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BY DESIGN

Ginger and Fred. Desi and Lucy. Laurel and Hardy. Individually, each was brilliant. Paired with one another, their talents took on a new dimension.This idea of "one is good, two is better" is gaining hold in the food industry, as demonstrated by the growing trend of co-branding. Pop Tarts and Smucker's may never achieve the level of fame of a Torville and Dean, but theirs has been a media-worthy performance

Ginger and Fred. Desi and Lucy. Laurel and Hardy. Individually, each was brilliant. Paired with one another, their talents took on a new dimension.

This idea of "one is good, two is better" is gaining hold in the food industry, as demonstrated by the growing trend of co-branding. Pop Tarts and Smucker's may never achieve the level of fame of a Torville and Dean, but theirs has been a media-worthy performance in its own right.

Co-branding -- the practice of "marrying" two brands -- is one of the least expensive ways for manufacturers to extend their product lines and generate new profits from already established brands. Companies should be aware, however, that the original product must already have achieved a strong brand identity before that identity can be licensed as part of co-branding ventures with other manufacturers. General Mills' Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Brownies with Hershey's Reese's Pieces has scored points with shoppers because the Reese's brand has decades of consumer recognition and acceptance behind it. Consumers know the product is of the highest quality and will meet their expectations.

From a packaging perspective, sharing the spotlight with another name brand can help a product stand out on a crowded supermarket shelf. There are a number of co-branding design options available, among them:

Primary Positioning. Often, one brand will get top billing over another. On the box of General Mills' Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Brownies, the trade name of the package's "host," Betty Crocker, appears larger than the mark of the "guest," the Reese's brand, and the package design reflects Betty Crocker's trade dress, not Reese's.

Equal Placement. Sometimes two brands will be promoted equally on a package, especially if they are owned by the same company. Hershey Foods, which has married its Hershey and York brands in a chocolate peppermint refrigerated pudding product, gives the brands' marks the same consideration on the product's packaging.

Secondary Positioning. In some cases, a "host" manufacturer may be willing to cede the spotlight to a "guest" to boost consumer acceptance of the product. A case in point is Delicious Cookie Co., which gives Land O'Lakes star billing on the package of its branded-ingredient butter cookies. A strong Land O'Lakes trade dress is the primary package design element with only a small Delicious endorsement in the corner.

As with any relationship, it's wise not to jump into a co-branding venture too quickly. Companies considering co-branding opportunities either as a licensor or a licensee should consider the following:

Look for partners that are category leaders or at the top of their lines.

Make sure that potential product partners are equal in quality to your own brand; otherwise, your brand image can suffer from association.

Know that your own products' brand identity is strong enough to withstand the encroachment of other brands. As the primary brand, your product must already have achieved solid consumer acceptance.

Carefully consider the pros and cons of allowing the licensor's brand to dominate the package design. Though you are making a profit on someone else's brand identity, you are not building equity in your brand's future.

Use brand identity consistently in all co-branding applications, including trade name-trade dress (package design), in order to avoid diluting the brand.

Make sure brands complement each other. The best relationships are those in which two parties reinforce and build upon each other's strengths.

Use second brands in a way that is not confusing about what the primary brand is.

Avoid newfangled ideas. Go for partners that customers have known and trusted their whole lives.

Elinor Selame is the president of Package Design Council International and president of BrandEquity International, a visual communications and brand identity consulting firm based in Newton, Mass.