The Power of Co-Branding and Limited-Edition Products

Above, a co-branded food product that just appeared today on supermarket shelves: Limited Edition Peeps Oreo cookies.

Peeps has its own loyal customer base (including 327k Facebook fans) and Oreo has its own loyal customer base (with 42 million-plus Facebook fans).

Combine two powerful brands, add the "buy now" incentive of a limited-edition product with a holiday connection, and you have an end-cap seasonal item that attracts attention from shoppers and the media.

And of course Oreo has created a hashtag for this limited-edition product, to fuel word of mouth: #OreOMG.

Where Cobranding Is on the Menu

If you've been to a casual-dining restaurant recently, you've probably seen cobranding on the menu. For example, Doritos Locos Taco is an exclusive Doritos-branded offering at Taco Bell and Strawberry Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich is a dessert available only at Carl's Jr. (see photo).

Ad Age has a brief list of other cobranding deals that include a well-known grocery brand with a well-known casual-dining brand. 

And now, Pepsi has a deal with Buffalo Wild Wings to supply its soft drinks (in place of Coke-branded beverages) and talk about cobranded menu items featuring Frito-Lay snacks.

Cobranding isn't new, but it's being used creatively in the restaurant industry to sharpen the differentiation between competing chains. Cobranding often attracts a lot of media attention, which in turn means curious customers flock in for a taste. Plus, loyal brand fans of the grocery brand may become loyal fans of the new menu item.

Thanks to cobranding, the Doritos Locos Taco became a $1 billion menu item in less than two years, by far the most successful new product launch in Taco Bell's history. 

What new cobranded menu items will we see in 2014?

Cinnabon's Sweet and Social Marketing Success

Above, the well-known Cinnabon Classic bun next to the Minibon. Counting sales in its franchised stores and through other channels, including branded buns in Burger King, Cinnabon sells 100 million cinnamon-infused sweet rolls every year and rings up $1 billion in global sales.

The brand positioning is as a sweet indulgence, not an everyday experience. Still, the caloric Cinnabon Classic (880 calories) is hugely popular, compared to the Minibon (350 calories). Cinnabon is also partnering with Pillsbury and Kellogg, among other big companies, on cobranded food products for supermarket shelves.

More growth and profits are in sight as Cinnabon expands into new markets like Libya and adds new franchise locations in existing markets. After all, with only 1,100 retail locations worldwide, there's lots of room for new stores.

The company is a hit in social media, with nearly 1 million Facebook friends, 48,000 Twitter followers, a YouTube page, a Flickr page, and quick responses to brand references in all media.

Coming up next: Cinnabon K-cup coffee pods from Green Mountain Roasters. What other cobranded products will Cinnabon explore?