Published: [DRAFT] | Last Updated: 2026-06-21 | By: Scott Sylvan Bell | Location: Haleiwa, North Shore Oahu, Hawaii
What Is The Marketing Lesson From Hawaiian Airlines And Kahala Aloha Shirts?
Direct answer: The marketing lesson from Hawaiian Airlines and Kahala aloha shirts is how co-op marketing works between two companies with similar clientele. On a first-class Hawaiian Airlines flight, passengers receive an origami-folded mini aloha shirt that holds salt and pepper packets — the backside displays the Kahala brand and a QR code for an offer. The structure: Kahala likely pays for the shirts plus marketing spend plus co-op funds to Hawaiian Airlines, and in exchange gets QR-code offer access to a captive premium audience that already loves Hawaii. The lesson for your business is to find a top-notch partner with similar clientele, talk to your clients about what other products and services they use, and reach out with a clear pitch — “I’ve polled my clients and they’ve had a lot of really good things to say about you, I’d love to have a conversation about how we can work together to serve both my clients and your clients.” Acquisition cost math makes the case overwhelming: a $100 cold traffic acquisition cost drops to about $20 through a co-op or referral channel — 80% less than the marketplace — and referrals have better conversations, complain less, and buy more.
This concept connects to the SELL Framework inside the Exit Ratio 360™ system — revenue from co-op partnerships is high-quality revenue because it arrives at lower acquisition cost from pre-trusted sources. The LEAD Model is what you use to evaluate whether a specific partnership is worth pursuing. For related marketing-asset content, see How To Increase Your Business Valuation With First Party Data and How To Increase Your Business Valuation With Positive Reviews. For related partnership-quality content, see What Does Hire The Best Cry Once Have To Do With Your Business Valuation.
Cold Acquisition Versus Co-Op Partnership — The Cost Comparison
| Dimension | Cold Acquisition | Co-Op / Referral Partnership |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition cost per client | Approximately $100 for cold traffic | Approximately $20 — 80% less than the marketplace |
| Quality of conversation | Cold — prospect does not know or trust the business | Warm — referral comes with implied trust from the partner |
| Complaint behavior | Higher — cold customers often have unmet expectations | Lower — referrals arrive pre-aligned with what the business offers |
| Purchase behavior | Variable — depends on the marketing claim resonating | Higher — referrals buy more, having seen the partner’s experience |
| Setup cost | Ongoing ad spend, low setup, low strategic effort | Higher setup (outreach, scripts, follow-up sequences) but compounding payoff |
| Long-term value | Linear — pay $100, get one customer, repeat | Compounding — partnership produces referrals across multiple campaigns |
5-Step Process To Build A Co-Op Marketing Partnership
- Poll your existing clients with three questions — what other products do you use, what other services do you use, who does a really good job. Their answers identify the partners they already trust.
- Vet the candidates carefully — only partner with top-notch organizations that deliver what they promise. Do not co-op with a sucky company (sucky is a technical term). Bad partner experiences damage both businesses.
- Reach out via email or phone — those are the two channels to target. Live drop-ins work too but are less efficient. Use the specific pitch: “Hey, my name is Scott with Scott Co, I’ve polled my clients and they’ve had a lot of really good things to say about you, I’d love to have a conversation about how we can work together to serve both my clients and your clients.”
- Expect rejections — some people will say no because the idea is unfamiliar. Some will say yes. Your role and responsibility is to carry the weight of the work — outline, concepts, strategies, advertisements, follow-up sequences, sales scripts. Take it from soup to nuts so the partner only has to approve and modify, not invent.
- Accept that ideas get ripped off — Scott Sylvan Bell estimates 3 out of 10 of his ideas get ripped off. It happens. People who copy do not know how to put everything together and have to do double the work (their side AND your side). The ones who steal the idea rarely execute it. Do not let the rip-off risk stop you from making deals happen.
Frequently Asked Questions About Co-Op Marketing Partnerships
Direct answer: These ten questions and answers cover the most common topics business owners raise about co-op marketing partnerships, including the Hawaiian Airlines and Kahala example, what co-op marketing is, how to find a partner, the exact outreach script, what work the initiating party has to carry, the rip-off risk, and the acquisition cost math that makes the case overwhelming. Each answer runs 40-60 words for voice search and AI citation extraction.
What is the marketing lesson from Hawaiian Airlines and Kahala aloha shirts?
The marketing lesson is how co-op marketing works between two companies with similar clientele. On a first-class Hawaiian Airlines flight, passengers receive an origami-folded mini aloha shirt that holds salt and pepper packets — the backside displays the Kahala brand and a QR code for an offer. Kahala likely pays for the shirts plus co-op funds to Hawaiian Airlines, and in exchange gets QR-code offer access to a captive premium audience.
What is co-op marketing in business?
Co-op marketing in business is when two organizations with similar clientele share the cost of a marketing program and each gets value from the partnership. One company may provide a physical item (like Kahala’s origami aloha shirts), pay for some of the marketing, and contribute co-op funds. In exchange, they get access to the partner’s audience through a defined offer or call to action.
How do you find a partner for co-op marketing?
You find a partner for co-op marketing by talking to your clients and asking three questions: what other products do you use, what other services do you use, and who does a really good job. Their answers identify the businesses your clients already trust. Always partner with the best company that delivers on what they promise — never co-op with a sucky company because bad partner experiences damage both businesses.
How do you approach a potential co-op marketing partner?
You approach a potential co-op marketing partner via email or phone — those are the two channels to target. Live drop-ins work but are less efficient. The outreach is a direct conversation about how the two businesses might work together to serve each other’s clients. Be specific about which clients of yours mentioned them so the partner knows the outreach is real and not generic prospecting.
What should you say in the outreach to a potential co-op partner?
The exact script Scott Sylvan Bell uses is: “Hey, my name is Scott with Scott Co, and I’ve polled my clients, and they’ve had a lot of really good things to say about you, and I would love to have a conversation about how we can work together and serve both my clients and your clients.” The pitch works because it is specific, complimentary, and proposes mutual benefit.
What does the initiating co-op marketing partner need to provide?
The initiating co-op marketing partner needs to carry the weight of the work. That includes the outline, the concepts, the ideas, the strategies, the advertisements, the follow-up sequences, and the sales scripts — soup to nuts. The partner who is being approached may modify the proposal to meet their needs, which is normal and expected. But the initiator has to bring the complete package, not just an invitation to collaborate.
What is the acquisition cost difference between cold traffic and co-op or referral channels?
The acquisition cost difference is dramatic. Cold traffic acquisition typically runs around $100 per client. Acquisition through a co-op or referral channel typically runs around $20 — 80% less than the marketplace. The math alone justifies the work required to set up co-op partnerships, and the compounding effect of warm leads over time makes the payoff substantially larger than a one-time savings on a single acquisition.
What happens when people steal your co-op marketing idea?
Scott Sylvan Bell estimates 3 out of 10 of his ideas get ripped off. It happens. The reason it does not destroy the value of having the idea is that people who steal it do not know how to put everything together. They have to do double the work — their side AND your side. Most thieves never execute. Do not let the rip-off risk stop you from making deals happen.
Why do referrals convert better than cold traffic?
Referrals convert better than cold traffic because they arrive with implied trust from the referring partner. The conversations are warmer, the prospects already have positive associations with the kind of business being recommended, and the complaint rate is lower because expectations align with what the business actually delivers. Referrals also buy more across the relationship, making the lifetime value substantially higher than cold-acquired customers.
What are the elements of a co-op marketing program?
The elements of a co-op marketing program include shared marketing costs (both parties contribute funds), a clear call to action (like the QR code on the Kahala aloha shirt), a vehicle that delivers the offer (the origami shirt holding salt and pepper), a defined offer the audience can act on, and follow-up sequences to convert interest into transaction. Each element compounds value when both partners share the load.
Full Transcript From the Video
Direct answer: The full cleaned transcript appears below for depth and accessibility. Scott Sylvan Bell explains the marketing lesson from observing the Hawaiian Airlines and Kahala aloha shirt partnership, including the structure of co-op marketing, the exact outreach script for approaching potential partners, the work the initiator has to carry, the 3-out-of-10 rip-off rate, and the acquisition cost math of $100 cold versus $20 referral. Location recorded: Haleiwa, North Shore Oahu, Hawaii.
As a business owner entrepreneur, one of the coolest things that you can do is look at how other companies advertise to get what they need and how they work with other companies. I am Scott Sylvan Bell, coming to you live from Haleiwa, Oahu, on a perfect day to talk about business growth opportunities, marketing, and a fantastic day to talk about you. Just watched one of the most magnificent sunsets I have ever seen.
The other day I flew over here from Sacramento on Hawaiian Airlines, and from the amount of flights I have taken, I have gotten pretty good status, so I got an upgrade to first class. The cool thing is, you get treated pretty special, and they give you an actual meal. There is a reason why I am telling you the story — they give like this origami aloha shirt. If I open it up, there is a pepper packet, and there was a salt packet that fell out. On the backside there is the brand, which is Kahala, which is a cool aloha shirt brand, and then a QR code for an offer.
You are like — hey Scott, what does this have to do with me and my business? When you can find an organization, a company that has a similar clientele and a similar base, you can do some co-op marketing — meaning that you pay for some of the marketing and they pay for some of the marketing.
My guess, because I do not have insider information here, my guess is that somehow Kahala pays for these aloha shirts, these little tiny origami aloha shirts, plus a little bit of marketing spend, plus some co-op funds to Hawaiian Airlines (aka Alaskan Airlines). In exchange they get to make an offer from a QR code that is on this little tiny origami shirt that can serve as a way to get you pepper and salt.
You are like — hey Scott, how do I use this in my real-life business? One of the things that you are going to want to do is you are going to want to talk to your clients and ask them questions, like — what other products do you use, what other services do you use, who does a really good job?
You always want to use somebody who is the best at what they do and delivers on what they promise. You do not want to do this with a sucky company — sucky is a technical term. You want to do it with a top-notch company and a top-notch organization that is going to allow for the people to be like — okay, you are a hero and they are a hero for delivering what needs to be done.
You are like — hey Scott, I do not know how to have this conversation. I got you. You could do this via email, you could do this via phone call, you could do this via a live drop-in. The two that you are going to target is an email or phone call.
What you are doing is you are going to reach out and you are saying — hey, my name is Scott with Scott Co, and I have polled my clients, and they have had a lot of really good things to say about you, and I would love to have a conversation about how we can work together and serve both my clients and your clients.
You are going to have people tell you no. Believe it or not, there is going to be people like — no, that is freaking weird, we are not going to do it. But here is the thing — you are going to have people who are going to tell you yes. Your role and responsibility is to cover the work.
You already know more than they do by watching this video, so it means you have to put in some time, energy, and effort. You are going to have to be the one that carries the weight, that carries the load — but nobody else is going to do it. It is not your fault you did not know, but now that you know, it is your responsibility.
The way that this works is you are going to outline, you are going to create the concepts, the ideas, the strategies, the advertisements, the follow-up sequences, the sales scripts — you want to take this thing from A to Z. You want to take this thing from top to bottom. You want to take this thing from soup to nuts. I am over explaining on purpose, so that you cannot say that I did not know.
You want to envelop the entire process. You want to map this thing out. The person who you are meeting with, other person co, they may go like — hey, we might have to modify this to meet our needs. That is cool. That is the way it is supposed to be. That is what is supposed to go down. That is how you are supposed to work together as a team.
Here is the thing that is going to come up. You are right, Scott, I am going to get ripped off. Yes, you are. Yes, you are. All good deals get ripped off. Get over it. If you are going to let that thing be your objection, you are never going to make deals happen, because you are always going to be scared that someone is going to rip you off.
I am going to give you a number. If I tell you the number, I want you to know that this is my number. Three out of 10 of my ideas get ripped off. It just did not work out. But here is the thing — they do not know how to put everything together. You already know far more than most people do.
What is going to happen is people think — that is a good idea, I am going to go rip it off, I am going to make some phone calls. But what they do not know is they have to put in all the work. They have to actually put in double the work. They have got to do their side and your side, so they are doing two times the work and effort. If it is scripting, it is scripting for your side and their side. If it is advertisements, it is advertisements for their side and your side. If it is a marketing campaign, it is their side and your side. You are working together in conjunction.
If you are taking a look at this little tiny cool aloha shirt that Hawaiian Airlines and Kahala aloha shirts put together, it is your role and responsibility to figure out how you can do this too — how you can put together a project. Just as I shared with you, you are going to carry the brunt of the work. It is your role and responsibility to know that.
Before I end, I want to go off on a tangent here for a second. When you are thinking about acquisition cost of a client — if you are paying $100 for acquisition for cold traffic, an acquisition cost of a client for a warm lead, aka a referral or aka co-op fund, is 20 bucks. You are 80% less than the marketplace. Referrals have better conversations, they complain less, they buy more.
You want to map this process out. So if you are like — hey Scott, what does sunset look like at Haleiwa on the longest light day of the year — well, the fisherman that was over there just left, the clouds on the edge are covering the light of the horizon, you got a point and you got like five people. It is just me creating content for you, saying figure out a way for you to make something similar to an aloha shirt that holds pepper, that is very low cost but high impact work for you.
You got one of three things to do from here. Just one of three. Find the subscribe button, click on it. Every time I send out a video, you will get an update. Two, hit follow. Three, share this video with a friend. Aloha and mahalo.
