Collaboration: How to avoid crossed wires with cross-promotion
As brand-owners look to get more from their tightened budgets,
running promotions across multiple products is becoming a more
important and effective tactic, writes Suzy Bashford.  The news
that Britvic is running its first cross-brand promotion, with
PepsiCo, and backing it with its biggest consumer giveaway to
date, is a sign of the times. The 'Reward your thirst' on-pack
activity encourages consumers to text in to find out whether
they have won prizes, which will be awarded every minute for a
year at a cost of £5.5m. The campaign spans a host of brands
including Tango, 7-Up, Drench and Mountain Dew.  In the wake of
a recession, such promotions make commercial sense. However,
Jonathan Gatward, Britvic's brand and activation director,
argues that the joint activity is more than just an economy
drive and that retailer buy-in is a key part of the strategy
too. 'By offering just one promotion across a wide range of
brands, we hope it will make it e