One party is the “promoter.” The other is the “platform.”

An early example of this thinking dates to 1975, when McDonald’s introduced breakfast as a new day part. Gilette introduced the Good News disposable razor, their first-of-a-kind product. Both parties targeted men aged 18-34.

The theme of “Free Good News with Breakfast” struck a chord with the audience and triggered a national promotion, resulting in the production of twenty-three million Good News razors to meet the demand at McDonald’s. My idea won McDonald’s first National Marketing Achievement Award in 1976. I am still proud of that one.

The point here…be creative. Broaden your thinking.

Could your product be someone else’s platform for a joint promotion? It could be a win-win, with a shared budget and additional media power.

June is a popular marriage month. This is a suitable time to create one of your own.

View previous monthly morsels on our Free Marketing Advice page.