Brand communication needs to be powerful, authentic, and have the ability to engage audiences seamlessly across every point they intersect with you. 

A good brand voice should be tied to two things: your brand’s target audience and its promise.

We help brands develop a genuine voice and create lasting connections.

LAST FRONTIER HELISKIING / 
strategy, copywriting
brand storytelling

Last Frontier was already a well-established name in the world of heli-skiing trips when they approached us to develop a content strategy for their new website. Its previous content framework was fractured, not user friendly and not compelling. They had a loyal international client base, but were looking to reach new skiers with the right information, so they wanted an overhaul.

During our discovery process, we got to know all of the ins and outs of Last Frontier’s product and customers through extensive research, stakeholder interviews and a look at the larger industry. This knowledge didn’t just help us to get to know the client, it informed many of the decisions that we made during the course of the project.

From a user perspective, a $10,000+ vacation is a high-consideration purchase, so we worked hard on creating copy that established trust and structured the content so users were easily able to gather the information needed to make an informed decision. We also tailored body and meta copy for SEO to take them to the top of Google’s search results. The end result is an engaging digital experience that connects with new and returning audiences and provides a solid platform for sales and marketing efforts.

WESTBEACH / 
copywriting
branded content

A Canadian apparel brand with deep roots in snowboarding, Westbeach has been been supplying core markets with gear and clothing since 1979. The Social Shop penned four years worth of catalogue and web product copy for the company as Westbeach was rapidly growing into a major youth culture brand.

By interviewing the design and product teams during the concept phase, we constructed copy that matched each upcoming line's technical and fashion-forward outerwear and streetwear.

The copy spoke to both dealers and consumers in an understated voice that reflected the company Canadian culture. And, true to the vibe of such a core brand, we kept the format punchy and entertaining to provide the details needed to make an informed purchase without detracting from Westbeach's style.

ORAGE / 
tradeshow branding

A Canadian outerwear brand with deep roots in ski culture, Orage has been developing clothing since 1989. When the brand unveiled its 2017 line to the wholesale market, The Social Shop was brought on to create a distinct voice to complement its future collections.

The refined feel of our collection introductions and product copy — pushed out on digital, catalogue and banners — resonated with skiing's active lifestyle demographic. The result strengthened the identity of the brand and created a presence on the tradeshow floor. 

WESTBEACH /  
garment hangtags

Hangtag marketing is a retail staple, and for good reason. Products, especially garments in crowded retail stores, can easily get lost on the racks. Creative tags help customers identify your products and influence consumer decision-making at a critical point that can make or break a sale.

Snowboarding apparel brand Westbeach wanted to give their hangtag marketing a makeover with the launch of a new season. The Social Shop steered creative and developed copy for a series of garment tags, labels and pocket flashers designed to inform and entertain consumers, drive sales and increase visibility of the brand at the retail level.

Strategically attached to the products, the distinctive hangtags helped Westbeach stand out from the crowd. The tags detailed product specs and outlined the features and benefits of the clothing. They were successful in attracting attention, telling a story and projecting the Westbeach brand.

QUINTSOUL /
copywriting +
brand storytelling

Montreal-based swim apparel brand Quintsoul wanted to tell its brand story to lend personality to its extensive line of beachwear, lend credibility to its design expertise and distinguish itself from a sea of other bikinis. Not all bikinis are created equal, and Quintsoul wanted to position its swimwear, cover-ups and beach tunics as being perfect for those with an active lifestyle. 

The Social Shop created a true and distinct tone of voice that was used across all channels to broaden its brand authenticity. We emphasized the detail and originality of their most premium designs by showcasing Quintsoul's swimwear that emphasizes curve and confidence. Tying in its influences and inspiration, narrative spoke to the exquisite comfort of Quintsoul's apparel — premium fabrics, striking patterns and a fit that acts as a second skin for your body, created to move with you easily and fit any active lifestyle. 

ORAGE /
brand narrative

A Canadian outerwear brand with deep roots in ski culture, Orage has been developing clothing since 1989. When the brand unveiled its 2018 line to the wholesale market, The Social Shop was brought on to create a distinct voice to complement its future collections.

The refined feel of our brand overview, athlete stories and product copy — pushed out across print and digital — was designed to resonate with Orage's active lifestyle audience, strengthening the identity of the brand with retailers and consumers.

ORAGE / 
campaign concept

A Canadian outerwear brand with deep roots in ski culture, Orage has been making clothing since 1989. When the brand needed a refresh on its positioning and accessibility in the market, The Social Shop helped develop the creative underpinnings to move them in a new direction by exploring the people and places of Orage.

The Social Shop worked with Orage to clearly define the campaign and develop a creative brief, overarching narrative structure and necessary branding elements. The hashtag #outthere was created to unify the brand — from product categories to its athlete roster — across social touchpoints.

Faces + Places shares the rich stories of Orage's athletes and the points around the globe that craft and characterize them. In partnership with Teton Gravity Research, Orage used this creative direction to guide and inform an engaging digital campaign roll-out, which consisted of a microsite, essays, videos, social and interactive elements to tell its athletes' stories.

MICROSOFT  /  
digital analytics

Microsoft's MSN product reaches over 10 million unique users every month generating nearly 1 billion page views with a click-through rate that hovers around 35% on average. 

We worked with Microsoft to drill down and analyze its web metrics to discover trends, successes and challenges, understand audience behaviour and derive actionable insights. We captured and converted data into user statistics presented in easy-to-understand models that played a huge role in sales, marketing and editorial decisions. 

DEX CLOTHING /
email marketing

Founded in Montreal in 1991, Dex is a true pioneer in affordable luxury. Being based in one of the hippest cities in North America definitely has its perks. Surrounded by an unrelenting stream of inspiration and world class talent, the Dex design team has a natural gift for creating the hottest looks at prices that won’t make you sweat.

The Social Shop supported Dex's digital marketing efforts by developing content for a new email marketing campaign. Arriving hot and fresh in customers' inboxes, our targeted and creative content raised brand awareness, drove site referrals and a call to action on product highlights, all while staying true to the Dex voice.

Our experience across many industries helps us develop the right campaign and right content for our clients. We know what works and what message strategy can create the biggest impact. If you want to boost your sales, open rates, and click-through rates, get on board with email marketing. We’d love to share our success stories with you and discuss how your customized campaign can become one of them.

ORAGE /
media launch

A Montreal-based outerwear brand with deep roots in ski culture, Orage has been developing clothing since 1989.

When the brand unveiled its new Montreal flagship store and revealed new team members, The Social Shop was brought on to streamline the big announcements and make a splash within the community.

A round of media releases, blogs and other web copy signalled the athlete signings and store launch, fuelling excitement ahead of the season getting underway.

MICROSOFT  /
editorial direction

Microsoft's MSN product reaches over 10 million unique users every month generating nearly 1 billion page views with a click-through rate that hovers around 35% on average. The Social Shop played a leadership and active management role in the editorial team, responsible for driving the overall content strategy across desktop, mobile, app and Windows 10 environments.

This was achieved by critically evaluating the competition and internal offering to ensure Microsoft was providing the most compelling online experience. The Social Shop provided engaging, timely and informative content offering to the Microsoft audience with the end goal of increasing engagement, unique visitors and page views. We managed relationships with an extensive roster of Canadian and international content partners.

We also collaborated with Microsoft Advertising, creating opportunities for special sections and managing branded content campaigns. We measured and analyzed digital performance and traffic metrics to provide strategic insight to identify programming successes and trends and use that information to guide content decisions.

WHISTLER BLACKCOMB  /
branded editorial
custom publishing

The world's No. 1 winter resort understands the tangible value print media plays in strengthening its brand.

Under contract from SBC Media, Canada's leader in action sports publishing, we worked with Whistler Backcomb to conceptualize, outline and produce an annual magazine custom-tailored to engage with its target audience. 

The result: A slick, perfect-bound book with over 80 pages of custom content — captivating photography and rich storytelling —  that sews in the story of the Whistler brand and its key messages in an entertaining and lasting print magazine format.

ZOOM MEDIA /
press materials

When ZOOM swapped advertising networks with Newad, it needed a campaign to spread the word about its new fitness regimen. 

In Canada, ZOOM Active Lifestyle Marketing reaches over 4 million consumers across 750+ health clubs in over markets through TV, digital, mobile, & custom promotions.

The Social Shop worked with Groupe CK7 to convey its strength to the industry by way of a campaign positioning the ad network as the leader in delivery to the active lifestyle consumer. 

ARC'TERYX /
press materials

Under guidance of Groupe CK7, the PR agency for Vancouver-based Arc'teryx, The Social Shop has provided media consultation and services including researching, writing and producing press materials for a variety of communications.

From athlete signings to internal hirings, product releases, store openings and other company initiatives, The Social Shop communicates pitch-perfect messages, fine-tuned for both endemic and non-endemic media. 

SNOWBOARD MAGAZINE /
feature interview

Published by Storm Mountain Media, Snowboard is a premium snowboard lifestyle magazine with wide distribution in North America.

When a major interview with Mikey Rencz, a professional snowboarder on the Burton team, was teed up on the editorial calendar, we were honoured to take on the assignment. 

Mikey Rencz is one of the most fearless, respected backcountry snowboarders on the planet, and we dug deep over a series of conversations to do shed light on the personality behind the rider. The in-depth interview feature — spread over 12 pages — provides a window into the mind of this influential athlete. 

SALOMON /
press materials

Under guidance of Groupe CK7, the PR agency for Salomon, The Social Shop has provided media consultation and services including researching, writing and producing press materials for a variety of communications.

From company initiatives to product releases, The Social Shop communicates pitch-perfect messages, fine-tuned for both endemic and non-endemic media.