local retailers Auto manufacturers with local dealerships Joint venture co-branding is another form of co-branding, defined as two or more companies going for a strategic alliance to present a product to the target audience. Example: British Airways and Citibank formed a partnership offering a credit card where the card owner will automatically become a member of the British Airways Executive club. Finally, there is multiple sponsor co-branding. This form of co-branding involves two or more companies working together to form a strategic alliance in technology, promotions, sales, etc. Example: Citibank/American Airlines/Visa credit card partnership Relationship between brand equity, brand association, and co-branding Brand name indicates the customer about their connection with the brand based on information or experience. Brand equity defines the association of consumer towards a brand name. The original brand name is familiar among the customers, whereas the co-branded brand is still new. There are plenty of associations of consumers towards co-branded products. Therefore, the customer’s use constituent brand information when there is absence of new brand formed by co-branding. When there is a negative image caused by one of the constituent brand, it also affects the other constituent brand. Brand equity can be damaged by pairing up with a brand which may have negative image in future. Brand association is developed over the years by repeated experiences and exposures. It helps customers gather information, differentiate it and come to a buying decision. Co-branding can either improve or destroy customer’s perception of each constituent brands and create a new perception for the co-branded product. Research suggests that the dissimilarity between co-branding organizations (company size, company origin country, industry scale) negatively affect the performance of co-branding organizations. See also Brand Business partnering Colocation (business) Cross-promotion Marketing co-operation Store brand Further reading Kalafatis, S., N. Remizova, D. Riley and J. Singh (2012), “The Differential Impact of Brand Equity on B2B Co-branding,” Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, Vol. 27, Issue 8, pp. 623–634. Litvinov, Nikolai. Hi-level Cobranding // Identity. — 2007. — №13(4). — pp. 96–105. Singh, J., S. Kalafatis, and L. Ledden (2014), “Consumer Perceptions of Cobrands: The Role of Brand Positioning Strategies,” Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 32, Issue 2, pp. 145–159. Wei-Lun Chang, “A Typology of Co-branding Strategy: Position and Classification,” Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge (JAABC), Vol. 12, No. 2, March, pp. 220–226, 2008. Jose Ignacio Monrabal, "When should you Co-Brand? Seven Questions to