Be real. Be fun. Be wrong.

It occurred to me as I was walking out of Gymboree with my free sample of Tide stain remover that I haven’t seen Tide on the shelf of my grocery store for a long time. No doubt that is due to the fact that I primarily shop at my neighborhood grocer who only offer Seventh Generation and Meyer’s brand cleaning products, or at Whole Foods who offer a broader range of eco-friendly brands but don’t expand into the “get this shit clean at any cost” brand categories (think: Tide).

So how did a Tide product make it into my nursery? Partnership.

I didn’t have to shop where they actually sell Tide; Tide found me where I (and many other SF moms) shop through a partnership with Gymboree and a marketing tool called “free sample”.

I did a quick search for more info on the partnership when I got home and was not surprised that Tide had also solicited one of the the Walmart Elevenmom bloggers, had a youtube video of a promo fashion show, and  lot’s of print-and-redeem coupons for the stain release product.

The PR release defines the partnership as follows:

to help parents across North America get more wear out of their kids’ clothing by choosing quality items that last and last, and giving parents easy and effective solutions for caring for those clothes. The holistic, multi-touch point partnership between Gymboree and Tide Stain Release includes web site integration, co-branded interactive components, and a robust in-store marketing program with over 30 Gymboree stores

Strategic partnerships are a great way reach folks outside of your existing customer base and leverage the customer loyalty your partner has established.

A few partnerships that I think would rule:

Delfina Pizzeria + Godspeed Courier

Peet’s Coffee + Caltrain

Starbucks + Curiosity Shop