Copyright Rolling Stone
Today’s audiences can spot inauthentic marketing a mile away. That’s why the best and most successful brand partnerships are those that feel real — grounded in shared values and genuine connection. Building this kind of collaboration requires mutual trust, creativity and a shared commitment to growth that lasts well beyond a single campaign. To explore what makes these relationships last, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share how brands can create partnerships that grow stronger with time. Maintain the Story On the experience delivery side, the best collaborations for us involve brands willing to share the lift to keep the story alive beyond the race event. Now, as women discover sports car racing and show their heart, opportunity explodes. But you can’t pen a check to mark off a social-impact box. It’s about finding partners who share the passion, the purpose and the lift to grow together. – Victoria Thomas, VICCI Inc. Back a Mutual Purpose Powerful brand collaborations are born from shared purpose, not shared logos. The best partners co-create culture — listening deeply, risking creatively and evolving together. Long-term success comes from treating collaboration as a living relationship, not a marketing tactic. – Lisa McClung, Motiv Power Systems Build Something Meaningful Strong brand collaborations are built on trust, shared ambition and a genuine spirit of collaboration. When both sides focus on creating something meaningful together — not just meeting short-term goals — you build relationships that stand the test of time. The most successful partnerships evolve, adapt and keep inspiring each other to do better work. – Geoff Robins, Tradable Bits Communicate Openly and Consistently These relationships are built on transparency, shared values and clear communication. It’s about treating the partnership as an ongoing conversation, not a transaction. The best results come when both sides feel seen, heard and supported. Long-term success grows from transparency, aligned goals and genuine respect for each other’s expertise. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC Editor’s picks The Rolling Stone Culture Council is an invitation-only community for Influencers, Innovators and Creatives. Do I qualify? Align on Culture and Mutual Growth A powerful brand-collaborator relationship is built on shared values and mutual upside, not one-off transactions. When there is cultural alignment and both sides benefit economically, you create space to co-create instead of just coexist. Trust compounds, and so do the collaborative possibilities, when each party protects and expands the other’s value over time. – Bill Hobbs, Vector Collaborate to Complement, Not Compete Know what you’re good at and what you’re not. No one is an expert at everything. No one is great at everything. Work to develop collaborative relationships that are complementary, where you are truly completing and improving each other’s efforts. Let that mutual betterment lead to approaches, initiatives and outcomes that neither of you could accomplish alone. – Jed Brewer, Good Loud Media Show the Product in Real Life For collaborations to succeed, influencers must show the product naturally in daily life, so audiences see real results and trust it. Content for content’s sake rarely works. Highlight your brand’s value by solving a problem, not just creating flashy posts. – Chris Cardillo, Garden State Media Trending Stories Embrace Vulnerability and Shared Vision Collaboration requires vulnerability and goal alignment. Killer ideas are the result of a process — an outcome earned when we have a shared vision, listen without judgment, contribute without fear and reflect through a clear lens. Vulnerability is a strength when you’re aware of your emotional triggers and when you’re projecting onto others, where goal alignment creates the foundation for growth. – Jenny Lamboy, Hybrid Marketing Co Design Collaborations Your Audience Loves
