How do I build and manage a network of partner brands?

Building a network of trusted brand partners enables your organization to expand content collaboration, sponsorship opportunities, and audience reach while maintaining full control over content access and permissions.

The Network module helps you:

• Establish structured relationships between retail, consumer, and media brands.
• Manage parent-child brand hierarchies through Holding Company and House Brand relationships.
• Share content securely across communities and social channels.
• Streamline sponsorship collaboration and monetization opportunities.
• Track partnership status and performance from a centralized location.

By bringing brand relationships into Brand Control Center, teams can reduce manual coordination and create scalable partnership programs across the Genuin ecosystem.

Guide

Before You Begin

Ensure you have:

• Access to Brand Control Center.
• Network management permissions.
• The brand handle, contact email, and website URL of the brand you want to invite.

Step 1: Navigate to Network Management

1. Log in to the Brand Control Center.
2. Navigate to Manage > Network.
3. Select the appropriate brand category:
   • Retail Brands
   • Consumer Brands
   • Media & Entertainment Brands

4. Click:

• Add Retail Brand

• Add Consumer Brand

• Add Media Brand

depending on the tab you are working in.

Step 2: Select a Brand Relationship

Under Brand Relationship, choose how the invited brand is associated with your organization.

Partner

Use Partner when an existing business relationship already exists and you want to collaborate through the Genuin Network.

Typical examples:

• Retailer and publisher partnerships
• Existing advertising relationships
• Strategic content-sharing partners

Holding Company

Use a Holding Company when the invited organization owns or governs your brand.

Typical examples:

• Corporate parent organizations
• Media groups managing multiple publishing brands
• Franchise parent organizations

Holding Companies automatically receive expanded content access permissions.

House Brand

Use House Brand when the invited brand is owned by your organization.

Typical examples:

• Subsidiary brands
• Internal media properties
• Brand portfolios managed under one organization

Aspire to Partner

Use Aspire to Partner when no formal relationship currently exists and you want to establish a new partnership.

This relationship starts without default content-sharing permissions and allows both parties to define access during the invitation process.

Step 3: Add Brand Details

Search Existing Genuin Brands

In the Brand Handle field:

1. Search for the brand.
2. Select the brand from the results list.

When an existing brand is selected:

• Contact information is automatically populated.
• Website details are automatically populated.
• Additional contact emails can be added if required.

Add a New Brand

If the brand does not exist in Genuin:

1. Click + New Brand.

2. Enter:

• Brand Name
• Contact Email
• Website URL
• Contact Phone Number (optional)

3. Click Next.

Genuin automatically creates a brand profile for invitation and onboarding purposes.

Step 4: Configure Content Access

The Content Access step determines what content each brand can share and access.

Request Content Access

Choose:

• Social Media Handles
• Communities

This defines what content your organization wants access to from the invited brand.

Provide Content Access

Choose:

• Social Media Handles
• Communities

This defines what content your organization is willing to share.

Relationship-Based Access Rules

Partner

Default behavior:

• Communities can be selected.
• Social handles can be selected.
• Content sharing is configurable.

Holding Company

Default behavior:

• All communities are automatically shared.
• All social handles are automatically shared.
• Access cannot be removed during setup.

House Brand

Default behavior:

• Content sharing is configurable.
• Holding Company access is automatically inherited.

Aspire to Partner

Default behavior:

• No communities selected by default.
• No social handles selected by default.
• Permissions must be explicitly granted.

Step 5: Review and Send the Invitation

The Notification step displays the invitation preview.

Delivery Methods

Currently supported: Email

Available but not active: SMS (phased out)

Send Invitation

1. Review the invitation details.
2. Select Email.
3. Click Add.

A confirmation message appears: Invitation Sent

The invited brand now appears in the Network listing.

Accepting a Network Invitation

Existing Genuin Brands

When an existing brand receives an invitation:

1. Open the invitation email and review it.

2. Click Manage Request.

3. Sign in to the Brand Control Center.

4. Accept the agreement.

A pop-up notification will appear.

Once accepted:

• Status changes to Active.
• Content-sharing permissions become available.
• Sponsorship collaboration can begin.

Managing Existing Network Relationships

The Network table displays:

Relationship Statuses

1. Active

• The invitation has been accepted and the partnership is live.

2. Invitation Sent

• The invitation has been delivered and is awaiting action.

3. Invitation Received

• Your organization has received a network invitation that requires review.

4. Rejected

• The invitation was declined.

Holding Company and House Brand Management

Once a Holding Company relationship becomes active:

• Parent organizations automatically receive access to approved content.
• Administrators can switch between associated brands.
• New communities automatically inherit approved permissions.
• Network management becomes centralized.

This simplifies governance for organizations managing multiple brands.

Notes

• Existing brands are automatically classified as Partner relationships.
• Social media handles are only available after the invitation is accepted.
• Newly added communities become available for permission management after activation.
• Holding Company relationships automatically inherit access permissions.

Important

Only one Holding Company can be associated with a brand network.

If a Holding Company relationship already exists, additional Holding Company invitations cannot be created.

Rejected invitations cannot be resent until the 7-day cooldown period has expired.

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Add a Partner Brand

A retailer wants to collaborate with a publisher already using Genuin.

The retailer:

1. Adds the publisher as a Partner.
2. Grants community access.
3. Send the invitation.

After acceptance:

• Content can be shared.
• Sponsorship opportunities become available.
• Both organizations appear in each other's network.

Scenario 2: Add a Holding Company

A media organization owns several publishing properties.

The parent company is invited as a Holding Company.

After acceptance:

• Administrators can switch between brands.
• Content access is automatically granted.
• Governance becomes centralized.

Scenario 3: Aspire to Partner

A consumer brand wants to establish a new partnership with a media company.

The brand sends an Aspire to Partner invitation.

After acceptance:

• Both parties can define content access.
• Future sponsorship opportunities can be created.

FAQs

1. Can I invite brands that are not already using Genuin?

• Yes. Genuin automatically creates a brand profile and onboarding workflow for new brands.

2. Can I edit a brand invitation after sending it?

• Yes. Depending on the invitation status, you can update relationship details and resend the invitation.

3. Can I cancel a pending invitation?

• Yes. Invitations that have not been accepted can be cancelled.

4. Can I have multiple Holding Companies?

• No. Only one Holding Company relationship is supported per brand network.

5. When do social media handles become available?

• Social media handles become available after the invited brand accepts the invitation.

Related Articles

• How do I manage network invitations, content access, and brand relationships?
• How do I create and send sponsorship proposals to network brands?
• How do I create and manage In-Network Sponsorships?