Building professional partnerships can elevate the status of a new brand or infuse a fresh burst of energy into one that is already well established.
A product has to be more than just good; the proper marketing and promotion must also be in place. But the hard work doesn’t stop there. It is essential to cultivate business relationships in order to maintain longevity.
No one knows this better than R&B group Boyz II Men. Even though the trio has been part of the fabric of the entertainment industry for more than 20 years, they have resolved to shun resting on their laurels by continuing to stay actively engaged through professional collaborations.
Black Enterprise recently spoke with the Grammy-winning group, which includes Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris, about participating in Wendy’s lighthearted ad campaign and their ongoing efforts to promote forthcoming album, “Collide,” which is set for release in September.
The trio has also partnered with brands such as Kia and Carnival Cruise Lines. In addition, the group is in residency at the Mirage in Las Vegas.
Here is a glimpse of our conversation:
BlackEnterprise.com: Why did Boyz II Men decide to partner with Wendy’s on this campaign?
Boyz II Men: We thought it would be fun to do something like this with Wendy’s. We usually don’t do [projects] like this, but we thought it was something that would be a lot of fun to do.
In general, why is it important to build partnerships?
We think it’s important to partner with other corporations as a way to build our brand and also to build relationships. We are about to do another partnership with an automobile company that we can’t name yet. And we’ve done a partnership with Kia.
If you could give one piece of financial advice to an aspiring artist, what would it be?
Shawn Stockman: I’m going to give advice that someone else gave to me once. If you have 50 cents, save the other quarter like it didn’t exist. It’s so important to be disciplined about saving your money.