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

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.

Through our Decision Mapping process, Suitcase helps to define a Customer Journey that enables marketers to engage and motivate consumers by delivering the right message through the right media to the right person at the right place. We call these the Four R’s of engagement. This new infographic published by AdAge is a great snapshot of who’s consuming what media, and when.

Effective engagement marketing has a lot to do with how, when and — most importantly — where brands and consumers interact. A consumer’s location provides a context for engaging with a brand, and is a factor often overlooked in advertising execution. This infographic shows how different generations consume different media throughout their day, and wherever they are. Very helpful information that can be used to craft compelling location-based experiences that foster brand engagement.

With nearly 400 stores across the country, Mark’s Work Wearhouse has become a Canadian retail icon. And Mark’s has worked hard to achieve this. Their relentless pursuit of quality, comfort and innovation in clothing and footwear is a mantra the whole organization puts into practice every single day. Just step into any Mark’s store (there’s certain to be one near you if you’re in Canada) and you’ll discover a world of stylish, functional apparel that looks good, fits great and performs well from the office to the toolshed.

As the chain has evolved, there’s a growing segment of Canadians who need to be introduced to Mark’s… and many former shoppers who need to be reintroduced.

That’s why Suitcase has been working with Mark’s to help reach and engage these consumers in new, more meaningful ways. Our recent Spring ReStyle campaign is a great example of the partnership and Mark’s has leveraged digital media to engage current customers and nurture new ones.

A New Audience Awaits

Early in the year, Mark’s challenged Suitcase to find a way to boost the brand’s following on Facebook and Twitter, and in doing so, also ignite interest among a new audience in Mark’s 2011 spring fashion line-up to motivate store visits.

“Bring it on,” we said.

Through our Digital Diagnostic process, Suitcase discovered that many of Mark’s current customers are quite vocal about their loyalty, when prompted. Consumers appeared primed and ready to engage Mark’s in new ways and in new places, through social and mobile media. This group represents the next generation of Mark’s customers.

Impressions: Measuring Digital Tactics with Traditional Metrics

The evolution of the Mark’s brand and explosive growth of their retail footprint over the past few years is testament to the savviness and innovation of the Mark’s marketing team. A “smart” bunch, to say the least.

An investment in digital and social media during the critical spring shopping season had to at least deliver high impressions to make sense. Monitoring impressions in the social mediasphere can be a challenge, so we dug deep into our digital toolbox to find the right measuring tape, so to speak. The most important thing was knowing what to measure from the get-go.

Our Solution: Mark’s Spring ReStyle Contest

The idea behind the ReStyle campaign was engaging in itself: Let’s ask online Canadians why they think they’re most worthy of a spring wardrobe overhaul from Mark’s – and let other Canadians decide who should win. Watch this quick video for an overview.

Two finalists would choose from one of three themed prize packs holding high appeal with our target audience, which included trips, Apple® iPads, a backyard makeover and a Mark’s shopping spree, of course.

The campaign microsite showcased contestants' stories and ranked entries by the most points.

To keep things fair and competitive, build credibility and help spread the word, we enlisted the help of several reputable bloggers to form a judging panel. They would review the authenticity and worthiness of contestants, and ultimately help pick the final winners.

Campaign Components

Suitcase brought the ReStyle campaign to life online through targeted ads, digital video, and, naturally, Facebook. Visitors who “Like” Mark’s official Facebook Page could unlock the contest promotion and click-through to a specially-built, socially-integrated contest microsite to enter.

The contest landing page on Facebook.

Suitcase took great care in architecting, designing and building the ReStyle website. Our user experience team made it easy for contestants to post their personal story and a few photos, and integrated numerous ways to “share” their entry with their social networks.

Amplifying Evangelists

The response to the ReStyle campaign was impressive. Canadians by the hundreds each shared their personal stories with Mark’s, with their social networks, and with each other. From busy single parents to newly slimmed moms, many stories were emotionally intriguing and touching. Not surprisingly, Mark’s core customers used their ReStyle entries to evangelize about the brand and the products, all of which was shared through their social networks.

Motivating Participation & Engagement with Game Mechanics

So, how do you turn an enter-to-win contest into an engaging brand promotion?

Our strategy team helped turn the ReStyle contest into an ongoing game by creating weekly “challenges” by which contestants could earn virtual badges and points while simultaneously spreading the word about the contest via social networks.

Contestants shared their stories, and scored points and virtual "badges of honour" by earning votes.

Suitcase also designed and built a ReStyle mobile app for iPhone that provided alternate ways of winning points. The app included a location-based feature rewarding contestants for “checking in” to a Mark’s retail store.

The Mark's Spring ReStyle Mobile app for iPhone enabled contestants to engage and enjoy the contest in new ways.

Weekly challenge winners were rewarded with Mark’s gift cards, while a leaderboard on the microsite homepage showcased the overall points standings to motivate participation. All of this kept engagement levels high throughout the competition.

Results

The Mark’s Spring ReStyle campaign performed extremely well, capturing an estimated 22,823,180 impressions over it’s duration, from April 15 to June 15, 2011.

Hundreds of contestants entered the contest, each sharing their entry with thousands of friends on their social networks who visited the campaign microsite to vote – or enter themselves. The Mark’s Facebook Page nearly tripled it’s following, receiving 9,745 new ‘Likes’, equating to a 3,722% increase in new followers.

An additional 1,155,718 impressions were generated on Facebook through ongoing fan interaction and chatter throughout the campaign.

Ongoing communication with contestants and weekly challenges throughout the campaign boosted the level of engagement among active Facebook fans by an astonishing 7,045%! Engagement and conversation levels remain high weeks after the campaign ended.

The contest garnered some very positive feedback. One contestant wrote: “I entered my story and shared it with friends who in turn shared it with their friends and before I knew it I was in the top 10. I started to receive emails of encouragement from all over the world. People I had never met were sending me their wishes and congratulating me on my fantastic lifestyle change. They were saying I was an inspiration – and that made me cry. I have never felt like an inspiration to anyone in my entire life and here are these strangers looking up to me. I started to realize that even if I didn’t win the contest, I was a winner and needed to be proud of myself for how far I’ve come and how I’ve touched the lives of people I don’t even know. I am so grateful to Mark’s… I have won my dignity and have realized I am a worthy person who is now proud of herself and feels good about herself. Thank You Mark’s, you have changed my life in more ways then you will ever know.”

Destination marketing organizations and CVBs have long though of themselves as the most knowledgeable guide to a particular tourism area. But that claim of expertise just got a little smaller.

Yesterday, Google launched a novel little experiment called Hotel Finder.  With the coverage from most tech sites being simply cut and paste, the Tnooz article being the exception, you might have missed a few subtle hints on Google’s potential plan for travel and tourism.

Before we get to that, the basics on Google Hotel Finder: a new experimental search tool specifically designed to help you find that perfect hotel via a new mapping selection tool and comparison shopping.

So, like Kayak, just more aesthetically pleasing.

However, beyond the threat to Kayak and CVB booking engines, there is one major, yet seemingly unnoticed, implication for destinations.

Google knows more about your destination than you do.

Let’s look at the first highlight from the Google blog entry: “To help you figure out where the action is, Hotel Finder shines a “tourist spotlight” on the most visited areas of U.S. cities. We select an initial shape for you based on what’s most popular…”

One more time, but just focus on this part: “We select an initial shape for you based on what’s most popular…”

Yeah, Google places that nifty little shape for the user.  How?  Because they have a wealth of data on the user, and specifically the tourist.

Searches, check-ins, reviews, directions, mobile interactions, etc.

Google knows what the tourist is looking for in, I would venture to guess, every major tourism destination in the world.

That said, I would also assume that most of our tourism peers already knew this.  Google has a lot of data, about a lot of things, including tourism.  But, start adding together a few more pieces and picture becomes a bit more interesting:

• Google buys online travel guide Ruba
• Random Thoughts: Google City Tours
• Three quarters of consumers use Google Suggest to begin their travel search

Lets review.  Google buys the people and technology from a travel guide start-up, creates an experiment around city tours, knows how people begin their vacation search and has enough data to draw a box around the tourist hot spots in a location.

Take the basic travel planning / purchase funnel (Absorb – Research – Plan – Explore – Share) and it strikes me that Google is establishing a presence in 4 of the 5 segments.

Research = Search.  Plan = Hotel Finder / City Tours.  Explore = Mobile / City Tours.  Share = Picasa / Google+.

Is the Google plan truly domination of the travel planning process?  Probably more coincidence than evil plot.

But considering the increasingly robust offerings from Google, where does that leave the destination in the travel planning / purchase process?

Still a factor, but the influence of destinations just got a little smaller.

Digital Alberta bestows high honours on Calgary-based marketing engagement agency.

Calgary, AB – Suitcase Interactive Inc., a digital ‘engagement agency’ specializing in social and mobile media marketing, was awarded “Best Digital Marketing Agency” at the Digital Alberta Awards on Monday, June 6, 2011 at Hotel Arts in Calgary.

“This award is a big win for us,” noted Ryan Gill, CEO of Suitcase. “I feel it recognizes the success we’ve achieved for our clients by helping them engage their customers in new ways and new places through new, digital media channels.” Suitcase edged out international agency Critical Mass and local start-up Evans Hunt to win the award.

Based in Calgary, Suitcase has been developing and executing award-winning digital marketing strategies for such high profile brands as Shaw, WestJet, and Mark’s Work Wearhouse since 2002. Digital Alberta is an association that represents Alberta’s thriving digital media industry, and honours the year’s best in digital marketing, gaming, entertainment, education and social impact at their annual awards gala.

“Suitcase has worked very hard to establish themselves one of the province’s leading digital marketing agencies,” remarked Digital Alberta President, Michelle Sklar. “They’ve really been instrumental in rethinking and reshaping the old advertising agency model away from ‘push’ style marketing towards true engagement through things like social media, mobile devices and touchscreens. Their work really stands apart.”

Digital Alberta also awarded Suitcase with “Best Social Impact” for their work with United Way of Calgary on their BeCause campaign to engage a younger generation of volunteers and donors. “Often, marketers forget about the customer and how they really want to be communicated with,” explained Gill. “We define a new journey for their customers that targets key decision points, then we craft experiences around those points that move them to the next step, but also bring them closer to the brand.”

Others have also acknowledged Suitcase’s contributions. In 2010, Marketing Magazine named Suitcase one of Canada’s hot digital marketing firms, and Business in Calgary magazine will be honouring Gill at their upcoming Leaders of Tomorrow awards. “For Suitcase, innovation is our edge,” added Gill. “Our focus on uncovering insights about consumers, then blending those with new approaches to engaging and persuading them through interactive media gives our clients a huge advantage.”

With this recent award and the opening of their new office in Kingston, Ontario, Suitcase joins the ranks of Canada’s top independent digital marketing agencies. As the firm approaches it’s tenth year, 2011 seems full of promise for Suitcase. “Watch for us to do some even more amazing things,” exclaimed Gill.

While Suitcase focuses on growing it’s presence in eastern Canada, they maintain committed to Calgary with a modest staff of twenty-five. Digital Alberta asserts that Alberta’s digital media industry is a key contributor to the province’s economic strength, contributing nearly 60,000 jobs, and generating over $9.4 billion in annual revenues. The association’s mandate is to accelerate the growth of the digital media community in Alberta and empower it to be highly competitive in the global marketplace.

PSFK posted an interesting infographic today on the power of the mobile consumer. The graphic was done by Microsoft Tag and it covers a number of ways that real-time information is changing our behaviour.

(larger version)

When it comes to the tourism industry, there’s arguably not a more competitive sector than accommodations. Destination marketing campaigns and core attractions may bring in the visitors, but it’s the hotels who fight to put their share of “heads in beds”, as the saying goes. Amidst fierce price competition and a more value-driven consumer, hotels are sharpening their marketing strategies and expanding their media mix to include new engagement tactics.

Starwood is one hotelier that is banking on digital to edge out the competition and assure the loyalty of their lodgers. They operate 1,000 hotels across 100 countries and counts brands like W Hotels and Sheraton among their roster of premier chains.

Engaging Rewards Club Members (and Non-Members Too)

Starwood’s Preferred Guest website exists primarily to drive reservations among their rewards club members through its online bookings system. By contrast, Starwood leverages its SPG Facebook Page to drive engagement among Preferred Guests and spread word-of-mouth across the social network. Photos of Starwood’s exotic and metropolitan resorts take the spotlight here, while the bookings feature takes a back seat. Here, visitors are invited to browse SPG members’ favourite resorts and publish their own destination “wish list”, or even share photos of their own Starwood vacation.

The SPG Facebook Page builds engagement and word-of-mouth while the online bookings take a back seat.

Global and Local Facebook Pages

How does a global brand like Starwood engage customers in local markets and in their own language? Starwood implemented a system to serve up content in any Facebook-supported language to any region in the world. Each instance is based on a master template to maintain a consistent brand experience, while custom tabs present content relevant to individual geographic markets.

Local Facebook Pages deliver content to individual geographic markets in their native tongue, based on a single master template.

Taking the Experience on the Road

Starwood recognizes that frequent travellers don’t lounge around Facebook all day – they’re busy and often on-the–go. That insight led to the creation of Starwood’s mobile app, which allows smartphone users to browse and make reservations at Starwood properties across the globe. SPG members can also use the app to manage reservations, view their Starpoints balance, get directions and maps to their hotel, and access TheLobby.com – the SPG blog featuring travel trends and tips.

Starwood's mobile app books reservations, provides directions and connects guests to the front desk.

“SPG members who use this application with their smartphone have an incredible tool at their fingertips. With its range of useful functions and user-friendly interface, the SPG App invites members to tap into and experience the power of the Starwood Preferred Guest network,” said David Godsman, Vice President of Global Web Services for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “Mobile access is increasingly important for the fast-paced lifestyles of our members and we are committed to providing solutions that enhance their experience while on the go.”

Location-Based Experiences

Using mobile media, Starwood is also helping guests get more out of their trip during their stay. Through a special mobile app, guests of the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills can explore local restaurants, attractions and nightlife, book their spa package, and provide feedback on hotel services from their Apple® iPhone and iPad.

Guests of SLS Hotel use this app to explore local restaurants and nightlife and book their spa package.

So, how are they engaging and rewarding loyal guests on-the-go?

Starwood runs an ongoing contest using the popular Foursquare location-based app. By checking into any of Starwood’s venues worldwide, SPG members are rewarded with free Starpoints and free-night awards. Checking-in gives members a chance to win a five-night resort getaway. SPG guests who achieve the most check-ins each month are crowned SPG Mayor and are interviewed and showcased on the SPG website, and contribute their advice to the Foursquare tips page.

As Chris Holdren, senior vice president of Starwood Preferred Guests put it to Mobile Commerce Daily, “Starwood sees loyalty as an ongoing conversation with guests, and with the rise of social media, Starwood can reward loyal members beyond just the nights they spend at a Starwood hotel or resort.

I think most would agree that an excellent user experience has never been as warmly appreciated or as highly demanded as it is today. In the world of software design it is no longer enough to create an interface that simply accounts for different sized monitor resolutions or web browsers, or is optimized for Mac’s or PC’s. Now designers need to think about how their design will look and work on all sorts of devices and mediums, like smartphone screens, tablets, touchscreen monitors, televisions, even in an augmented reality environment.

Certain app developers stand out to me for the great job they’re doing with this. I’m a little late to the game, but I recently purchased an iPad. While I was immediately impressed by the beautiful display and appreciated the extra speed and space in comparison to my iPhone, I struggled for a while with finding a practical use for the thing. I’ve recently been introduced to a few delightful little apps like Tripit, Evernote, and Springpad. They are apps that help with rather mundane activities like managing to do-lists, storing notes, and organizing travel itineraries. And yet, their clean and smart interface, combined with their ability to sync my work between all my devices has turned my ipad into a real (and enjoyable) tool. Now, when I am at a meeting or at home I’ll use my iPad to surf or work, and if I’m walking or commuting I’ll use my phone, and both devices can pull up, edit and save the same content seamlessly.

The creators of these apps did not ignore the fact that people may be using their products on multiple devices. They didn’t claim that it would be too complicated or expensive to account for these variables. They did not take the easy way out by warning users that the tool was only optimized for a certain device. Rather they encouraged and planned for it to be used on various mediums and created a unique experience on each device. Not only did they alter the interface design, they understood that the mindset of someone on their smartphone was likely different (aka – more hurried) than someone on a tablet or a traditional computer, and so they allowed for different levels of functionality to be accessible with each medium.

Sure it took extra time and work, but the results are excellent. These apps are satisfying to use, and because of that I’ve encouraged others to use them too. That’s the benefit to companies who put that extra time and money into a project – referrals and positive word of mouth follow.

These are just a few examples of some really well thought out and cleverly designed tools; there are many others like them. The bar has been raised on intuitive user centered experiences. The most successful experiences are created by folks who embrace the challenge of creating a tool that to the user, feels like they’re unwrapping a little gift layer by layer.

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.