Case Studies

RW&CO.

Posted on by NKPR

NKPR has been RW&CO.’s agency of record since 2010 managing public relations efforts, social media, product placement, strategic partnerships, endorsements and curating seasonal collections for the Canadian fashion retailer.

SITUATION:rw9

RW&CO. was launching a brand new e-commerce site and wanted to gain significant exposure for this new online portal, while repositioning their brand as trendsetting and aspirational, with the capacity to transform day looks into evening glam at ease. NKPR’s role was to build buzz for RW&CO.’s e-commerce launch, taking a 360 approach to the program, with buzzworthy events in the Toronto and Montreal markets, an innovative strategic partnership and an integrated social media campaign.

rw7STRATEGY AND TACTICS:

To celebrate the launch, NKPR formed a unique collaboration with RW&CO. and internationally acclaimed fashion blog, The Coveteur, in order to curate and photograph the RW&CO. fall collection, while maximizing coverage opportunities for the e-commerce platform. Events hosted by The Coveteur took place in both Toronto and Montreal, garnering significant social media buzz with influencers and fashion insiders who were delighted to discover RW&CO.’s top looks displayed on Coveteur-styled portraits throughout the event space.

Leveraging RW&CO.’s partnership with The Coveteur in September harnessed an ideal opportunity to release the news of RW&CO.’s e-commerce launch, as well as to kick off RW&CO.’s film festival initiatives on social media. Online, RW&CO. engaged with fashion editors, bloggers and influence

rs in the Toronto and Montreal markets, sparking excitement and conversation among fans nationwide. The partnership between the brand and the sartorial blog was highlighted with strategic event live-tweets, photos and the #DoubleFeature and #RWandCoveteur hashtags.

 

RESULTS:rw10

  • Garnered more than 2.3 million impressions
  • Successful brand repositioning and e-commerce launch
  • RW&CO. garnered media hits (in both English and French) from key fashion and lifestyle outlets such as E-talk, E! News, Flare.com, Fashionmagazine.com, and Montrealinstyle.com
  • Twitter followers increased by 96% during the week of the e-commerce launch events

Rachel Rachel Roy

Posted on by NKPR

NKPR was hired by The Jones Group in 2011 to manage public relations efforts for Jones New York, RACHEL Rachel Roy and Anne Klein in Canada, with work ranging from product placement, event management, strategic partnership support, designer appearance events and social media integration.

SITUATION:rrr3

Designer Rachel Roy, was making a personal appearance at The Bay in Vancouver and Toronto to launch the Fall 2012 RACHEL Rachel Roy collection. In order to create a demand for the line and to drive sales, NKPR’s role was to build buzz and excitement for the event while revealing Rachel Roy’s favourite looks to media and consumers.

rrr1STRATEGY AND TACTICS:

In advance of Rachel Roy’s appearance in Toronto and Vancouver, NKPR secured press opportunities and interviews for Rachel to build event pre-buzz. In Toronto, NKPR also secured national editors and journalists for a private luncheon with Rachel in advance of the evening’s appearance. Broadcast interviews were also secured for the designer on Canada’s top entertainment programs including eTalk, ET Canada and E! News. Notable Vancouver and Toronto fashion bloggers were dressed in RRR for both events, strengthening brand credibility and generating greater awareness for the brand in both the Toronto and West Coast markets.

In addition to blogger and traditional media outreach, an integrated social media strategy played an important role in creating excitement for Rachel’s visit and encouraged fans to meet Rachel and shop the collection. Guests had the chance to enter and win a $500 RACHEL Rachel Roy shopping spree at The Bay at both events, which was collectively promoted online by Rachel Roy, The Bay and NKPR’s social media channels.

RESULTS:rrr4

  • 14,181,943+ impressions for Rachel Roy’s Canadian appearances ($850,917.00 ad value)
  • Secured national editors and journalists to attend a private luncheon with Rachel incl: Elle Canada, FASHION Magazine, FLARE Magazine, Hello! Canada Magazine, LOULOU Magazine, Globe & Mail Newspaper, Chatelaine Magazine, Canadian Living Magazine, National Post Newspaper, Toronto Life Magazine, The Kit Magazine
  • Feature interview coverage in The Globe & Mail, ELLE Canada, Georgia Straight Newspaper, ET Canada, ETalk, E! News and product placement in FLARE, Globe & Mail Style Advisor Magazine, LOULOU, The Kit and 24 Hours (national)
  • Integration of #RachelRoyBayVAN, #RachelRoyBayTO and @Rachel_Roy tweets reached more than 500,000 Twitter users

Kiehl’s

Posted on by NKPR

Since 2007, NKPR has worked with Kiehl’s (a brand who conducts no paid advertising) to manage their public relations efforts in the Canadian marketplace.

SITUATION:kiehls1

With new boutiques opening throughout Canada, Kiehl’s wanted to create opening buzz and drive sales in key markets, while continuing to leverage their commitment to the community, building on a longstanding tradition of giving back to their pillar causes: children, the environment and AIDS.

kiehls3STRATEGY AND TACTICS:

In our six years working with Kiehl’s, NKPR has worked to open 12 boutiques across the country (in key markets including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal), developing multi-layered outreach strategies tailored for each market, focusing on generating awareness pre-opening, a grand opening event integrating cause and strategic partnerships, and post-event initiatives to maintain the opening buzz and to drive ongoing sales

Example: The Bay Vancouver Store Opening – At a media breakfast and evening cocktail, Kiehl’s celebrated the first opening within The Bay with designer Jason Matlo (carried at The Room at The Bay) to create a Swarovski encrusted Mr. Bones and Mr. Bones T-shirt, sold exclusively at the Kiehl’s boutique, with 100% of net proceeds being donated to Camp Goodtimes, a local pediatric oncology camp.

To leverage Kiehl’s commitment to community, NKPR has also developed National campaigns to raise funds and awareness for their pillar causes, including a 160th Anniversary National Shop for the Cause (with 100% of sales for 160 minutes donated to the Canadian Association of Pediatric Oncology Camps) and a Limited Edition Product Series for Earth Day

RESULTS:kiehls4

  • The Bay Vancouver Store Opening was attended by 50 key Vancouver media, influencers and The Bay’s top customers. 2,720,221 impressions garnered for this particular opening. $10,000 was raised in T-shirt sales for Camp Goodtimes
  • 160th Anniversary National Shop for the Cause: $22,000 raised on a national level within 160 minutes and 9,062,000 media impressions
  • Through strategic and targeted media relations surrounding multiple campaigns, with a focus on garnering feature coverage, NKPR placed Kiehl’s at #1 in the L’Oreal Skincare Rankings, and secured a #2 placement for Men’s

SKYY Vodka

Posted on by NKPR

NKPR has been SKYY Vodka’s Public Relations agency of record since 2008 managing media relations, social media, events, strategic partnerships and sponsorships for the spirit brand in Canada.

SITUATION:skyy5

In 2011, with TIFF celebrating its 35 anniversary, SKYY Vodka – the Official Vodka of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) – wanted to make a “splash” unlike no other spirit brand had ever done at the Festival. NKPR devised and executed a high-profile, multi-platform PR and social media program inspired by the brand’s sophisticated, sexy market positioning that “cut through the clutter” of their competitors’ ballooning TIFF marketing budgets, reinforced SKYY Vodka’s partnership status with the Festival and kept SKYY Vodka consistently top-of-mind with media and consumers in advance, during and after TIFF.

skyy3STRATEGY AND TACTICS:

NKPR leveraged SKYY Vodka’s TIFF involvement through a comprehensive, multi-layered program incorporating media relations, media partnerships, celebrity-inspired cocktails, a highly anticipated pre-TIFF Cocktail Countdown media event, high-profile TIFF-related event sponsorships and activations, including a high-impact surprise “SKYY Tease” aerial stunt.

In weeks prior to the stunt, NKPR built buzz around the “Secret Tease” campaign via media teasers, a Virgin Radio partnership, social media engagement, nightly wall projections and on-premise marketing. SKYY’s role in this “Secret Tease” campaign was unknown and unveiled at the event.

The SKYY Tease performance consisted of a burlesque dancer performing a dazzling routine in a giant SKYY blue martini glass raised more than 35 ft in the air. Taking place at the new epicentre of TIFF – the Bell Lightbox – the stunt was attended by high-profile media, key bloggers and prominent photographers, as well as consumers and crowds that formed in anticipation of the performance. Attendees were then invited to a post-stunt pop-up bar to toast the anniversary year and kick-off the the Festival with a celebrity-inspired SKYY cocktail.

In addition to the pre-festival “Secret Tease” media stunt, NKPR executed an integrated TIFF campaign from sponsorship of key public and private events to media relations, social media and strategic partnerships to garner strong pre-festival and ongoing media coverage during TIFF.

RESULTS:skyy4

  • The buzz campaign and dazzling aerial stunt drew a large crowd of excited media and spectators, thus positioning SKYY as an intriguing brand and a key player at TIFF
  • Local print, broadcast and social media coverage of the SKYY Vodka “Secret Tease” campaign included the front-page of Metro Toronto, Marketing Magazine, NOW Magazine, Strategy Magazine, CityTV, CP24, CHCH and Toronto Moda
  • National, regional and international coverage for SKYY Vodka’s additional film festival involvement including events and official cocktails included the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Metro, 24 Hours, Toronto Life, Sweetspot.ca and MSN.ca
  • Reach: more than 150 million impressions garnered through media and social media regarding the brand’s involvement at TIFF
  • The continued development and fostering of strong strategic alliances with partners including Virgin Radio, Hello! Magazine, Alliance Films