Someone in the DMs recommended this @nytimes article to me and it took me a few days to take a look, but it was worth it. I was trying to figure out exactly what was going on (it's long). The goal of the article, as I saw it, was to explain how Nike has remained not only relevant but an absolute powerhouse (of cool) after 50 years...and one section really hit me kinda hard, when they began talking with this dude 'Mr. Cooke', who happens to be in charge of something called 'catalyst brand management'.
I know a lot of us use the term 'collab' pretty flippantly - everything seems to be a collab. Staple collabs with any and everyone. Supreme does collabs with Oreos and it makes Supreme cool but doesn't do all that much for Oreo. So what's the secret?
Take a look at the second and third slides - they started referring to these partners as 'catalysts' instead of 'collaborators'. Basically the top cool of one subculture being asked by to create something for their fans is the secret. That way, both Nikeheads and subculturists can find the common ground...
Anyway...that's how I saw it. I'd suggest you look the article and give it a read yourself. It definitely gave me a better idea of how to start looking at these types of things...hype on!