Browsing Tag

retail

Toys “R” Us Celebrates 30 Years Of Fun

In case it wasn’t clear when I blogged about going back to Disney World, I’m proud to share that I’m a kid at heart. Toys “R” Us shares that sentiment and wants Canadians to share stories on social media about taking an oath to never grow up.

Where would the retail chain be if parents hit a certain age and decided to abandon their childhood fantasies and stop playing with toys for good?

To celebrate their 30th anniversary, Toys “R” Us is going all out. They’ve partnered with Transat Holidays, AIR MILES®, Lego and Mattel to offer Canadian shoppers major promotions and host exciting events for kids of all ages. Visit www.toysrus.ca/events for more details.

October 1, 2014 by Sarah Prince

Paint And Fly

Photo Source: Benefit

If you have a delayed flight or long layover, shopping is a pretty solid timekiller.

Recognizing that tourists tend to be laidback, it’s interesting to see how brands are tapping into the opportunity to promote impulse purchases. Beauty brands are targeting travellers with colourful new kiosks at American airports. Skin care and makeup products can already be found in duty-free shops; however, Benefit and Essie are smart because selling products in mobile kiosks increases exposure to passersby.

August 3, 2014 by Sarah Prince

Coffee With Michael Bregman

A few months ago, I wrote about drinking tea with Carly Rae Jepsen. We didn’t meet at DAVIDsTEA to catch up like old friends; we simply posed at a meet and greet. Drinking coffee with Second Cup’s chairman Michael Bregman was kind of similar. It wasn’t a one-on-one information interview, but rather a breakfast event where he spoke and young professionals listened intently.

In hindsight, Michael’s talk was similar to Annie Young-Scrivner’s keynote at QMAC 2013. At the time, Annie was President, Starbucks Canada and now she is President, Teavana. On both occasions, Michael and Annie succinctly shared their views on coffee consumption, inspired advice-hungry audiences and left enough time for questions.

July 6, 2014 by Sarah Prince

Happy Birthday Tim Hortons

“It’s like Mad Men around here.”

Even though Tim Hortons never had a chance to work with Don Draper, they’ve done quite well in the last 50 years. According to Marketel, Tim Hortons is Canadian women’s favourite brand and it ranks high on my list too.

To celebrate its 50th birthday, Tim Hortons threw a huge bash at Yonge & Dundas Square today. Actors wearing vintage garments created a vibrant scene set in the 60s, featuring parents with a baby carriage and a police officer who was delighted to put people in his black and white cop car. They put on quite a show and a caffeinated audience ‘ate it up,’ as my grandmother likes to say.

May 15, 2014 by Sarah Prince

Happy New Year

One of my favourite sessions at CM1, Toronto’s first conference for community managers, was led by Ryan Ginsberg from Twitter Canada. His talk focused on how social content strategists can plan ahead for and respond to big moments. This includes holidays and unexpected pop culture spectacles like Miley Cyrus twerking at the VMAs.

Last year, I wrote about how Oreo mastered social media when they were quick to post about the Super Bowl blackout. Oreo’s Super Bowl post was brilliant because their team quickly produced an image with a few words that effectively made millions crave Oreo cookies.

Likeable branded content is simple. Even though digital teams can plan for holidays like New Year’s Eve months in advance, I think a minimalistic execution is optimal. Essentially all you need to do is be engaging and say something to the effect of “Happy Holidays!” with copy and visuals that are aligned with the brand. When businesses create holiday greetings with too many CTAs, they risk appearing obnoxious, as ADP Canada’s Elizabeth Williams observes.

3 brands that understand the power of brevity when celebrating the holidays are Sharpie, Ben and Jerry’s and Holt Renfrew. Look at their Instagram posts to see what I mean:

January 1, 2014 by Sarah Prince

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