Toronto PR firm Cowan & Company has been hired by Shopbot.ca to create a PR program for its Black Friday campaign.
Shopbot.ca is a price-comparison website that helps consumers find deals on electronics, furniture, fashion and beauty products. For Black Friday on Nov. 29, Shopbot.ca has partnered with a number of brands, including Parasuco, Bench and Sierra Trading Post, that will offer exclusive deals to shoppers.
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. and is one of the busiest shopping days in the country. Over the past couple of years, Canadian retailers have created Black Friday promotions to keep Canadians from shopping across the border.
“Before, [Black Friday] was just something you’d see on the news and you’d see all the crazy shoppers at Walmart, but now all of the major retailers in Canada are involved,” said Cathy Cowan, president at Cowan & Company. “In fact, last year, ShopBot’s visitors went up by 50% during Black Friday just in Canada, so I think it has gained a lot of awareness and momentum in Canada.”
Cowan & Company has created a media relations and blogger outreach program focused on highlighting the Black Friday deals and driving traffic to Shopbot.ca. On the blogger front, for example, Cowan & Company is working with fashion blogger Marta Tryshak, creator of With Love, Gabrielle.
“Digital influencers are becoming an increasingly important part of the PR mix,” said Cowan. “I see traditional media as bringing the credibility and the reach and I see the digital influencers as offering up that likability as well as the frequency of the message. So when you put those together, it really creates a more impactful and well-rounded PR program.”
