# Invite a partner brand and set content access

Invite a retail, consumer, or media brand to your network, choose how it relates to your organization, and set which communities and social handles each side shares.

The Network module in your Business Account holds your relationships with retail, consumer, and media brands, including parent and child brands through Holding Company and House Brand relationships. Through these relationships, brands share content across communities and social channels, collaborate on sponsorships, and track each partnership from one place.

You control content access and permissions for every relationship. For how Network fits with the rest of Genuin, see [Network: what it does and where to start](https://begenuin.com/developers/browse-by-products/network/network-what-it-does-and-where-to-start).

## Start the invitation

You need access to your Business Account with network management permissions, plus the contact email and website URL of the brand you're inviting. The brand handle is optional: you use it to find a brand that's already on Genuin, and a missing handle can be added later without recreating the relationship. For roles, see [Business Account Roles and Scoped Roles](https://begenuin.com/developers/browse-by-products/control/business-account-roles-and-scoped-roles).

1. Sign in to your Business Account.
2. Go to **Manage** > **Network**.
3. Select the brand's category tab: **Retail Brands**, **Consumer Brands**, or **Media & Entertainment Brands**.
4. Click the add button for that tab: **+ Add Retail Brand**, **+ Add Consumer Brand**, or **+ Add Media Brand**.
   ![The Network tab's Get Started to Build Your Network page with Retail Brands selected and the + Add Retail Brand button highlighted.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/2af9ec16c7dc474f56b871292db4d3244ea97fd6-1440x926.jpg)
   *Step 4: Add Retail Brand on the Retail Brands tab.*
   ![The Network tab's Get Started to Build Your Network page with Consumer Brands selected and the + Add Consumer Brand button highlighted.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/07c824bbdcc6844d06e2da3909323ce239663357-1440x925.jpg)
   *Step 4: Add Consumer Brand on the Consumer Brands tab.*
   ![The Network page with the Media & Entertainment Brands tab selected, one active partner brand in the table, and the Add Media Brand button highlighted.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/dc7da3e35c990a416132a30b7258fabcb4762edd-1440x926.jpg)
   *Step 4: Add Media Brand on the Media & Entertainment Brands tab.*

The panel has three steps: **Brand Details**, **Content Access**, and **Notification**. Only **Brand Details** is open at first, and each later step unlocks when you click **Next**. You can go back to an earlier step without losing what you entered, but clicking a locked step does nothing.

Clicking **Cancel** or the close (**X**) on any step opens the **Discard Changes** popup. **Keep Editing** keeps your entries, and **Discard** closes the panel and resets the form.

## Choose the brand relationship

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

![The Add Retail Brand panel at the Brand Details step, with the Brand Relationship options Partner, Holding Company, House Brand, and Aspire to Partner, and empty Brand Handle, Contact Emails, and Website URL fields.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/b4fa43bc18b01122012e2379765ea5873e990296-1460x932.jpg)
*The Brand Relationship options at the top of the Brand Details step.*

| Relationship | Use it when | Typical examples |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Partner | A business relationship already exists and you want to collaborate through the Genuin network | Retailer and publisher partnerships, existing advertising relationships, strategic content-sharing partners |
| Holding Company | The invited organization owns or governs your brand | Corporate parent organizations, media groups managing several publishing brands, franchise parent organizations |
| House Brand | Your organization owns the invited brand | Subsidiary brands, internal media properties, brand portfolios managed under one organization |
| Aspire to Partner | No formal relationship exists and you want to start a partnership | A consumer brand seeking a new partnership with a media company |

Existing network relationships are classified as Partner automatically. Learn more in [How brand relationship types and access control work](https://begenuin.com/developers/browse-by-products/network/how-does-brand-relationship-type-and-access-control-work-in-the-network-module).

**Partner** is selected by default, and each option shows a short helper text. Changing the relationship type clears the brand details below it.

## Add the brand details

### Search existing Genuin brands

1. In the **Brand Handle** field, search for the brand.
2. Select the brand from the results list.
   ![The Brand Handle search showing matching brands, two of them marked Invite Sent and Invite Received, and a New brand option under Couldn't find what you were looking for.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/8bdc9ced433f860bcb0cd06281534fe23f9f112e-1460x1084.jpg)
   *Step 2: Search results for a brand handle, with the option to add a new brand.*

Genuin fills in the brand's contact information and website. You can add more contact emails if you need them.

The selected brand appears as a chip, and the filled-in **Website URL** is read-only. Removing the selected brand clears the brand details below it.

![The Brand Details step filled in for an existing brand, with the Brand Handle, a pre-filled Brand Name, a contact email, the Website URL, and the Next button enabled.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/2626abdc89b421a90ce3a7d6e701ca426435fa3b-1460x1017.jpg)
*Genuin fills in the details of an existing brand.*

### Add a new brand

If the brand isn't on Genuin yet:

1. In the search results, click **+ New brand**.
   ![The Add Media Brand panel with a handle typed in Brand Handle, no match found, and the New brand option highlighted.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/29768687d26724a8420bbcbe08f86506c76a5857-1460x992.jpg)
   *Step 1: New brand appears when the search finds no match.*
2. Enter the **Brand Name**, **Contact Email**, **Website URL**, and, optionally, a **Contact Phone Number**.
3. Click **Next**.

Genuin creates a brand profile and an onboarding workflow for the new brand, so you can invite brands that don't use Genuin yet.

## Configure content access

The **Content Access** step sets what each brand shares with the other.

![The Content Access step of the Add Retail Brand panel, with a request section and a provide section, each listing social media handles with checkboxes and a community selector set to All Communities.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/79ae444a8ab8f0af2c0b453215297aa0e3b8d5ed-1460x936.jpg)
*Request access to the other brand's content, and provide access to yours.*

1. Under **Request Content Access**, select the **Social Media Handles** and, under **Select Community**, the communities you want access to from the invited brand.
2. Under **Provide Content Access**, select the social media handles and communities your organization is willing to share.
3. Click **Next**.

Each relationship type starts from different defaults:

| Relationship | Default content access |
| --- | --- |
| Partner | Communities and social handles can be selected, and content sharing is configurable |
| Holding Company | All communities and all social handles are shared automatically, and the access can't be removed during setup |
| House Brand | Content sharing is configurable, and Holding Company access is inherited automatically |
| Aspire to Partner | No communities or social handles are selected, and both brands define access during the invitation |

The starting selections on each side are:

| Relationship | Request Content Access | Provide Content Access |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Partner | All selected, editable | All selected, editable |
| Holding Company | Nothing selected, editable | All selected, locked |
| House Brand | All selected, locked | Nothing selected, editable |
| Aspire to Partner | Nothing selected, editable | Nothing selected, editable |

Locked means the selection covers every community and social handle and can't be changed. Editable means you can select or deselect individual communities and handles before you send the invitation.

With Aspire to Partner, nothing is shared until you grant permissions explicitly. Social media handles become available only after the invited brand accepts, and communities you add later become available for permission management after activation.

If a brand has no social handles or communities, the step shows an empty state. When your own brand has no social handles, an **Add Social Handle** button appears.

## Review and send the invitation

The **Notification** step shows a preview of the invitation. Email is the supported delivery method. SMS appears but isn't active, because it has been phased out.

![The Notification step with a preview of the invitation email, Customize Template and Add your provider buttons, the note that the invitation is sent to the contacts when you click Add, and the Add button.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/0070215538b6d8c2530f55c143721e0eada61ba7-1460x926.jpg)
*The Notification step previews the email the brand receives.*

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

The confirmation message **Invitation Sent** appears, and the invited brand appears in the Network listing.

Its status is **Invite Sent**.

![The Network table with the newly invited Grubhub brand and its status, under an Invitation Sent confirmation saying the invitation to be a brand partner has been sent.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/9bc4773464fa44a57e917e0d3f7d68e1b4ada89b-1440x926.jpg)
*The invited brand appears in the Network table after you send the invitation.*

## Accept a network invitation

An existing Genuin brand accepts an invitation in five steps:

1. Open the invitation email and review it.
   ![An invitation email inviting the brand to join a retail media network as a brand partner, listing its social handles and a Manage Request button.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/c8de8ac911dc3110b4865d9e4453648270d9e1c8-600x1034.jpg)
   *Step 1: The invitation email, with the brand's social handles and Manage Request.*
2. Click **Manage Request**.
   ![The Join iHeart Media Network page inviting the brand to join as a Brand Partner, with the brand's account to log in with and an Accept and Continue button.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/8b46bc06e71495042dd36ad93938eceb81813e1c-1440x900.jpg)
   *Step 2: Manage Request opens the invitation for the invited brand's account.*
3. Sign in to your Business Account.
   ![The Log into your account page with the invited email address filled in, a password field, Log In, Continue with Google, and a yellow design note saying the email is pre-filled and disabled.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/17f5b0977632c74d9665913b91a7b52a95d8b5c5-1440x900.jpg)
   *Step 3: The sign-in page, with the invited email address filled in.*
4. Accept the agreement, if required.
   ![The Agreement Preview dialog showing a master services agreement, a required Address field, and an Accept button.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/3249eb2a1b9e370e8d72874838ac2f499b8c06b9-1519x839.jpg)
   *Step 4: The agreement the invited brand accepts.*
5. Open the invitation with **View Details**, then click **Accept** or **Reject**.

A pop-up notification confirms the acceptance.

![The Getting Started page on Choose your brand type, under a You've accepted the invite! confirmation saying the brand is now a brand partner.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/d47e2e81f50867eaf61a8a05e6cb109687c58569-1440x926.jpg)
*The confirmation the invited brand sees after it accepts.*

Once the brand accepts, the status changes to **Active**, content-sharing permissions become available, and sponsorship collaboration can begin. Learn more in [Create and send paid partnership proposals to network brands](https://begenuin.com/developers/browse-by-products/network/partners/how-do-i-create-and-send-sponsorship-proposals-to-network-brands).

If the brand rejects the invitation, the status changes to **Rejected**.

### When the invited brand is new to Genuin

Genuin creates the brand's profile and emails the invitation. The new brand claims its brand profile, verifies its email, sets a password, accepts the terms, and completes onboarding. The relationship becomes **Active** automatically once onboarding completes, with no separate accept or reject step.

## Track relationships in the Network table

The Network table shows every relationship with these columns:

| Column | What it shows |
| --- | --- |
| Brand | Brand name, logo, and handle |
| Status | Current relationship status |
| Relationship | Relationship type |
| Total Views | Video performance |
| Unique Viewers | Unique audience count |
| Avg Views per User | Engagement |

Each row also has a three-dot menu. You can search the table by brand name or handle, filter it by **Brand Destination**, **Status**, or **Relationship**, and page through the results. Columns can't be sorted.

Each relationship has one of four statuses:

| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| Active | The invitation was accepted and the partnership is live |
| Invite Sent | The invitation was delivered and is waiting for the other brand |
| Invite Received | Your organization received an invitation that needs your review |
| Rejected | The invitation was declined |

Canceled isn't a status: when you cancel a pending invitation, its row is removed from the listing altogether. Each relationship shows under the tab it was created from, for both brands.

![A Getting Started step listing retail brand partners, with the statuses Active and Invite Received and the relationship types Partner and House Brand (shown with the older label House of Brand).](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/lnrtvsvr/development/2a2a1da85d96e21032d6b19dd764608b70cbb988-1440x1054.jpg)
*Statuses as they appear in a list of brand partners.*

You can update relationship details and resend an invitation, or cancel one that hasn't been accepted. The status decides which of these actions are available. For those actions, see [Manage network invitations, content access, and brand relationships](https://begenuin.com/developers/browse-by-products/network/partners/how-do-i-manage-network-invitations-content-access-and-brand-relationships).

## Manage holding companies and house brands

Once a Holding Company relationship is active:

- The parent organization automatically receives access to approved content.
- The holding company becomes an admin across the house brand's communities and groups, whichever brand sent the invitation, and its administrators can switch between the brands. Learn how in [Switch between connected brands](https://begenuin.com/developers/browse-by-products/network/partners/how-do-i-manage-network-invitations-content-access-and-brand-relationships#switch-between-connected-brands).
- New communities automatically inherit approved permissions.
- Network management becomes centralized.

With a **House Brand** relationship, the house brand appears in the holding company's Brand Switcher only once the relationship is **Active**. While it's **Invite Sent** or **Rejected**, the holding company can't switch into it.

For example, a media organization that owns several publishing properties invites its parent company as a Holding Company. After acceptance, administrators switch between brands, content access is granted automatically, and governance is centralized.

## Examples

| Scenario | Relationship | After acceptance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A retailer wants to collaborate with a publisher that already uses Genuin, so it adds the publisher, grants community access, and sends the invitation | Partner | Content can be shared, sponsorship opportunities become available, and both brands appear in each other's network |
| A consumer brand wants a new partnership with a media company | Aspire to Partner | Both brands define content access, and future sponsorship opportunities can be created |

## Limitations

- **One holding company.** A brand network can have only one Holding Company. If one exists, you can't create another Holding Company invitation.
- **Rejected or canceled doesn't count.** Only an active or pending Holding Company relationship blocks a new one. A rejected or canceled one frees the slot.
- **7-day re-invite cooldown.** You can't resend a rejected invitation until its 7-day cooldown period has passed.
- **Email only.** SMS invitations aren't supported.
- **Social handles after acceptance.** You can see the invited brand's social media handles only after it accepts.

## See also

- [Brand Partner Invitations and Permissions](https://begenuin.com/developers/browse-by-products/network/brand-partner-invitations-and-permissions)
- [Manage network invitations, content access, and brand relationships](https://begenuin.com/developers/browse-by-products/network/partners/how-do-i-manage-network-invitations-content-access-and-brand-relationships)
- [How brand relationship types and access control work](https://begenuin.com/developers/browse-by-products/network/how-does-brand-relationship-type-and-access-control-work-in-the-network-module)
- [Create and send paid partnership proposals to network brands](https://begenuin.com/developers/browse-by-products/network/partners/how-do-i-create-and-send-sponsorship-proposals-to-network-brands)
- [Build your network in your Business Account](https://begenuin.com/developers/browse-by-products/network/how-can-a-brand-build-and-manage-its-network-in-the-business-account)