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Brand Alliances

Brand alliances are a sensitive and important issue, since the public perceives them as a very close form of collaboration between two brands.

In the best case, both partners benefit from an alliance, but in the worst case a partner will suffer harm.

Therefore, before a potential brand alliance is concluded, a so-called brand alliance check must be performed in order to ensure that the BASF brand is presented in the best possible way and benefits from the cooperation. Ethical considerations also come into play.

Click here for the E-Learning brand alliances

Content

On this page you can find the following topics:

Permission to use the BASF logo

As a leading brand in the chemicals industry, our logo stands for high quality. If a supplier or partner asks if it can use the BASF logo in the form of a reference, this request should be considered carefully. If you are looking for information about the logo use agreement, please click here.

Please consider:

Before the final potential brand alliance / during the early stage in the development process of the brand alliance, the brand alliance check has to ensure the best possible appearance of the BASF brand.

The process

The possible alliance partner asks for the usage of the BASF logo. The decision tree indicates whether it is about a brand alliance. In case of a brand alliance, the brand alliance check will follow before the logo use agreement model will be draw up.

Brand Alliance Check

How is a brand alliance formed?

If you are considering a brand alliance, please contact your respective Brand Champion and Brand Consultant. Conduct a joint brand alliance review in order to discuss the benefits of the brand alliance, assess the goals and benefits of the alliance and analyze the risks. A final decision is made based on the results of the discussion.

Only the pages marked with EXTERNAL can be shared with the partner to receive all information regarding the planned alliance.

Process

1. Decision tree to check if a logo agreement is required

2. Brand alliance check guided by Brand Champions and supported by Brand Consultant

3. Documentation of alliance check results

4. Brand alliance contract by legal consultant

5. Visualization, implementation and monitoring

Types of brand alliances

Which types of brand alliances exist and how does such a brand alliance look like?

While visualization the key question is: Who is the publisher of the communication material? There are three possible variations:

Variations of brand alliances

A text should explain the relation between the brands. It describes briefly and precisely as possible the specific contribution BASF makes as part of the partnership. This has also legal relevance.

Find here examples for texts in the partner’s media:

Distributor/Retailer branding

What is distributor/retailer branding?

Retailer branding is a form of brand alliance that enables our retailers to use our brand in their communications. This strengthens the relationship between us and the retailer on both sides, promotes retailer performance, and sets them apart from the competition, which in turn has a positive impact on our overall business goals.

Download the Distributor Branding Guidelines

Process to start distributor branding

Allowing a retailer to use our brand

In order to build or intensify a brand relationship with a distributor, first of all contact the Legal Department to draw up a distributor contract. Make a Brand Alliance Check with the help of your Brand Champion to discuss in which intensity and precise visualization we will allow our distributor to use our brand. Please keep both your Brand Champion and Brand Consultant up to date on all steps so that they can assist you during the process at all times. After passing the Brand Alliance Check, the distributor contract will be complemented or a seperate logo/brand usage agreement will be set up by the Legal Department and you can provide the retailer with all necessary data via your communications unit. Please inform the retailer that they must submit the mock-ups, which they intent to use for their communication material, with the Brand Alliance Check, and also provide to the Legal Department for the set up of the Logo Use Agreement.

Please contact your Brand Champion and Brand Consultant for more details. The Legal Department is available to answer general questions about distributor contracts.

Logo use agreement

Permission to use the BASF logo

As a leading brand in the chemicals industry, our logo stands for high quality. If a supplier or partner asks if it can use the BASF logo in the form of a reference, this request should be considered carefully.

How do you make the decision?

The decision for or against allowing a third party to use the logo is not always easy. Please always contact your Brand Champion and the Legal Department before making a decision. Business benefits for BASF, the relevance of the proposed collaboration and the way the partner works are some of the factors that can play a role.

The steps in the process to approve a logo reference

1. If a partner requests that they would like to use the logo, please contact then your Brand Champion, who will then discuss the request with the Brand Management Team.

2. You can make a judgment and finally arrive at a decision with the support of the Brand Champion. If the decision is negative, then you can inform the supplier of this decision. You can find some formulation examples of how to inform the partner of a negative decision in the E-Learning.

3. If you reach a positive decision, you can agree on the exact wording and design with the Brand Champion or a communications expert.

4. Now the supplier has to submit the draft of the media in which the reference is to appear.

5. Now you can contact the Legal Department through your Brand Champion, and provide them with the draft designs, desired term, planned communications and supplier data, and they will draft the contract.

6. The contract will be signed by both parties.

Decision tree: Logo use agreement, yes or no?