Brand partnerships

Collaborations with external partners are entered into on various occasions to jointly offer a product or service. Through this partnership, they can increase our reach, raise our brand awareness and create added value for our customers.

Finding the right partner brands

Choosing the right partnerships can be a game-changer for a brand. It's not just about finding collaborators; it's about aligning values, reaching new audiences, and creating meaningful experiences. So make sure you have a high brand fit when choosing your partners. Various types of partnerships are conceivable. Our partnership strategy guides you in forging connections that elevate our brand to new heights.

Overview criteria for partnerships
and alliances

Areas for partnerships

Branding options for partnerships

Endorsement

Strategic partnerships in which one brand publicly endorses or recommends another brand’s products, services or events. This mutual endorsement can help increase customer trust and increase the credibility of both brands.

Advantages:

Increase brand recognition
Strengthen positioning of Heidelberg Materials
Demonstration of responsibility

Co-branding

Heidelberg Materials strategically cooperates with another brand to open up new target groups or markets. Both or more brands act as transmitters of communication, with one brand design being dominant.

Advantages:

Tap into new market or target
Increase customer benefits and/or revenue
Increase brand value
Image gain through other brand

Co-creation

Heidelberg Materials establishes a strategic partnership with an equal partner brand implementing a new visual identity. Examples could be a joint venture or temporary marketing campaign. This can be done, for example, through a joint marketing campaign with a temporary presence or a joint venture.

Advantages:

Open new market fields or target groups
Reduce reputational risks
Increase cooperation flexibility

Partnerships scenarios

Strategic considerations for collaborations

Key decision

How prominently should Heidelberg Materials appear as a brand in collective communication?

Goal

No matter what the collaboration looks like, it should always be communicated logically and understandably at every touchpoint for the consumer.

The following influencing factors must be taken into account:

1

Legal aspects

– e.g. liabilities arising from a cooperation agreement
2

Brand Design

– Binding and necessary elements based on the brand design of one or both partners
3

Customer journey

– Inclusion of various touchpoints
4

Spillover Effects

– Strategic decision as to which effects should be achieved through the partnership (and whether it may affect other areas)

Logo usage

When communicating with partner logos, we always use our compact logo to ensure a clear visualisation of Heidelberg Materials.

Logo version

Design fields

If the Heidelberg logo is placed next to a partner logo in a co-branding context, the compact logo is always used – regardless of whether in the ‚Inform‘ or ‚Inspire‘ design field. The ‚floating logo‘ variant is not used in a co-branding context, as otherwise the logos cannot be optimally placed next to each other.

Use the compact logo in the ‚Inform‘ design field.

Use the compact logo in the ‚Inspire‘ design field, deviating from the standard practice.

Use the compact logo when creating a new visual identity with a partner brand.

Use the compact logo as a guest in a partnership.

Heidelberg Materials as a host

Host – endorsement

The contribution of a partner to a Heidelberg Materials product or service is communicated in the Heidelberg Materials brand design.

The partner logo is placed together with the content of the communication medium.

Size of partner logos

In the case of an endorsement, the Heidelberg Materials brand should be clearly recognisable as the author and sender of the communication. That’s why the partner logos are used smaller than the Heidelberg Materials logo. Since different logos have a different visual impact due to their design, the correct size ratio to the Heidelberg Materials logo cannot be specified as an absolute value. Adjustments must be made by hand, in the first instance.

Structure of the endorsement

Several partner logos are arranged centered next to each other or left-aligned on top of each other. The visually smallest logo should be approximately 70% of the Heidelberg Materials logo. The sizes of the other logos are optically adjusted here. The distance between the logos is 1 building block when arranged vertically and 2 building blocks when arranged horizontally.

Multiple partner logos horizontally are visually centered

Descriptor

The descriptor communicates how the partner brand contributes to the other brand’s product or service. It is always set to English.

Examples

In cooperation with
can stand for institutional and strategic partnerships.

Provided by
can stand for the integration of components of the third-party brand.

With the support of
can stand for the integration of technological components of the third-party brand.

Powered by
can stand for technological support of the third-party brand.

Host - endorsement in use

Standard endorsement placements

Placement on extreme formats

1/2

Equal partnership

Both brands appear as senders. Please note: as the creation of a new visual identity has huge impact on the Heidelberg Materials brand, such applications require close collaboration and approval from the group communication team.

Co-creation

Co-creation means that Heidelberg Materials, together with another brand, creates a new visual identity for a shared target audience to communicate a joint product or service.

Visual appearance

In the case of a co-branding, the Heidelberg Materials brand should be clearly recognisable as the sender of the communication.

Two or more brands are senders of the communication.

A new visual appearance is being developed.

Co-creation in use

Heidelberg Materials as a guest

Guest – endorsement

If the Heidelberg Materials brand appears as an endorsement in partner communication, this is identified by a descriptor. This can be worded differently depending on the context, a common variant is “Supported by”.

Please note: If the partner would like to use the Heidelberg Materials logo in a different colour than those shown above, please contact the group communication team.

Surface

Only ever use one of the four colours for the surface. Grey, Deep Green, White, or Black.

The size of the area results from the protection zone of the logo and corresponds to half the height of the logo.

Guest – co-branding

In the case of co-branding in the context of a partner brand, the partner’s CD specifications generally apply. However, to ensure that both brands are sent together, the Heidelberg Materials logo should be used in the same size and position as the partner logo.

Please note: If the partner would like to use the Heidelberg Materials logo in a different colour than those shown above, please contact the group communication team.

Sponsorships

Through sponsorship, we increase brand awareness and reputation among our target groups. Potential opportunities range from congresses to sporting and cultural events to educational projects. We select activities that fit our brand and review contractual obligations with regard to branding.

Please note: For general questions about corporate sponsorship, please contact the group communication team.

Heidelberg Materials as sponsor - endorsement

Heidelberg Materials sponsorship communicated as endorsement in the partner’s brand design.

The layout is created in the partner’s brand design. The partner or the event is the obvious sender of the communication and the Heidelberg Materials logo is less prominent.

Heidelberg Materials as a sponsor – guest

Heidelberg Materials sponsorship communicated as co-branding in the partner’s brand design.

Any questions about our guidelines?
Contact us.

N Support
T + 49 211 690787-200
E support@Brandhub.heidelbergmaterials.com