Marketing The Search For Miss Teen Canada

Introduction:
Promoting The Search for Miss Teen Canada –World is all about building a brand. It’s a ground up social media marketing experience that has evolved from what used to be a pageant event. This 'celebration' is so much more now... When we agreed to market this event, we asked the same questions every one does about pageants and teenage girls. And then we realized after talking with the girls, and hearing their stories filled with hopes and dreams, that this is a chance to step up and step out. The slogan Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful is more than a catch phrase.

These girls are from all walks of life and they all want to make a difference. To many it’s a stepping stone to a future that will give them the opportunity for continued education, scholarships and more. The fact that they have chosen Free the Children as their charity of choice is telling and each of the 50 finalists is working hard to raise $400.00 each.

Brand Relevance and Social Media Marketing
One thing we know for sure about teenage girls and brand relevance is that marketing to youth has to be authentic and relevant. So we opted to go for a ground up approach and be where they are. We know that social networking is part of their culture. Who else but a teen can be called the communications manager in her family? The social media marketing initiatives created by Rob Campbell of Smojoe are completely on target. Here's a partial list of the Miss Teen Canada Contestant Blogs:

http://kylawills.onsugar.com/
http://wendyhuang.onsugar.com/
http://karmenguillas.onsugar.com/
http://oliviawolter.onsugar.com/onsugar.com
http://cassandratracy.onsugar.com/
http://taylorstronski.onsugar.com/
http://genevievejones.onsugar.com/
http://annissacheyne.onsugar.com/
http://chelsaedurocher.onsugar.com/
http://sarahstriga.onsugar.com/
http://azlynnyablonski.onsugar.com/
http://alexandrahanasz.onsugar.com/
http://jessicacatorc.onsugar.com/
http://genevievetucker.onsugar.com/
http://taralynwolfe.onsugar.com/

The MTC-W Contestant Blogs are designed to create a pipeline for finalists and sponsors to the MTC-W website. The practice will increase our client's Google page rank, and feed an ongoing conversation about The Search for Miss Teen Canada-World. Creating a blog squad using the 50 finalists will increase brand conversation marketing opportunities even more, as each girl talks about her experiences and communicates through her communities. It’s relevant, authentic and experiential. These blogs will really get the word out, as they engage so many communities at once. Add some national and local PR by our sister agency dkpr public relations inc. and you have the recipe for a powerful 'ground swell'.

Brand Relevance and the website
Brand relevance is also about the website destination. So we hired Richard Carmichael because of his vision and his understanding of what this target needed to experience as well as what sponsors required. It also needed to be first class on tight budget; first class because our goal was and is to bring the word integrity into an area that many have forgotten or view on a less than positive note. What’s been created is visual, engaging, and easy. These days a website is a corner stone marketing tool. It can make you money or loose you money –simple as that. We knew that our site needed to be on target and sustainable.

Miss Teen Canada- World is Katie Starke, here is her blog!

Michelle Weswaldi, the director of the Miss Teen Canada- World, has gone coast to coast selecting the final 50 finalist’s who have the ability to be role models, leaders and ambassadors for Canada. This is particularly important for two reasons. Miss Teen Canada-World is the only competition who is licensed to send the winner to Miss Teen World in Houston Texas. She will also be travelling with Free the Children to participate in the building of a school for kids in a country like Africa. Their story will become her story to tell. It all happens on July 25th at the John Basset Theatre – Metro Convention Centre in Toronto.

Brand Relevance: The final Event
As the competition date, July 25th, quickly approaches, Ms. Weswaldi, EnCourse and dkpr, are working to make sure that the final event is more than a competition. It's an event that's entertainment, but also a place where sponsors are proudly showcased alongside the brand. Our sponsors are integrated throughout competition week (July 19th to the 24th) so that our finalists can experience their support first hand

Brand Relevance: Final Thoughts:
Brand relevance is more than a catch phrase. It’s taking the time to understand the target beyond demographics in order to speak to them in their language and in places that they frequent. Social Marketing couldn’t be more experiential or more relevant for The Search for Miss Teen Canada –World.