Beyond Brand Fit: Emotional Value in Unexpected Co-Branding
(2025) In LBMG Strategic Brand Management - Masters Paper Series BUSN21 20252Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Purpose: This paper explores the phenomenon of unexpected co-branding – collaborations between brands with low strategic or functional fit – and identifies the key aspects that make such partnerships successful in the modern digital era. The study aims to extend Blackett and Boad’s (1999) hierarchy of shared value creation framework.
Methodology: Through a qualitative, abductive multiple-case study approach, the study explored three unexpected co-branding collaborations: Crocs x KFC, Supreme x Oreo, and IKEA x Off-White.
Findings: The main drivers for value creation in unexpected co-branding was discovered to be emotional engagement, scarcity and virality.
Research limitations: The study is centered on three large Western... (More) - Purpose: This paper explores the phenomenon of unexpected co-branding – collaborations between brands with low strategic or functional fit – and identifies the key aspects that make such partnerships successful in the modern digital era. The study aims to extend Blackett and Boad’s (1999) hierarchy of shared value creation framework.
Methodology: Through a qualitative, abductive multiple-case study approach, the study explored three unexpected co-branding collaborations: Crocs x KFC, Supreme x Oreo, and IKEA x Off-White.
Findings: The main drivers for value creation in unexpected co-branding was discovered to be emotional engagement, scarcity and virality.
Research limitations: The study is centered on three large Western collaborations, which has a risk to reduce the generalizability of findings to other cultural or market contexts. In further studies it would be relevant to focus on more consumer-oriented methods, such as interviews or surveys, to help further explore emotional responses of similar co-brandings campaigns.
Practical implications: The study extends co-branding theory by examining unexpected co-branding in the modern era. By providing a conceptual framework, it is possible to explain how emotional and unexpected co-branding can create shared value in the modern era. Brand managers can successfully create an unexpected co-branding campaign by leveraging low brand fit, humor, and scarcity to generate emotional engagement and desirability.
Originality/value: This research contributes to co-branding theory by conceptualizing unexpected co-branding and proposing an extension to the hierarchy of shared value creation framework.
Keywords: Unexpected Co-Branding, Emotional Engagement, Scarcity, Virality.
Paper type: Research paper. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9214570
- author
- Malmgren, Erik LU ; Olsson, Emma LU and Vinnichuk, Evelina LU
- supervisor
-
- Mats Urde LU
- organization
- course
- BUSN21 20252
- year
- 2025
- type
- L3 - Miscellaneous, Projetcs etc.
- subject
- keywords
- Unexpected Co-Branding, Emotional Engagement, Scarcity, Virality
- publication/series
- LBMG Strategic Brand Management - Masters Paper Series
- language
- English
- id
- 9214570
- date added to LUP
- 2025-11-14 08:22:08
- date last changed
- 2025-11-14 08:22:08
@misc{9214570,
abstract = {{Purpose: This paper explores the phenomenon of unexpected co-branding – collaborations between brands with low strategic or functional fit – and identifies the key aspects that make such partnerships successful in the modern digital era. The study aims to extend Blackett and Boad’s (1999) hierarchy of shared value creation framework.
Methodology: Through a qualitative, abductive multiple-case study approach, the study explored three unexpected co-branding collaborations: Crocs x KFC, Supreme x Oreo, and IKEA x Off-White.
Findings: The main drivers for value creation in unexpected co-branding was discovered to be emotional engagement, scarcity and virality.
Research limitations: The study is centered on three large Western collaborations, which has a risk to reduce the generalizability of findings to other cultural or market contexts. In further studies it would be relevant to focus on more consumer-oriented methods, such as interviews or surveys, to help further explore emotional responses of similar co-brandings campaigns.
Practical implications: The study extends co-branding theory by examining unexpected co-branding in the modern era. By providing a conceptual framework, it is possible to explain how emotional and unexpected co-branding can create shared value in the modern era. Brand managers can successfully create an unexpected co-branding campaign by leveraging low brand fit, humor, and scarcity to generate emotional engagement and desirability.
Originality/value: This research contributes to co-branding theory by conceptualizing unexpected co-branding and proposing an extension to the hierarchy of shared value creation framework.
Keywords: Unexpected Co-Branding, Emotional Engagement, Scarcity, Virality.
Paper type: Research paper.}},
author = {{Malmgren, Erik and Olsson, Emma and Vinnichuk, Evelina}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
series = {{LBMG Strategic Brand Management - Masters Paper Series}},
title = {{Beyond Brand Fit: Emotional Value in Unexpected Co-Branding}},
year = {{2025}},
}