What is a joint marketing agreement?
A joint marketing agreement (also called a co-marketing agreement) is for two businesses that promote themselves together: a joint webinar series, a co-branded guide, a shared event, a cross-promotion to each other's customers. It's usually lighter than a full partnership — each company stays independent — but it still needs clear answers on tasks, money, leads and logos before anything goes out with both names on it.
This template covers the campaign and its dates, each company's tasks, how costs are shared (or not) with an optional budget cap, who gets the leads and how contact data is handled lawfully, licences to use each other's names and logos with approval of all materials, ownership of the content and whether joint materials can be reused after the campaign, confidentiality, early termination on notice, liability and independence.
- Best for
- Co-branded webinars, guides, events and cross-promotions
- Signed by
- Both companies
- Leads
- Shared, kept by whoever collects them, or all to one company
- Length
- 3 pages, initialled on every page
When to Use a joint marketing agreement
- An accounting app and a payroll provider running a joint webinar series for small businesses
- Two complementary shops cross-promoting each other to their email lists
- A software company and a consultancy co-writing an industry report
- Hosting a co-branded event or trade-show stand and splitting the costs
- A wedding venue and a florist producing a joint brochure and open day
What You Fill In
20 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: first company, second company.
1 The companies
- Agreement date*
- First company*
- First company address
- Second company*
- Second company address
2 The campaign
- Campaign name*
- What the campaign involves*
- Campaign starts*
- Campaign ends*
3 Who does what
- First company's tasks*
- Second company's tasks*
4 Costs
- Costs* Each company pays its own costs · Shared costs are split equally · Shared costs are split as set out below
- How shared costs are split
- Currency
- Budget for shared costs
5 Leads and data
- Leads* Shared with both companies · Each company keeps the leads it collects · All leads go to the First company · All leads go to the Second company
6 Brand and approvals
- Time to approve materials (business days)*
- Using the joint materials after the campaign* Not allowed without the other's consent · Allowed for 12 months, unchanged · Allowed indefinitely, unchanged
7 Other terms
- Notice to end the agreement early (days)*
- Governing law*
8 Who signs
- First company signature and date, job title, initials on every page
- Second company signature and date, job title, initials on every page
What the joint marketing agreement Covers
- The campaign
- Who does what
- Costs
- Leads and personal data
- Names, logos and approvals
- Campaign materials
- Confidentiality
- Ending this Agreement
- Liability
- General
Using the joint marketing agreement, step by step
1 Describe the campaign
Give it a name, describe the activities, channels and audience, and set the start and end dates.
2 Split the tasks and costs
List each company's tasks. Then choose whether each pays its own costs, shared costs are split equally, or split another way. An optional budget caps shared spending without both companies' written approval.
3 Decide on leads
Choose whether leads are shared with both companies, kept by whoever collects them, or all go to one company. Whatever you choose, sign-up forms need to tell people who will get their details.
4 Approvals, reuse and signing
Set how long each side has to approve materials using its brand, and whether joint materials can be reused after the campaign. Then add both signers and send.
Tips Before You Send It
- Put the lead-sharing arrangement on every sign-up form — privacy laws in many places require people to be told who will receive their details.
- Never swap existing customer lists; the template forbids it. Share only leads collected in the campaign with proper notice.
- Agree a single approval contact at each company to keep sign-off fast.
- Share each other's brand guidelines and logo files at the start.
- Agree how you'll measure results — registrations, attendance, leads — before launch.
Sign It Online In Minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Joint marketing agreement: frequently asked questions
Is a joint marketing agreement a partnership?
No. The template says expressly that the companies stay independent: it creates no partnership, joint venture or agency, neither can bind the other, and each may run other marketing, including with other partners.
Who owns the content we create together?
Each company owns what it contributes. Both may use jointly created materials during the campaign; afterwards you choose whether they need the other's consent, can reuse them unchanged for 12 months, or can reuse them indefinitely in the approved form.
How are leads handled under privacy law?
Each company is responsible for its own compliance with the privacy, data protection and electronic marketing laws that apply to it — clear notice when collecting details, only marketing to people it may lawfully contact, honouring opt-outs and keeping data secure.
Can it be signed electronically?
In most countries, including the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada, an electronic signature is generally valid for an ordinary commercial contract like this one. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF as evidence of who signed and when.
Is this template free?
Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR, and the people you send it to don't need a VergeHR login to sign.