Take a moment to step out of the market in which you operate directly and look at the verticals that surround you — think of it as an out-of-market experience. Instead of focusing on your competitors (although it is important to have an edge on them), consider brands that yours can relate to, that you’re not in direct competition with.

These may be your ideal future partners.

When you leverage connections with brands in other markets, you can not only share an advertising budget, but more importantly, gain awareness for your brand and reach new customers who you may not have otherwise pursued.

For instance, if you watched the Super Bowl this year, you might have noticed a blue and white “S” icon at the bottom of the screen during many of the commercials.

This icon represents Shazam, a music identification app that provides users with information such as song title, artist, and album for melodies they can’t quite put their finger on. Shazam for TV allowed users to “tag” the Super Bowl (including the game, halftime show, and more than 50% of the commercials) and granted them access not only to song identities, but also to game statistics, polls, giveaways, and more.

By piggy-backing on other advertisers’ commercials (and in turn, helping these brands associate with exclusive songs from halftime artists) as well as offering relevant, interactive opportunities for viewers, Shazam experienced much success during the Super Bowl.

Lest you think luxury brands are immune to partnerships, check out what Mercedes and Apple have in the works.

But you don’t have to be as big as Shazam, Apple or Mercedes to experience the magic of compatibility. If you’re a local business, team up with another relevant local business and host an event together. Take out a full magazine or newspaper spread together. Or at the very least, agree to distribute one another’s coupons and literature.

It all starts with identifying compatible businesses with which you can forge new relationships and potentially share costs and expand your customer base. Make a list. Give it a shot. If your top choice says no, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.