To recapture mindshare and online discussion for webmail service Hotmail (which turns 15 this year), Microsoft launched a series of influencer events in late 2010. The first two Hotmail & Cocktails events – informal networking and demo sessions designed to highlight how new Hotmail can help people de-clutter their digital lives – were held in Toronto.

Now Toronto is a large market, with an ever-expanding base of bloggers and online influencers. Marketers recognize the value and relevancy of reaching consumers through influencers in this market, as evidenced by growing the number of blogger events held on any given night in the city. But it’s important for organizations to remember that there are high-reach influencers outside of Toronto – and they’re hungry to engage with brands at events that bring their online communities together.

Based on online conversation in regional markets sparked by our Toronto-based Hotmail & Cocktail events, we decided to take the format on the road in 2011, starting with Ottawa. What we discovered was a largely untapped and underserved market with a highly engaged online community.

As our event host, award-winning Canadian author and social media personality Kathy Buckworth brought together a group of professional moms, many of whom knew one another by Twitter handle only and had never met face-to-face. With a hashtag (#HMCocktails) in place to track online conversation pre-, during and post-event, we watched the Twitter chatter build from excited “can’t-waits” a few days prior to the event to a crescendo of buzz at the event, which became a trending topic on Twitter in both Ottawa and Canada that evening.

This regional market test not only reinforced the value of the Hotmail & Cocktails format, but also some advice High Road CEO Mia Pearson gave on making the influencer connection in a recent Your Business column, Smart Marketers Make Friends with Bloggers:

1. Do your research: Identify relevant influencer groups in both large and small markets;
2. Be unique in how you reach out: A third-party host admired by your target community can be a draw;
3. Provide something of value: Often as simple as the opportunity to connect with other members of an online community offline;
4. Work together: Find ways to engage; and
5. Have reasonable expectations: Understand that the Twitter chatter will focus on the food, the venue and the members of your target community as much as it will on your product/service. Have a designated Tweeter on hand to monitor the conversation and add to/gently direct it.

Today, social media is a buzz word to many brands, but to the Gatorade team at High Road it’s our way of life. A successful social media program is proactive, highly engaging and integrated. Without these elements, a brand can fall flat online.

Using a number of social channels including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube , the Gatorade team at PepsiCo challenged High Road to create a robust and highly engaged online community that was closely connected to and invested in ongoing dialogue with the Gatorade brand.

Our approach to this project reflects some of the key learnings and best practices that we apply to all our social media campaigns:

Be Proactive

Timely and ongoing interaction is how brands build deeper relationships with their audience and keep online communities wanting more. To ensure ongoing engagement, High Road develops daily triage programs to proactively monitor and identify opportunities and breaking news that we can amplify across the brand communities.

Using social media tools including Sysomos and Radian6, we define a set of keywords and refine search teams relevant to the brand and audience. Every day, we prioritize the hottest news, info and rich media to post on Facebook and Twitter.  

Based on these results and understanding of relevant events, we also deliver a weekly editorial calendar of scheduled content for the week ahead.

We’re Engaged!

A regular posting schedule is the first step to increasing community engagement online.  The second, and more important factor, is the quality of content. To create an exclusive and exciting experience for Fans and Followers, we regularly focus on amplifying the unique opportunities that every brand brings to the table. For example, we recently covered a photo shoot for Gatorade Canada with MMA world champ Georges St. Pierre by posing a question to our Facebook and Twitter fans:  “If you had one question for GSP, what would it be?” The response was incredible:

One lucky Tweep had her question chosen and GSP responded via video. Asking fans to participate in the conversation is great for engagement levels (having a Canadian MMA hero help out didn’t hurt either) and it positions your brand as a gateway to a special experience.

Don’t Hate, Integrate

A social media strategy is most powerful when it runs seamlessly across all marketing communications initiatives.  An ongoing element of a successful social media strategy is working closely with other agency partners to ensure all marketing initiatives either include or are amplified by social media.

Each step of the way, we are cross pollinating updates on all social media channels, increasing brand visibility and thought leadership online.

Tried, Tested, True

The only way to become a social media star and understand what really resonates with an online community is to measure response and engagement to content and continue to iterate based on these results. We develop detailed reports that highlight insights into social media “wins,” opportunities and benchmarks for future success.

Developing a strong and engaging social media strategy isn’t rocket science, but it does require attention and commitment.  Come join the Gatorade Canada conversation on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

High Road’s own Danna Barak took social media to the next level, braving frigid temperatures as she and Canadian Tire’s social media specialist Tweeted their way from Toronto to Calgary, stopping in places such as Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina and Edmonton.

Accompanied by the world’s largest mobile rink refrigeration truck, this custom-built  53-foot truck houses all of the materials needed to transform McMahon Stadium from a football field into an ice rink for the 2011 Tim Hortons Heritage Classic.

Canadian Tire is the official sponsor of the rink build for 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, the second outdoor game of the 2010-11 NHL season. This event will mark the first outdoor game for the Calgary Flames in their franchise history, and the second for the Canadiens. The game will take place on February 20, 2011 at McMahon Stadium.

The Truck Stop tour visited local Canadian Tire stores for special fan events in Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary. Consumers were invited to enjoy some Tim Hortons hot chocolate and coffee, fan giveaways, and take a commemorative photo in front of special green screens.

Fans also had the opportunity to check out the truck which carried a 300 ton capacity refrigeration trailer that is responsible for keeping the ice cool at McMahon Stadium, 350 gallons of paint to make the ice white, and 3,000 gallons of coolant used to freeze the rink.

Danna and Canadian Tire’s social media specialist Tweeted along the way and posted photos and updates to Facebook, stopping at local landmarks and hockey sites such as the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame, and  West Edmonton Mall which features an impressive indoor rink.

Media were involved in the truck tour every step of the way, getting the word out to consumers prior to the events, and showing up on site to take pictures and video of the truck. Coverage for this campaign has been outstanding, further driving Canadian Tires message of hockey pride.

Watch for more blog posts on the Heritage Classic as High Road will be on site for the game on February 20th.