Local Busineses, Facebook Wants You For Its "Grand for Good" Campaign

BY: 

Dave Forde
August 12, 2013

Facebook Grand For GoodA few weeks ago during our “This Guy “Almost” Ran Yahoo Canada” story, we mentioned that Facebook Canada was working on some new initiatives and today they are taking the wrappers off “Grand for Good.”  This is the first agency education program of its kind for Facebook globally, which pairs Greater Toronto Area (GTA) small businesses with Canada’s top media agencies to kick-start their marketing efforts on Facebook.  As part of this program, Facebook is pairing teams from 10 of Canada’s top media agencies with a local small business in the GTA to develop a social strategy and then use Facebook advertising credits to execute their idea using Facebook marketing solutions.

“Grand for Good is a unique initiative that will give GTA businesses the chance to work with Canada’s preeminent advertising agencies, while giving agency participants the practical opportunity to apply what they learned from the Facebook Studio Edge curriculum,” said Alfredo Tan, Group Director, Global Marketing Solutions at Facebook Canada. “Grand for Good is the first program of its kind for Facebook globally and we are excited to have a positive impact on local businesses.”

Bruce Neve, CEO, Starcom Mediavest Group (SMG) added, “Grand for Good is an industry leading program that will allow teams of agency professionals to give back to the community by lending their time and expertise to local businesses.  With 18 million monthly active users in Canada, Facebook is one of the most important places for businesses to reach the people who matter to them. SMG is pleased to be one of the first media agencies to participate in this program and we are excited to partner with Facebook Canada to make this a success.”
Satinder Chera, Vice President, Communications at Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), commented saying, “As the backbone of the GTA economy, small businesses are increasingly looking for online tools to market their goods and services to consumers. A pioneer in the online marketing space, Facebook’s Grand for Good program will give entrepreneurs access to marketing resources to reach and engage with over 18 million Canadians who are active on Facebook every month.”

The call for local businesses has already begun as local businesses across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) can pair with Canada’s top media agencies to kick-start their marketing.  Over the course of six weeks, agency teams will compete to see which team can build the most effective Facebook presence that helps business be more discoverable, find customers and build better relationships.

A local business that wants to join Grand for Good must:

·         Be Canadian-owned and based in the Greater Toronto Area
·         Serve customers of all ages and be non-partisan
·         Be independent and non-franchised, but multiple locations are fine
·         Have fewer than 300 ‘Likes’ on its Facebook page

Businesses can apply on the Grand for Good Facebook Page until Friday, August 23, 2013. Qualified businesses will be selected and notified by Friday, September 6, 2013, at which point they will be paired with a team from one of Canada’s participating media agencies. Each of the teams will complete Studio Edge, a social learning and recognition program that keeps agencies up to date on the latest Facebook’s platform has to offer. Participating media agencies include:

·         M2Universal
·         MEC
·         MediaCom Canada
·         Mindshare
·         OMD Canada
·         PHD Network Canada
·         Starcom Mediavest Group
·         UM Canada
·         Vision7 International (Cossette and Jungle Media)
·         ZenithOptimedia Canada

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Dave Forde


Dave “The Connector” Forde has been involved in the marketing, public relations and technology industry across Canada for over 20 years in various sales and marketing roles, he launched The Connected One network of business sites which connects buyers to the right sellers. Profectio and PR In Canada covers news about the marketing and public relations industry each day helping professionals advance their career and businesses. He also serves as an advisor to a number of businesses across the country. Find Dave on LinkedIn and Twitter.


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