The Visit of an Unexpected Friend

Sammanfattning: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the phenomenon of unexpected collaborations between brands. Methodology: This paper follows a qualitative research approach. The research is centered around a multi-case study based on secondary data. In the analysis and discussion, the literature review is applied to the case studies to reveal patterns that lead to managerial- and theoretical implications. Findings: Based on the observations made, a framework was developed showing that a successful unexpected collaboration requires a clear link, working as a bridge between the brands. The findings also reveal how unexpected collaborations can be used as a tool to develop and strengthen brands. Research limitations: This study focuses solely on unexpected collaborations. Future research could study differences between traditional and unexpected collaborations, allowing for comparisons. The paper explores three case studies and studying additional cases would strengthen the reliability and generalizability of the conclusions. Lastly, the paper is limited to product collaborations, allowing future research to investigate services. Practical implications: When creating an unexpected collaboration, the partnership works as the element of surprise while the products showcase the unexpected fit. This should be done by deciding what the brand wants to achieve with the collaboration, find an unexpected partner with whom you have a link that connects to what you want to achieve, and lastly, create a collaboration where the link is clearly shown in the products. Originality/value: The paper contributes to a broader perspective on collaborations. The previous literature mentions that collaborations should seek a perfect fit and include an element of surprise. Brands are often recommended to search for a similar partner to collaborate with, but this paper shows that they can also seek an unforeseen partner where there is an unexpected fit. Additionally, this study shows how unexpected collaborations can be put into practice, discusses what the potential benefits in doing so are, and aims to give a broader view of what a perfect fit and element of surprise can be.