After months of meetings, brainstorms, research, coding, writing, editing, shooting videos, designing and dreaming, High Road was excited to be a part of the official launch of BrighterLife.ca.
A content marketing site powered by Sun Life Financial (a High Road client for the last four years), BrighterLife.ca is designed to deliver relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire and engage an audience in a way that avoids jargon and a hard sales push. The content is all presented in plain language and focuses on topics people think about– family, health, money, working life and retirement.
BrighterLife.ca invites everyone to get involved – by reading, posing question to its columnists, contributing ideas and experiences, answering poll questions and sharing insights with those who face similar challenges.
High Road is proud to be a part of the BrighterLife.ca launch, and looks forward to working closely with Sun Life as the site continues to expand.
It seems like World Wrestling Entertainment has found a new way to connect with their fans outside of their traditional television programs and PPV shows – they’re laying a smack down with social media, and it’s creating quite a buzz.
While the WWE’s popularity and profits have waned in recent years thanks in part to a fickle fan base and stiff competition from the UFC, they’ve come up with an interesting way to strengthen their brand and add a sense of realism to the scripted spectacle of professional wrestling. A little context is needed:
Former WWE champion C.M. Punk created a stir at a recent WWE event when he gave a scathing on-air review of the company and the way it operated. He won the title on the final night he was under contract with the WWE, forfeited it, and promptly left the company. Or did he?
Fast forward two weeks: The ousted champ showed up unannounced at a WWE panel at San Diego’s Comic Con. Armed with a video camera (and an excellent guerrilla marketing strategy), he stormed into the panel and challenged another high profile wrestler to a bout. But his videographer wasn’t the only one documenting the showdown. Upon his entrance, seemingly half the room whipped out their smartphones and started rolling. Within minutes, several different videos were posted on Youtube and Twitter, drawing the eyes of not only the wrestling world, but many old fans who had said “uncle” and quit the WWE a long time ago.
This particular digital strategy was a stroke of genius for the WWE, as it accomplished a few key things:
1) It added a much needed element of realism to their product, something that’s been called into question over and over again. They have deliberately taken to not mentioning the former champ’s name in their on-air programming moving forward, lending credibility to the fact that this isn’t all staged (which in fact it is). But is it interesting, blurring the lines and drawing eyes? Absolutely.
2) Using Youtube and Twitter adds another layer for the fan base to engage with the WWE brand. As a result of this stunt, many of these fans were able to post their videos of the showdown on Twitter and Youtube – the fans were allowed to break the news and add their voices to the narrative. What brand wouldn’t want such an engaged consumer?
3) It’s created a great ROI. No major network television channels involved. No expensive lights, cameras, and crews needed. A camera, a compelling character, and an internet connection did the trick.
4) It created a buzz, plain and simple. Where will he strike next? What will he do? You had better check Twitter as he’s probably already hinting at it now.
This is a great bit of engagement on behalf of the WWE, which highlights the fact that brands need to think outside the box and utilize all communication tools that are at their disposal. It could even end up saving them from going down for the proverbial ten count…
The other week High Road Communications got themselves into a rather cheesy situation. But not just any cheese. Mozzarella di Bufala DOP to be exact. On Wednesday May 11, HRC partnered with Obikà Mozzarella Bar to help launch its first location in Canada.
Neapolitan dialect for “Ecco Qua” (meaning ‘Here it is!’), Obikà served up a VIP Opening Party fit for Italian royalty. With Prosecco, wine and Peroni flowing, guests dined on Obikà’s finest fares and danced the night away to some stellar tunes provided by, the one and only, DJ Chuck Barrett and Lexx Decibel.
Bright and early the next day (with the Obikà espresso machine in full effect), the HRC and Obikà team were bright eyed and bushy tailed for a day full of media interviews.
Without a doubt, both the Obikà VIP Opening Party and media day proved to be nothing but a recipe for success. With coverage in every daily and the #ObikàTO burning up a storm on Twitter, Obikà was able to make its way into every Canadian household to say “Here it is!”…. Obikà
Wanna see what you missed? Check out the video for a glimpse into the Obikà VIP Opening Party.
