If promotional product marketing is a big part of your campaign, it means it's the right time for you to think about co-branding. In essence, co-branding is putting your brand name juxtapose to a more popularly branded promotional product. For instance, instead of just giving away a "generic shirt" with your logo on it, you could place your name on an Adidas, an Izod or a Nike shirt.

Co-branding is a great way to boost brand recognition. Especially true for newer companies, riding on the existing market share of the bigger brands gives your brand a better fighting chance.

The alliance between two brands can also offer clients better value. Long established brand items are often of better quality than generic ones. As such, clients get more out of a co-branded promotional item than they would with one that isn't. As an off-shoot of this, the credibility of the established brand is transferred onto yours.

Is it really worth it?

A classic example of successful co-branding is the LiveSTRONG(TM) baller bands, the Lance Armstrong-Nike union created a new breed of promotional marketing unlike any other. What started as a simple fund raising tool for the Lance Armstrong Foundation is now a fashion statement, a symbol for a good cause, a bearer of hope and of course a great marketing tool.

Today, it has gone far beyond its original purpose of raising enough money and awareness to support the fight against cancer. The original $5million goal has been surpassed more than five times over.

In addition, it has become such an iconic piece that it is now being re-sold everywhere at inflated prices. Even non-traditional channels like eBay are carrying the product. While the phenomenal spread of the bands don't always help out with its original cause (such is the case of reselling), it is nonetheless an amazing embodiment of the power of co-branding.

Choosing the right co-brand partner

When using the co-branding strategy for promotional products, choose a brand that you believe in. Find one with concepts that are pretty much aligned with your company's.

You should also consider your marketing stance carefully. While a great strategy, co-branding might backfire if the partner brand you choose overshadows your own. Decide whether you are going to aggressively market the promotional product as a brand product or if you should just casually mention it to your clients.

Saying that the giveaway pen is a Cross Pen or a Parker and forgetting to mention your own brand --or much worse placing your logo and brand name too inconspicuously -- just might make them forget that the item came from you in the first place.

The bottom line: Know the power of co-branding, but like all powerful things, learn to use it wisely