense.
There is some confusion out there I think as to whether bloggers should or want to be treated like marketing entities who are compensated in some way. Or, if blogging should be preserved in an organic fashion to serve the purposes of editorial. In publishing an ad is an ad and it’s paid and disclosed as such in some fashion. There are some blurring of the lines when it comes to blogging. And, I think much of it is never disclosed. Not saying that’s you by any means! Just another topic that is not talked about much.
@memelonie You’re so right. The lines are really blurry sometimes. I actually find myself needing to state that I purchased an item. The companies I work with are sticklers about disclosures, some going as far as linking to the laws regarding the need to disclose. One company I worked with even had us meet with their attorney to iron out how we, as ambassadors, would be representing them in a way that was honest and ethical.
And then you have the “other guys” that tell you NOT to disclose. That blows me away every time. I’m sure they won’t last, but there will always be someone popping up to take their place.
Nail. On. The. Head. I love it!
Yes, Ford is fantabulous. I always tell people, if you have the opportunity to work with them, do it. They treat people right.
It really is sad that most bloggers just want free stuff, and that companies have gotten this impression. I have worked with several companies that I adore and would love to work with again, on other projects, but they’re not open to more… it’s all a one-time deal with them because that’s what they think it ‘should’ be.
Thank you, for educating brands on what a relationship should look like!
@ericaemueller Thanks for sharing, @ericaemueller ! I think we’re just in continuing ed. Just as our space continues to evolve, so does this relationship. I suppose we could say, “It’s Complicated” huh?
Sugar, thanks for sharing this! As a new blogger, I actually don’t expect to get anything in return, my whole goal is to give to the people who follow me! It is always interesting hearing others perspectives. You are honest and open and brands are lucky to have you! Keep your voice going strong!!!
Your experience with Ford helped push me (already a Ford lover, but mostly the trucks) back them even more, talk to my friends about them and then I went out and bought a new Ford Focus!! Your blog and tweets about your experience really opened my eyes to how much better they are than the “other” American car companies
@FitCareBear Wow! I’m so glad to hear that! How are you liking the @Ford Focus? I’m DYING to get mine.
@SugarJones13 @FitCareBear @FordLove! I totally have a love affair with Ford. My first car was an ’85 ford ranger and I’ve also owned a ’97 Ranger and a 2005 hybrid escape. I’m already planning my next Ford, which will be a hybrid SUV. I appreciate their integrity as a company; instead of taking a handout they “reinvented” themselves, focused on green alternatives and restructured the company enough to survive the downturn economy (your post help me learn some of this). If I was a blogger they would be the first company I would want to work with! Go Get Your Focus NOW
PS love all your blogs!
@FitCareBear
While I’m not a Ford fan – I love that you saidd that Sugar’s tweets and blog influenced you! This is what we all want to hear from our readers. I am thrilled when someone tells me that about my work with a brand!
I agree with your points! My other thing to add is that if a brand says they are going to continue the relationship after an event, they really need to do that. There is one brand in particular I worked with and they went on and on during the event to everyone, but afterwards there was nothing – not to anyone who had been on the trip. I have no idea what they got out of this in the end because it actually ended up alienating the bloggers that they sent on the trip.
@RobynsWorld That’s always such a bummer. It’s like all your hard work and collaboration disappears into thin air. Such a let down.
I would much rather build a great relationship with a brand than just “get stuff for free”. I want them to value me as much as I value working with them, and if it’s not a good fit, it’s not. Thanks for this post and for noting that it’s okay to work with companies just because you love their brand.
I couldn’t have said it better. I don’t want to be a commercial. I want to CARE. Make me care.
@AndreaUpdyke Love this —> “Make me care.” YES!!!
Well said. Although my time and effort is worth money, when a brand recognizes my loyalty even away from the blogging arena, I’ve become an even bigger fan. As a blogger, I’ll work my butt off if the brand is a good fit and I’m treated well. It’s a two way street.
@ConnieFoggles Thanks for visiting!!
And thanks for bringing this up. I totally agree that our time is absolutely valuable. There are many campaigns that I get well paid to work on, but those are in a different capacity. If a company wants me to come up with original creative or simply post regularly to drive traffic to their site, I’m getting paid. The campaigns mentioned in this post are more on the blogger outreach side of things where the companies don’t expect us to write x amount of posts by a particular deadline. I just wanted to clarify that for bloggers that might be starting out and confused by the different opportunities out there.
Great information and so true!
Well said Sugar. The key to brands is finding the bloggers who actually want the relationship and not just the free stuff. The free stuff/product review strategy works well for brands when building SEO and incoming links, but it doesn’t do the same thing for attracting loyal consumers as the content from real brand advocates and fans (which you may have acquired by giving the bloggers exclusive information and treatment). The reason: typically the type of bloggers who are in it for free stuff also care more about what they can get their hands on, instead of their audience and the content they are creating — making the “I got this for free”-posts less credible, especially in the blogs where 9 in 10 posts are this of a kind.
The best way to engage with bloggers and create those relationships that have a better “return” is to build strong relations with key influencers in a meaningful way. One of my personal favorite brands to work with is Hanes – and while they have sent us a few 5 dollar t-shirts and socks, they have never paid me for anything, and yet I will be a brand advocate for life for the information, experiences and the respect as a blogger I have received from them (shout-out to Weber Shandwick team for fostering this relationship).
@KatjaPresnal Excellent point, Katja! Those posts not only are less credible but begin to erode away any trust the readers had of that writer. Eventually, the readers go away. Also: “build relationships with key influencers in a meaningful way.” Such a simple concept, but so many companies miss this.
@SugarJones13 Exactly. And the thing is – my main concern as a publisher is my audience and my content and I have been saying this to brands for years: give me something to write about. The press releases that PR companies are great, and I know ow much work goes into those, BUT bloggers and social media is different – we want to publish something that WE have a saying or experience or personal connection with, and that’s rarely reached with blanket press releases. The companies who take time to know my and my audience and then tailor the brand messaging to my needs are for sure getting more coverage than the ones who are not investing their time to the relationship.
Fantastic and a great insight! It is funny how thrilled we are to be accepted tho, isn’t it??
@Mary Frances Main It’s the simplest of basic human needs.
Love it. And I agree about Nintendo and Brand About Town – they do it right. Hands down.
@MomInManagement I absolutely love what Justine and that whole group does. They set the bar kinda high. I hope other companies are willing to follow their example.
For me it’s not so much the phrase itself, although I think it’s one of those catch-phrases that should stay behind the corporate curtain. Brands are not philanthropies and bloggers are not charities so obviously between the two there must be some legitimate business purpose for that brand/blogger relationship to work. However, when both parts of that relationship want everything from the other but is not willing to give authentically to nurture an ongoing or long-term relationship it’s really no different than what we see on reality TV each week when people are voted off.
Whether it’s one-night or life-long it can be called a relationship. A relationship is merely a connection, and some people are satisfied with the superficial and inauthentic while others aren’t willing to waste their time for anything less than commitment.
What’s the brand/blogger equivalent of “If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it”?
@saving4someday I see a spoof video in our future…
Well said, Sugar! I use the delete button very liberally with all those “free stuff” emails. I occasionally explain that I’m looking to build a relationship with companies that truly fit with my readership and that I’d love to discuss more in-depth how we can work together to benefit BOTH of our brands. Responses vary. Conversations like this have been the start to some truly amazing relationships, and I’ve also received insulting responses like, “Hundreds of bloggers are willing to write a post in exchange for a box of crackers. Your loss.”
@somedayilllearn Just the other day, someone told me to write back to the “free stuff” emailers and tell them that while this won’t work for me, anything related to the subjects I write on would be great, and then list what you write about. It sounded good for about a second, but then I realized, to the PR intern that just spammed me, I’m just a number. And truly, I don’t want to get a response like the one you mentioned. It’s unproductive.
Truth is, I don’t really want to take the time to send that email back. It’s easier to just delete. I’m not a magazine. I don’t want to spitball my content. I WANT to work with selective people that want to work with me, for whatever reason.
Sugar, this is right on the money. You and I don’t run on the same train politically but I am right there with you on stuff like this.
Excellent post.
Shugs, you always have the best posts about these things. It does go both ways, and I think it’s easy for us bloggers to sit back and look for things to be given to us. But You DO get out of it what you put into it.
So, my phone jumped off the roof of my car this week. (I think it was all the texting). My beloved iPhone. I have (had) ATT. No insurance, not eligible for an upgrade. So I started shopping where to get one and who’s plan was really the most cost effective. I took to FB and Twitter. Things like – hey, who uses such-n-such a carrier or where do you get your phones from?
The overwhelming answers were all pointing at Verizon. Not only that, but it was from people that I respected in the social media / blogging world. These people were connected, all. the. time. They are not complaining about the service as a whole and are happy with their CS.
So I went today and made the leap, largely b/c of the input of others. NOT the SM person for Verizon, NOT b/c of the website of the company. But because of people’s honest opinions. Opinions and networks do matter.
@OhYeah_Her I’m glad we were able to beat some sense into you.
Twitter: thejackb
says:
Hi Sugar,
I’ll lend a dad’s seal of approval to Justine and the gang because they understand that people want to feel valued and appreciated.
I think we have two fundamental issues that come into play here:
1) Do the brands/agencies understand how to use social media and have an effective plan for doing so. Some of them clearly don’t. They are flying by the seat of their pants so it is no surprise to see them fumble the ball. We shouldn’t assume that they are intentionally messing with us because when you don’t have a solid understanding/plan everyone suffers.
2) There is a very low barrier to entry so there are 8 million bloggers shouting into the wind. Quite a few of them pitch every brand that catches their fancy. Some of them have the same problem as the brand/agencies that don’t understand social media and some of them don’t.
When you have all that noise out there it makes it much easier to get lost in the confusion. Not to mention we all love to tell stories about the terrible blogger/agency experiences we have.
Part of why I enjoy working with Nintendo so much is because there is regular communication between Brand About Town and us. It makes it much easier for me to try to do my part and I am sure helps them quite a bit.
P.S. I still receive pitches addressed to Dear Mom or Mommy Blogger. Those warm the cockles of my heart.
@TheJackB I can’t believe you get Dear Mommy Blogger emails. LOL!!
The noise level is tremendous, from both sides. I always cringe when I read horrible agency stories only because I wonder how they could miss the mark when they could just work a little harder to get it right. I guess it goes back to the noise and the low barrier to entry. It’s not just bloggers that can hang up a shingle and say “gimme stuff.” Some PR pros are out there pretending to be pros. Thankfully, we have so many fine examples (like Justine Meek at Brand About Town and @CarolSchiller at Cozi) to point to for doing it well.
This is a great article, I know that I personally like to really become involved with brands/books with teenagers boys/girls and how to send them to college and they watch as they move on their life. Yes, I like free stuff but it is important more now to work with what fits your niche. I am a new at this writing but following many years. I apologize in advance if anything came across incoherent and rude.
@crazedmom You are not at all incoherent and rude. LOL! Made perfect sense.
Sugar, Such an interesting mix of issues always arise in the blogger/brand relationship discussion. Maybe that’s why it keeps cropping up.
I agree that Nintendo appears to be doing a great job in their blogger outreach program. And let’s face it they have three things bloggers really want: the cache of being a big brand, cool stuff to give away and plenty of cash to spend on marketing. Ah, the good life. This is rarified ground indeed.Still, as one commenter mentioned, at the end of the day, it’s peer recommendations that sway people most, so even the most robust and well-funded blogger outreach program won’t be able to overcome serious and well-recognized problems with quality. (Dell anyone?)The flip side of this for brands with money to burn is that they are magnets for the “gimme” crowd. So those brands have the task of wading through and figuring out who is interested in them for the right reasons. Contrast this with small brands, most of whom have no money and not even much free stuff to give. For those brands, it’s pretty much only about relationships. And bloggers who are truly interested in relationships and not stuff have a better shot at working with them, because the gimme crowd disperses quickly when goodies are lacking.
If you need to make a living from your blog, small brands may not be able to help you with cash or stuff, but the good ones need to find other ways to deliver value to the community. I always love finding small brands that have managed to create awesome karma without a fat budget (Mabels Labels jumps to mind). Often, that’s where some of the most interesting stuff happens. I’d love to hear from other commenters about small brands who are doing it right – without the cash to back them up. Anyone?
@CarolSchiller I have to tell you that you and Cozi came up at the Verizon table as a great app for our smart phones and as a great small company doing social media right. I think you have done an excellent job building relationships on-line through the chats and actually going on to bloggers’ blogs to read their stuff. I’d love to see more small companies like Cozi getting more creative. Maybe that’s where we (bloggers) come in?
Scott Monty made a point about the “gimme” crowd. He remarked that just before a conference, he gets tons of requests from bloggers asking to “test drive” or review a car on their trip to that conference. I’ve heard him say this before: “We’re not Hertz.” I know some people got offended to read that, but it’s true. He was surprised that I rented a Focus (rather than asing for a test drive) to show my husband how awesome of a little car it was. I suppose I could have asked, but the flip side to that was that I just wanted to enjoy our road trip and not feel obliged to blog about it. LOL
@SugarJones13 @CarolSchiller
Sugar, Wow, I am delighted to hear that Cozi came up in a positive way! Thank you.
I actually wonder how many social professionals would like to build relationships and know they should, but are so busy justifying their jobs to execs that do not understand the community, they just can’t. I bet (or hope) that happens at least as often as not.
Separately, you make a very interesting point about renting that Ford on your own so you won’t feel obligated. My gut is that anyone who says they don’t feel at least a little bit obligated after getting something for free is lying. It’s just human nature (for people who are not free-loading jerks, at least). So yes, if any of us want something with absolutely no strings, paying for it is the way to go.
This works both ways. If a blogger repeatedly writes about my brand, talks about my brand, and recommends my brand, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’m feeling some kind of obligation to do what I can for that person. Even if I can’t pay them, you can be sure I’m on the lookout for how I can send them previews of my product, share their posts or even just retweet their tweets. But I imagine this only works with a brand that is doing social on a very personal level, so it’s good to be aware of that when you are trying to “pay it forward”.
Thoughts?
@CarolSchiller I think there’s a lot of good in goodwill on line. Reciprocity is a word we used to throw around too often, but in this situation, and most relationship building efforts, it fits.
You are so great about sharing posts. I see a lot of small businesses doing this for bloggers. It’s a great gift to a blogger that wants to reach more readers, and hey, it’s free! When I first jumped on Twitter, that was the one thing I saw the big guys like Gary Vee and Chris Brogan doing. They gave more than they got and, as we all can see, got rewarded for it. It’s social media karma.
Excellent post Sugar. Working with a brand that I feel good about promoting an that fits within my boundaries of what I write about is so important. It seems like this is an ongoing topic and I’m looking forward to seeing how all this evolves as we continue to work in this space. Such great insight you have my friend.
@SugarJones13 Hi Sugar! I wanted to follow up on our tweets and wasn’t sure I could do it in only 140 characters (Though I tried. Really hard
!). I agree with a lot of what you said in your post and what is being said in the responses above. I think in most cases, it is best to offer bloggers an experience, and of course one that is relevant to their lifestyle and the interests of their readers. If the brand can offer something more than what is made available to the public – even better! I’m shocked by the response that @somedayilllearn received from a brand’s PR/marketing “pro” – He/she said: “Hundreds of bloggers are willing to write a post in exchange for a box of crackers. Your loss.” — Really? Definitely not appropriate or smart, in my perspective. From a brand’s point a view, and the point of view of the PR/marketing professional, a positive relationship with an influential, connected blogger is ALWAYS better than a cut-and-dry blog post. I think the biggest mistake that some brand CEO’s make (especially when they’re new to social media and blogging), is thinking that a blogger is always available and can work on the brand’s time and schedule. As Jessica @FoundtheMarbles said, bloggers have lives! (And hello, they’re damn interesting otherwise people read about them!) Whether you’re pitching a blogger or an editor, I’ve found that it’s best to remember that you’re speaking with a human and you need to respect their time and work. I absolutely love this conversation and enjoy hearing and learning from bloggers, so thank you everyone for sharing! 
*responses below
@Bita Thanks so much for sharing from the PR point of view! What’s funny but sad is that it’s not all that @somedayilllearn @FoundtheMarbles said is not that shocking to us on this end. There are lots of PR folks making your industry look bad. The good thing is that we all talk, and hopefully, the bad ones will just go away. But for every spammy emailing group that goes away, I’m sure two pop back up in their place.
@SugarJones13 @somedayilllearn I know and it’s very unfortunate. I think this is something that editors and reporters struggle with as well, and it does leave a negative mark on the industry. Luckily, I know many PR and marketing professionals who do, do their homework and learn about the person behind the blog, column or media outlet before pitching them. Personally, I love doing blogger outreach because I love reading blogs. I swear it’s through blogger outreach that I’ve improved my cooking skills and rediscovered my love for DIY and crafts.
@SugarJones13 @somedayilllearn @FoundtheMarbles Just wanted to clear this up… I meant to say, blogger’s lives are damn interesting otherwise people *wouldn’t read about them! small typo.. big boo-boo
My bad!
Love your post Sugar! I’m all about that personal interaction so it’s great to see the positive effect of it from your point of view.
I am extremely grateful to them for their ongoing support. One of the best parts of running my business is getting to know all these incredible moms/bloggers. At the end of the day, we’re all just trying to feed our family and keep a smile on our face. I know we are doing that for each other.
The success of my company is pretty much due to the amazing relationships that I enjoy nurturing with bloggers. In the beginning, I approached each blogger individually and was most often answered with “Yes, thanks, I’d love to.” I attribute that to the fact that I sent personal emails that did not resemble a “dear blogger” form template. Now, when bloggers write to me. I answer every inquiry, but pretty much won’t work with a blogger who doesn’t take the time to call out my products/why she’s interested in them, and instead says, “if you have anything to review I’d love to.” Again, it’s that personal approach we all do so much better with.
Today, I have personal interactions with a large number of bloggers on a daily basis who continually post about my products. Many of these gals have become real friends, and I consider them the ultimate fan club
@Kelly Lester Thanks for commenting, Kelly! Great to get your feedback as a small business owner who has had success reaching out to and working with bloggers.
I have to tell you that you inspired me to make lunches for my kids. I didn’t like what they were eating at school, but I wasn’t thinking past a simple sandwich. Seeing the gallery of photos on your site made me rethink lunch. After a couple of months, the kids even started getting into the packing fun. They check your site for ideas, too!
I had to look twice to make sure it was really you.
@SugarJones13 LOL. Yup, there’s only me here at EasyLunchboxes! YOU made my day!!! Wow. I’m thrilled to know I’ve inspired you in the kitchen – Your writing inspires me. I’m seriously in awe of terrific writers who can express themselves as you do. That’s the part I struggle with most. Pretty good with email, FB and Twitter, but blogging? Like pulling teeth for me
You have my utmost respect. Thanks for your reply Sugar!
Those are some very good and creative brands you mentioned – some don’t have that kind of budget – but have such a stellar product or service that remaining loyal after a giveaway can lead to future opportunities down the road when the brand gets bigger – this has worked well for me in establishing a rapport with a small brand and continuing to nurture that relationship so I have a long standing relationship – meaning I can approach them with my own promo ideas for cross promotioni. I just bring it up because sometimes the gems you find with a small brand can be exactly that golden seed you plant and water and grow to keep around season after season.
When I was in banking we had a term”relationship banking” and because I was good at uncovering the financial needs through relationship discussions, I did well. It wasn’t my passion however ; ) But unwittingly I’ve carried that relationship idea over into my own venture and THAT is what brings people back. Relationships are far more valuable than throwing darts blindly and hoping something sticks.