The New Rules of Finding the Right Brand Partners

Once, I thought I had a partnership in the bag. Big brand, big budget, and it came through someone I’d met at an event. I’d told them I was looking for a brand to sponsor a series of events (I love a good series) 😅 and they into’d me to their company immediately.

A few weeks in, I realized something was off. The person leading the partnership didn’t actually have the influence or interest to push it forward. They liked the idea of it, but not the work that came with it.

Emails went unanswered, internal approvals dragged, and I found myself spending more time keeping it alive than building anything meaningful. On paper, it was perfect. In practice, it wasn’t.

I still get chills thinking of the time and money I wasted. That person didn’t care about the events or what it could do for them or their brand. I don’t think that’s a bad thing either, they had other things going on but it was still tough to navigate. That experience taught me that having the right person on the inside is non-negotiable.

Since then, I’ve been more intentional about who I invest in from the start.

💡 Partnerships start with people. Finding the right ones takes more curiosity, more visibility, and a little faith that the right person will see you at the right time.

The right brand only matters if you have the right person inside. That’s why you need to see Linkedin as more than a job board.

I see it as a living map of corporate influence and I treat it like a database. Searching for brands is obviously part of the strategy but I think you have to be a bit more intentional.

First, search for job titles and keywords that define the people who can actually champion your work.

While everyone is trying to connect with the Director of Social Impact, Head of Partnerships or VP of Communications you should look for roles like Partnerships Manager, Brand Marketing Associate, Social Impact Manager, Community Engagement Lead, or Influencer Marketing Manager (or some combo).

These are the people who live in the day-to-day, not just the strategy. They are literally paid to connect the brand to the world.

After you’ve done that type of search on the brand page, you want to do a general search for things brand marketers are talking about. Think recent fun partnerships, social updates, current events, etc. Most people are still searching the brand page only, and that’s a mistake. You’ll be introduced to new brands and people just by reading through these posts.

This general search works across platforms.

💡 If you understand who’s driving the work, not just who’s approving it, you’ll always find your way in.

Once you find people at the companies you care about, study them. What are they posting about? What articles do they share?

💡 Don’t just look for titles. Look for traction. The people already posting about your space are your warmest leads.

I don't do many virtual coffees anymore. We spent years on screen, and people are exhausted by the transactional nature of a 30-minute video call with a stranger. Instead, I prioritize in-person connection, even though it’s a longer game.

When I reach out, I make it count. My goal is to create enough rapport that meeting in person feels natural. It’s a slower play, but trust builds faster.

I don’t do old school cold pitches anymore. I sent plenty this year because I thought I could still “get it right” and get that pitch magic of a few years back. Unfortunately, I realized it’s old news. It doesn’t work, and if it does, it’s luck.

I get cold pitched a couple times a week and I ignore them all unless they’re offering me something. I don’t want to buy anything and I’m not searching for any tools. Sorry.

I know the people I’m trying to reach do the same. It’s not even personal, we’re all just busy juggling our own stuff.

Instead, I wait until I’m naturally having a convo with someone in person or online. If it makes sense and I see a way to lightly pitch, I’ll latch on to a problem they bring up with a solution or I’ll complain about something related to a potential partnership solution and see if they’re interested.

I might say something like “I hate how many companies talk about employee wellness but give no incentive just long hours and low pay. Company B is giving bonuses to employees who use their PTO on a regular basis. They use a company I work with.” That kind of comment sparks a human reaction, not a corporate one.

💡 If your first message sounds like a pitch, you’re getting ignored. That’s just the world we live in right now.

Connecting on social is just the warm up. The real conversion happens in person. Your partnerships are going to come from referrals, work you’ve already done, or people you meet in person.

Before I reach out, I engage across platforms. Comments, reposts, and thoughtful DMs on LinkedIn, Threads, or Instagram go a long way. I show up in their notifications so when I finally message them, it feels like the next step in a conversation.

When I travel, or even just move around New York, I check who’s in my network and reach out. My message is simple: “I’ll be in [City/Neighborhood] next week. No agenda, but want to grab coffee or check out a new exhibit?” If we’ve met before that does the trick. If not, “I’ll add, I always feel weird going to things alone and I’m trying to connect with new people in the field while I’m in town.” Odds are, they want to connect as well.

Of course, the setting matters. Industry events, cafes, restaurants, galleries. Everyone wants to explore. Choose neutral, casual spaces so it feels like you’re meeting a person, not pitching a partnership.

I once met a Director of Communications for a large CPG brand at a bookstore opening. We talked about her commute, not her budget. Six months later, when she moved to a new beauty company, she called me because she remembered me, not my deck. That’s the power of real-life connection.

💡 Relationships move faster when you stop treating them like transactions.

The best partnerships I’ve landed were inbound. The easiest way to get people to reach out is to make your expertise impossible to ignore. Visibility is what keeps your name moving through rooms you haven’t walked into yet.

Referrals scale faster than outreach. People who like you will vouch for you, even when it’s not their job. I tell everyone in my orbit: please reach out on my behalf and I mean it.

I make it easy. I literally give them one line to say: “You know who’s great at this? You should talk to Candice.”

💡 The best business development plan is people talking about you when you’re not in the room.

Finding the right partners is part strategy, part intuition, and yes, a little bit of luck.

A lot of people in partnerships are great with people, but the best ones are strategic, visible, and human.

It’s not a fast system, but it’s a lasting one. Stop chasing the brand. Chase the insightful people who are down to grab coffee or check out a new exhibit. Because those are the conversations that turn into the decks (and checks).

Find me online candicebee.com

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