Latest move in agency reinvention establishes a truly full-service firm.
Exciting times are upon us as we proudly announce Suitcase’s joint venture with Watermark, one of Alberta’s most established, full-service marketing communications firms.
This new alliance means more than just new competition on the ping-pong table or on the Nintendo. We’re mostly looking forward on integrating our teams and respective competencies in traditional and digital media to provide a truly unified marketing approach for our current clients and new ones on the horizon.
We’ve already seen early success from this union in our recent campaigns for Mark’s securing Michaels, the premier North American arts and crafts retailer and Regis Corporation, a worldwide leader in the beauty industry. We aim to continue these successes as we venture into the ever-changing marketing landscape together.
The full press release, written by Watermark’s Tricia Murray, is below.
Calgary, ALBERTA (October 18, 2011) – A joint venture between two top Alberta marketing communications firms has created one of Canada’s largest full-service independent agencies. Venerable Calgary advertising firm Watermark has joined forces with Suitcase Interactive, Canada’s first digital marketing engagement agency, to provide advertising and marketing services integrating traditional and digital media. The privately owned firms will operate the joint venture under the name Suitcase.
“Watermark has always known how to create compelling communications,” explained Chris Kneeland, President and CEO. “But marketing is more holistic these days. It’s about connecting with the right people at the right time in the right way. This joint venture means our clients will get robust, relevant solutions—all under one roof.”
The prospect of a joint venture took shape as Watermark and Suitcase Interactive collaborated on several successful campaigns for national retailer Mark’s. Out of their shared philosophy and complementary competencies came targeted campaigns that really connected with Mark’s customers. Remarked Kneeland, “It’s a testament to the power of integrating traditional and digital tactics—and of our companies combined. It’s like 1 + 1 = 3.”
“Marketers are demanding synergy among all their marketing channels,” explained Ryan Gill, one of three founding partners and CEO of Suitcase Interactive. “It’s time for a truly collaborative model that galvanizes traditional advertising methods and digital disciplines. We are determined to spearhead this sea change and ensure our clients’ success in the new marketing frontier.”
Already, Suitcase has secured accounts with two major U.S. retailers. It is working with Michaels, North America’s largest arts and crafts retailer, to enhance its Canadian digital presence and with Regis Corporation (MagicCuts, Mitchell’s Styling, FirstChoice Haircutters, Vidal Sassoon), a global leader in the beauty industry, on its customer relationship marketing.
About Watermark
Watermark is a full-service marketing communications firm, including creative conception, media planning, account and brand management and end-to-end completion services. Working with brands such as Mark’s, Imagewear, Wholesale Sports and CIBC, Watermark helps clients with destinations market themselves more effectively across all consumer touchpoints. Watermark is privately owned, has 33 employees and is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
About Suitcase Interactive
Suitcase Interactive was founded in 2002 to serve Calgary’s growing web design and Internet marketing needs. It is renowned for its pioneering integration of mobile and social marketing channels. In 2010, Marketing Magazine named Suitcase one of Canada’s hot digital marketing shops, and Digital Alberta awarded it Best Digital Marketing Agency in 2011. Suitcase boasts a client roster of high-profile Canadian brands and destinations, including SportChek, WestJet Airlines, Mark’s, Niagara Falls Tourism, Spruce Meadows, Shaw and EA Sports.
Contact
Chris Kneeland, President & CEO, Watermark
403.541.8673
Ryan Gill, CEO, Suitcase Interactive
403.243.9935
Category: Advertising, News Releases, Suitcase News
October 17, 2011
It’s not too long ago we were hearing of brands racing to a million followers, and seeing their efforts focused on growing an enormous Facebook following on their corporate Page. We must question if this the right approach for brands with a presence across hundreds of markets. It seems foolish to think that a post made in Halifax can be relevant to someone in Victoria, and in social media, where relevant content is king, this simply isn’t the case.
Brands on the leading edge of social media have already started to shift towards a local social engagement strategy, look no further than Walmart for proof of that. Engaging with fans on a local level helps brands create a more personal and relevant connection with their customers.
Think of it this way, Sally-Jane from Penticton, BC doesn’t go all the way to Toronto to buy a new patio set from Canadian Tire. Instead, she goes down the road to her local store on Railway Street and makes her purchase there. Sally-Jane is more likely to have an appetite for information specific to that location than to the brand as a whole.
Practicing a local engagement strategy offers brands the ability to share relevant promotions, deals and events with their customers, and inevitably leads to a deeper level of engagement. In most cases, brands going local can see up to 10% higher engagement. It isn’t that simple though, brands still need sound strategies to govern and align these local pages to overall communication strategies to get this level of engagement.
This type of strategy requires local managers or employees to be empowered to speak on behalf of your brand on a local level. I know this might seem like a prescription for disaster, but once the proper guidelines and training are in place, success is at your fingertips. Maintaining an official social media policy and establishing rules of engagement are tools that will help set ground rules for your employees’ and will help build the social media sandbox they’re allowed to play in.
Using the right tool for the job will also help quell your uneasiness about letting your brand’s voice rest in the hands of local employees, and at Suitcase we use Expion to ease those uncertainties. It’s formed around a hub and spoke model where governance plays a big role. The hub is formed around a social media centre of excellence that as Jerimiah Owyang describes, facilitates resource sharing and cross-functional communications via the spokes to the eventual end consumer. Corporate can share their best content with local managers and local managers can share their best practices.
This tool also helps us set parameters and implement different layers of approvals to ensure that any message being pushed out in your social networks is appropriate and on-brand.
Letting go of your brand voice in the social space can be a chilling thought, but as more brands move onto Facebook, the ones providing relevant content to their followers are more likely to find success. So when you’re thinking of how you want your brand to interact in the social space, keep Sally-Jane in mind, and think if she’s willing come all the way down to your head office to buy the latest and greatest product you’re offering.
Category: Engagement Marketing, Facebook Marketing, Local Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Uncategorized
You say “Crocs” and we say “No thanks,” but when it comes to implementing SMS campaigns, we’re all ears.
Crocs has been using mobile media to proactively engage consumers. Across 185 stores in the U.S., signage prompt shoppers with instructions to redeem a 15% off coupon.
By sending a text message on their mobile phone to a specified number, a special code is returned to the consumer that provides them a 15% discount on their Crocs purchase at the point-of-sale. Store staff help facilitate the process and encourage participants to opt-in to receive further messaging and deals from Crocs.
Seems pretty simple, but Crocs has distributed 94,000 coupons in the first month of the campaign. Shoppers who opt-in receive more targeted messaging based on previous shopping experiences, their purchase history and online interactions.
“Mobile helps us reach our customers, regardless of their location,” explains Jay Custard, global online marketing director at Crocs Inc.
Mobile can be an excellent way for brands to engage and interact with potential or loyal customers. Giving customers an incentive to buy at the point-of-purchase is much more efficient and effective than email offers. At the end of the day, brands can end up learning more about their customers than they could ever have hoped for.
SMS is just one way of reaching customers, but combine that with social media, a mobile app or a mobile optimized website and you’ve got yourself a band you’re ready to take the stage with. Contact us at info@suitcaseinteractive.com to see how your company can benefit from these types of strategies.
Category: Engagement Marketing, Location Based Marketing
April 29, 2011
As we say goodbye to a cold, bitter winter and welcome the fresh, new spring weather we’ve noticed that two things haven’t really changed around our offices. First, clients are still knocking on our doors because they realize they need to learn to better engage with their customers, and second, talented people are flocking over to join our team to help forge a new frontier.
With great new clients comes great new talent, and the new guy in town is Mark James Lucas, our Art Director extraordinaire. Not only does he have three first names, he also brings with him over a decade of experience in the digital space and a specialty in mobile UI design.
Mark’s extensive experience with some of North American’s biggest brands, including Dell, AT&T, Best Buy, Harley Davidson and USAA, will certainly be a great benefit to our clients. He will help by adding a keen sense of user-centric design and insights into information hierarchy and architecture.
“After spending six years at a large digital agency, I needed a change,” explains Mark, “I had heard nothing but great things about Suitcase, and after meeting with the executive team and learning of the new direction Suitcase is going, with a paramount goal to be leaders in social media and mobile technology space, I was hook, line and sinker.”
Mark’s insights and knowledge can already be felt around our offices, and we’re excited to fill his plate with new projects for SportChek, Atmosphere and Mark’s Work Wearhouse, along with dipping his toe in all the work here at Suitcase.
Want to personally congratulate him? Email him at mark@suitcaseinteractive.com because I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.
Category: Appointment Notices, Suitcase News, Uncategorized
