From Concept to Counter: What It Really Takes to Launch a Successful Brand Collab

Limited-time offers built on cross-brand partnerships have become one of the fastest-growing levers for driving traffic, press, and social buzz in fast casual — but they're notoriously hard to pull off well. Aligning two companies' timelines, marketing calendars, supply chains, and approval processes around a single product launch is easier said than done, and the brands that get it right treat it as a discipline, not a one-off marketing stunt.

This session brings together CPG executives and restaurant operators to unpack what actually happens behind the scenes: how partnerships get identified, negotiated, and built into a product or activation that both sides are proud of. Attendees will hear real partnership case studies discussed side by side — including a co-developed menu item and a brand activation — with candid discussion of what worked, what almost didn't, and how each side measured success.

Goal: Give brands and vendors a repeatable framework for structuring co-branded LTOs and activations — from partner selection through launch — that protects both parties' brand equity and drives measurable ROI.