CHALLENGE

With extremely limited time and client-side resources, the Communications Team at the Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR) needed to establish a strategic and creative approach to help promote the 2010 Olympic (and future) initiatives. Additionally, YVR needed to manage and train numerous internal stakeholders and content providers and any solution would have to be secure and could not interfere with the existing YVR.ca site.

STRATEGY

M2O Digital Agency’s approach was to create “YVR Connections“, a secure, independent microsite linked from YVR.ca that could be easily managed and maintained while still supporting YVR’s corporate mandate. We would design and launch a microsite that included professional (and internally produced) video, photography, and customized social media management tools. Content could be updated quickly and easily and did not interfere with YVR.ca in any way. The YVR Communications Team would be able to repurpose existing content while also nurturing a strong relationship with the online community.

Once established, YVR Connections would provide online visitors with relevant engaging multimedia content and a compelling reason to return to the site often. The site would grow organically during the initial phase then be supported with targeted social media initiatives and leveraged by established mass communications. Additionally, the microsite would provide YVR with the means to address PR issues quickly and efficiently.

CREATIVE AND EXECUTION

YVR Connections became a powerful tool for the YVR Communications Team. It featured regularly updated multimedia content including professional produced videos and still photography, regularly updated blog entries, social media widgets, and other relevant information for YVR clients. All messaging was vetted by YVR Communications and supported corporate guidelines while establishing and authentic YVRConnections “voice.” Once established, M2O transitioned management of the YVRConnections microsite to YVR internal staff and continues to provide strategic consultation and support.

RESULTS

• Over 100 unique daily visits, thousands of monthly interactions
• YVRConnections has become a valuable promotional and communications resource
• Over 40 positive media hits directly linked to content from YVRConnections.com

TESTIMONIAL

“The expertise that M2O has provided Vancouver Airport Authority in video production, website development and social media has exceeded our expectations. M2O understands us. The dynamic nature of our business often means we need a great product on a tight deadline. With minimal direction, M2O takes up a project and delivers exactly what we want… and then some. We thoroughly enjoy working with M2O’s enthusiastic and professional team, and would highly recommend them to businesses looking to create outstanding media products.”

- Rebecca Catley | Director, Communications at YVR

CHALLENGE

eCrypt Technologies, Inc. is an information security company and a premier provider of true end-to-end encryption solutions, with a focus on wireless communications.

eCrypt faced the challenges of many young companies – a great product, great ideas and an understanding of the value of marketing, but no internal team to take it on. The company principals – though competent marketers in their own right – lack the regular time commitment required to set up a comprehensive marketing strategy and execute on it.

STRATEGY

After consulting with eCrypt to fully understand their company and their needs, M2O proposed they collaborate with eCrypt to become their Digital Agency of Record. In this collaboration, eCrypt receives full and ongoing access to M2O’s experience and expertise on an ongoing basis and can feel confident their needs are being looked after promptly and thoroughly.

CREATIVE AND EXECUTION

As Digital Agency of Record, M2O has created a comprehensive digital marketing plan that takes a holistic approach. eCrypt enjoys full access the range of services M2O offers that would traditionally come from several different sources – agency services like public relations, creative, marketing, advertising, media buys and communications as well as production services like web and content development, animation, video press releases and how-to videos. They also benefit from M2O’s expertise is social media and social video marketing, maximizing the audience for their product.

RESULTS

By making a mutual commitment to the agreement, eCrypt and M2O are able to focus on systematically executing on the strategy and have the ability to quickly react to promotional opportunities as they arise. The collaboration ensures eCrypt’s message is consistent across platforms and their budget is maximized. eCrypt is already enjoying increased customer interest and large volume software licensing inquiries since their partnership with M2O began.

Sony wanted to hear new ideas for an online initiative that would go beyond traditional (and often ineffective) banner ads and pre-roll. They needed an innovative online strategy that would highlight new Sony products to a tech-savvy online market. They also had to satisfy a number of different stakeholders including Sony Product Managers, Sony’s PR Department, and the company’s corporate mandate. Additionally, a strategy  would have to be conceptualized, produced and deployed.

STRATEGY

M2O Digital Agency’s approach was to create an innovative press release campaign that incorporated video, social media, and online distribution channels. We conceived and produced Sony’s first-ever video press release and deployment strategy. The video press release (in addition to traditional press release avenues) would be groundbreaking, and would reinforce Sony as an industry leader both for their products and their marketing initiatives.

The video press release would be tailor-made to promote the new Sony VAIO L series technology. The content and the style of the press release video would be specifically designed to attract Sony’s target demographic, and would promote the product information in a new and exciting way. Additionally, the video press release would include a deployment strategy specifically designed to gain maximum appeal from social media and technology websites.

CREATIVE AND EXECUTION

We worked with all stakeholders (product managers, executives, etc.) to ensure the Sony VAIO brand was always handled with care and in a responsible manner. We created, wrote and produced the first Sony Video Press Release, and also created a deployment strategy that would harness the power of social media and attract the largest number of viewers from Sony’s target demographic: tech-savvy, affluent early adopters.

RESULTS

Sony’s video press release immediately became the most successful online product launch in Sony Canada’s history. Within hours of its release, it was picked up by both Engadget and Gizmodo, the two most popular technology websites in North America. Demand for the new Sony VAIO L series in North America exceeded all expectations. The content of the video press release is now permanently archived on the most popular technology websites and will continue to capture audiences.

THE TESTIMONIAL

“M2O developed a video press release to announce our new touch screen Sony VAIO PC. By effectively showcasing the interactive features of the product and how it fits into the home as an entertainment hub, the video quickly spread online, creating awareness and generating buzz and excitement for the new product.”

- Candice Hayman | Public Relations at Sony Canada

CHALLENGE

Molson Coors needed to document their Olympic activities, not only to archive this once-in-a-lifetime experience, but also to share this experience with employees across the country. They wanted to document multiple events daily, and share them within hours.  All this with firm budget limits.

STRATEGY

Since Molson Coors is a very hands-on company, we suggested they enlist reporters from within, and train their own people to be “roving reports” to tell the Molson Coors story.  We proposed creating a daily show that would share the Molson Coors “home movies” from the Olympics. Fellow employees from across the country would see the Olympics through the eyes of their colleagues as they lived the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

RESULTS

Vancouver 2010 Dispatches – an 18-episode series documenting Molson Coors’ massive success at the Olympic Games. Broadcast internally in breweries across Canada and shared with the public online, Vancouver 2010 Dispatches proved to be a massive success.

Bradley Shende, CEO of M2O Digital Agency is a regular guest on The Christy Clark show. On Friday, March 19, 2010, in anticipation of Pink Shirt Anti-Bullying Day, Bradley appeared on the show to explain the similarities and differences between conventional bullying and ‘cyberbullying’, as well as measures to help prevent and remedy cyberbullying.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 was the Third Annual Pink Shirt Anti-Bullying Day. On this day, as a part of M2O’s ongoing commitment to community outreach, Bradley gave a presentation on bullying to a group of Grade 4 and 5 students at a local elementary school. Well-received by students and teachers alike, the presentation was made even more poignant by the stories shared by some of the students who’d experienced bullying themselves.

As part of our ongoing commitment to non-profit organizations – we’ve begun creating open source promotional PSA videos to help shed some light on our cities’ biggest challenges: homelessness, poverty, drug addiction, and more.

These are big problems – and we certainly don’t have all the answers, but there are organizations doing really great work – and we’d like to help them in any way we can.

Our hope is to inspire us all to actively participate in our communities a little more. We all need to think about finding solutions to our city’s very real problems. Whether it’s volunteering our time, a little money, or just thinking about new ways to look at the people and the problems – we can make a difference.

In addition to our PSAs (which are free to use, rebrand, mash, and circulate), we’ve collected some links to organizations that are doing great work in our community. If there’s an organization you’d like us to add to this list – drop us a line and let us know.

Together – we can make a difference.

M2O Team