Storytelling is one of the best ways to learn and spark new ideas. That’s why Inbound Toronto – #inboundTO – organized their February event around the topic of startup success stories.
The Inbound Toronto organizers invited two of Toronto’s finest entrepreneurs to talk about how they transformed their idea into a reality, and how marketing played a part in their success.
Peace Collective: A fashion label with strong roots in the community
Jordan McDonald, who is responsible for business development at the Toronto fashion startup Peace Collective, talked about how the fashion label used social media to break into the incredible crowded market of fashion brands with a unique story and a mission.
Peace Collective was inspired by TOMS’ one-for-one model but adapted it to match their brand, which is centered on their Torontonian hometown pride. For every garment purchased, Peace Collective supports Breakfast for Learning, a Canadian non-profit, in providing two healthy meals and a snack to a child in the Canadian educational system.
But giving back was just one aspect of their successful story. Since the beginning, Peace Collective realized that the close connection to Toronto was something that created a bond between the brand and their customers. Founder Yanal Dhailieh and Jordan McDonald started reaching out to Toronto-based Instagram influencers and bloggers inviting them to become brand ambassadors for P/C. Brand ambassadors received Peace Collective gear and were asked to wear it proudly on their IG feed.
P/C also built a network with local photographers who took fashion photos using the Toronto city as a backdrop, which helped creating an emotional connection with their audience who are eager to display their hometown pride.
“A two-way relationship with our audience on social media was key to our growth”, said McDonald at the #inboundTO event. P/C quickly saw an influx of people posting their images on social media wearing Peace Collective apparel – and they made sure to share it on their own platforms and respond to their fans creating an online dialogue and a feeling of community and shared Canadian pride around their brand.
McDonald sums up the Peace Collective social media strategy: “We put our customers at the center of our decisions. We choose our platforms strategically and create content that suits it.” From testing new product ideas to championing the P/C fans, Peace Collective is constantly looking for ways on building relationships with their Canadian customers.
In a recent collaboration with lululemon retail stores in Toronto, the two brands created a limited edition Peace Collective/lululemon collection to celebrate their Canadian roots together. In an interview on the lululemon blog, P/C founder Yanal Dhailieh shares his motivation behind this collaboration: “While we are technically a Toronto startup, we want to become known as Canada-wide brand in the coming years. This project was a way to start moving towards that goal, and I was excited about giving Canadians a way to showcase pride for where they live through their clothes.“
Powered by Search: Canada’s fastest growing digital marketing agency
Dev Basu, founder and CEO at Powered by Search shared some of his guiding principles that have fueled his agency’s success. He opened his talk by highlighting the difference between effectiveness and efficiency. Which of the two do you think Basu values more?
“Focus on doing the right things instead of doing things right. How effective you are doing the right things is more important than how efficient or how much effort you apply towards doing things right.”
Basu has been seeing steady growth with Powered by Search but he pointed out that he is not concerned with quick acquisitions. He likes to show potential clients a lot of love. He believes that building strong networks over time trumps hard sales tactics. His approach to business development is centered on giving and caring – two principles you don’t typically associate with digital marketing agencies.
“We cannot win if we do not care. We deeply care about the success of our team, our work, and the success of our clients. Indifference is not conducive to our mission or vision, even when things get tough.”
At the #inboundTO event Basu shared an illustration of a reversed funnel that he prefers over the traditional marketing funnel. His advice to “ditch the funnel” was probably the most tweeted sentence of the night. Instead of trying hard to turn website visitors into leads, then spam the shit out of them until they become customers you love, Basu suggests to start with loving your customers. They will then lead their friends to you; you will then show a lot of love to those friends and by doing so your circle will widen and your reputation will grow. This long-term marketing strategy, which is focused on care and on effectiveness, has paid off for Basu and his team.
Rebel on –
Nina
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