Create a Marketing Partner Co-Branded Asset Approval Workflow

Overview

A workflow for reviewing joint campaign assets so both organisations agree on brand use, offer terms, responsibilities, and final publication versions.

Agree the partnership rules before design

Co-branded assets combine two organisations' logos, claims, audiences, and sometimes different commercial terms. Before creative work begins, document each party's role, target audience, channel, contribution, approval authority, and intended use. Confirm which organisation owns the customer relationship and who handles enquiries.

Define logo rules, minimum clear space, colours, typography, naming order, and restrictions on altering either brand. Agree on which party can approve factual claims and offer terms. A logo file being supplied does not automatically authorise every use or imply endorsement beyond the agreed campaign.

Assign responsibility for claims and offers

Identify the source of truth for prices, product features, eligibility, dates, and performance statements. Each organisation should verify the claims it controls. If a partner promotes an offer it cannot fulfil, customers may blame both brands even when the contract assigns responsibility to one.

Record how leads, customer questions, refunds, and complaints are routed. Clarify whether customer data will be shared and ensure the planned collection and use have an appropriate basis and disclosures. Do not collect more information simply because two partners want to add fields to one form.

Use a shared review sequence

Set statuses such as draft, brand review, factual review, legal or privacy review where needed, approved for channel, published, and archived. Name one coordinator to consolidate feedback so the creator does not receive contradictory instructions from several reviewers.

Review each output format separately: email, landing page, social post, printed collateral, webinar slide, or partner website. A footer or disclaimer may be present in one version and missing from another. Check mobile rendering, destination links, disclosure, and whether the call to action accurately describes the next step.

Control versions and publication

Use a shared identifier and clear file naming so both parties can identify the approved asset. Record approval date, approver, channels, territories, usage period, and any restrictions. If one party edits the copy after sign-off, the changed version should return to review when the change affects brand, claims, terms, or customer data.

Agree who publishes, who checks the live placement, and how errors are corrected. Keep the live URL or print proof as evidence. If a partner has already scheduled a post, confirm the replacement reached the scheduling tool rather than assuming an emailed revision was applied.

Evaluate the relationship and archive safely

After the campaign, compare delivery with the agreement, review lead quality and customer feedback, and record issues that affected trust or execution. Preserve final assets and approval evidence according to the contract and retention rules. Remove temporary partner access when the project ends.

Use the close-out to improve the next joint campaign: clarify approval turnaround, reduce duplicate reviews, and make responsibility for follow-up more explicit. Do not reuse a co-branded asset in a new campaign or territory unless the original rights and approvals cover that use.

Worked example

A regional bank and a small-business software provider co-host a webinar. Their first slide uses an outdated partner logo and the registration page implies that the bank guarantees the software. The joint review identifies brand and claims owners, revises the wording, and tests the final page on mobile. One coordinator records both approvals and checks the live registration link. After the event, each party receives only the agreed lead fields through the approved process.

Implementation review

Use a written agreement for brand use, customer data, lead routing, costs, and correction responsibilities. High-risk claims or regulated industries may require additional review. The workflow should protect both brands without creating unnecessary approval loops for low-impact formatting changes.

Key takeaways

• Agree on brand, claims, data, and lead responsibilities before design.
• Review each format and keep a clear record of both parties' approvals.
• Verify the live asset and end temporary access after the partnership work.

Conclusion and next steps

Keep both partners aligned on the approved version and who owns the customer response. Confirm that any lead sharing follows the agreed process and that temporary access ends after the work. Reuse joint assets only when the original rights and approvals still apply.